Top 5 highest partnerships in 10-wicket chases in IPL history ft. SRH vs LSG in 2024
With the enhancement in innovation and the risk-taking appetite of the batters, they have been dominating the bowlers in the shortest format of the game. The biggest T20 tournament in the world, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is certainly no exception to this fact.
In all these years, the batters have become smart enough to make the most of the fielding restrictions in the powerplay overs. On some occasions, they manage to carry their bat by sealing a chase for their respective teams.
On that note, let's take a look at the five highest partnerships in a successful 10-wicket chase.
#5 163 - RR vs MI, IPL 2012
In the 72nd match of the 2012 season, Rajasthan Royals (RR) batted first against Mumbai Indians (MI). Although the Royals didn't get off to a good start, Shane Watson (45), Stuart Binny (30) and Owais Shah (28*) contributed well to help them post 162. Dhawal Kulkarni scalped three wickets for MI.
Sachin Tendulkar then played second fiddle to Dwayne Smith, who completed his fifty off 34 balls. The duo went on to orchestrate the then-biggest unbeaten partnership of 163 runs during a chase. Smith remained unbeaten on 87 off 58 while Tendulkar scored 58 off 51 balls.
#4 167 - SRH vs LSG, IPL 2024
This game marks the fastest-ever T20 chase in terms of balls left (62). Batting first, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) compiled a total of 165, with contributions from Ayush Badoni (55*) and Nicholas Pooran (48*). Bhuvneshwar Kumar returned with credible figures of 2/12 off four overs.
Travis Head (89* off 30) and Abhishek Sharma (75* off 28) then stunned the cricket fraternity with their sensational hitting. Their no holds barred approach helped SRH to seal the chase in just 9.4 overs.
#3 181 - RCB vs RR, IPL 2021
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) locked horns with Rajasthan Royals in a one-sided contest in IPL 2021. After being reduced to 43/4 in the eighth over, RR were rescued by Shivam Dube (46) and Rahul Tewatia (40) who set up a target of 178 runs for RCB. Mohammed Siraj and Harshal Patel took three wickets each.
In response, Bengaluru got off to a scintillating start with Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal. The duo crossed the three-figure mark in just 58 balls and finished the game in just 16.3 overs. Padikkal (101* off 52) and Kohli (72* off 47) stole the show with their batting prowess.
#2 181 - KXIP vs CSK, IPL 2020
The 18th match of IPL 2020 saw Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) getting off to an impressive start, with KL Rahul (63 off 52) scoring against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The other batters also helped pave the way for Punjab to post a score of 178 in 20 overs. Shardul Thakur picked up two wickets for the CSK team.
The overseas duo of Faf du Plessis and Shane Watson looked in ominous touch, as they amassed 60 runs in the powerplay overs. They went on to continue their blistering form and stun the Punjab bowlers while finishing the chase in 17.4 overs.
Faf (87* off 53) and Watson's (83* off 53) performances were a testament to their batting talents.
#1 184 - GL vs KKR, IPL 2017
In one of the finest boundary-hitting extravaganzas, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) completed the mammoth chase in just 14.5 overs. Batting first, the Gujarat Lions put up a strong total of 183, with skipper Suresh Raina (68*) and Dinesh Karthik (47*) as the top contributors.
The response to the chase was unprecedented at that time, as Chris Lynn and Gautam Gambhir blew away the opposition by adding 100 runs in just 46 balls. Lynn (93* off 41) and Gambhir (76* off 48) remained unbeaten as KKR secured a dominating victory.