Top 5 biggest wins by balls to spare in IPL finals ft. KKR vs SRH in IPL 2024
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been the most ardently followed franchise league in cricket since its inception in 2008. Over the years, the competition has witnessed some epic summit clashes with seven different teams claiming the ultimate prize.
In this article, we'll look at the largest margin of wins in IPL finals by balls to spare.
#5 KKR - 3 balls vs PBKS, IPL 2014
One of the all-time IPL classics, the Kolkata Knight Riders held their nerve to clinch a cliffhanger against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in the 2014 final. Batting first, the Punjab side reached 199/4 thanks to terrific knocks from Wriddhiman Saha (115* off 55) and Manan Vohra (67). Piyush Chawla picked two wickets for KKR.
In response, the Knight Riders batting unit were in good form with an impressive innings from Manish Pandey (94) and support from Yusuf Pathan (36). In the end, KKR sealed the game in 19.3 overs.
#4 MI - 8 balls vs DC, IPL 2020
In the IPL 2020 finale, Mumbai Indians were up against Delhi Capitals. After getting reduced to 22/3, Shreyas Iyer (65*) and Rishabh Pant (56) led a fantastic recovery for the team, as they posted 156. Trent Boult picked up three wickets for MI.
Then, Rohit Sharma (68) emerged as the top contributor for Mumbai Indians as they clinched their fifth IPL title. Anrich Nortje picked up two wickets for DC.
#3 CSK - 9 balls vs SRH, IPL 2018
The 2018 final will be remembered for a sensational century from Shane Watson, who helped CSK secure their third IPL title (first since 2011). More importantly, it was their comeback year after serving a two-year ban.
With contributions from Kane Williamson (47) and Yusuf Pathan (45*), the Sunrisers Hyderabad reached 178 in the first innings. Then, Watson slammed 117* off 57, with 11 fours and eight sixes to register his highest-ever IPL score and also help CSK chase down the total in 18.3 overs.
#2 GT - 11 balls vs RR, IPL 2022
Rajasthan Royals locked horns against Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2022 final. The Royals got off to an impressive start with Yashasvi Jaiswal (22) and Jos Buttler (39). However, the rest of the batting line-up faltered, as the Royals were restricted to 130/9. Hardik Pandya picked up three wickets for the Titans.
Thereafter, the Gujarat-based franchise got valuable contributions from Shubman Gill (45*), Hardik Pandya (34) and David Miller (32*) as they completed the chase in 18.1 overs.
#1 KKR - 57 balls vs SRH, IPL 2024
The Kolkata Knight Riders recorded the largest win by balls to spare in the 2024 IPL final against Sunrisers Hyderabad, chasing down the total in just 10.3 overs. Batting first, the Sunrisers posted the lowest-ever IPL final score of 113. Andre Russell scalped three wickets, while Harshit Rana and Mitchell Starc picked up two wickets each.
Although Pat Cummins secured the early breakthrough of Sunil Narine (6), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (39) and Venkatesh Iyer (52*) stitched a 91-run stand to seal the chase with 57 balls to spare.