Though the Indian Premier League, since its inception, has been highly competitive with teams leaving no stones unturned to build the perfect squad, there has been an instance of a few matches down to the wire where one team has had the bigger say and have dominated a match. So which are the biggest wins in IPL?
IPL has been a source of excitement and ecstasy for all fans throughout the years. In its 14th year now, there have been many a nail-biting contest where the result is not known till the very last ball of the innings. In fact, sometimes, even not after the entire 20-over quota has been bowled as matches go on to Super Overs.
However, there have also been instances of one team dominating the opposition and leaving nothing to chance to grab the most-important win. These matches have either been catalyzed by an individual performance or sometimes as an entire team. Here, we will look at the top five biggest wins in IPL.
Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Daredevils, 2017 (Mumbai win by 146 runs)
The 2017 IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Daredevils at the Wankhede Stadium saw MI posting a mammoth 212 runs for the loss of three wickets. For the IPL’s most-successful team, West Indians Lendl Simmons (66 of 43 balls) and Keiron Pollard (63 of 35 balls) played scintillating knocks to power them to the massive score.
Chasing the total of over ten an over, Delhi Daredevils got bundled out for a measly 66 runs, losing the match by 146 runs. Apart from Karun Nair and Corey Anderson, none of Delhi’s batting stars could reach double digits. The victory margin has since then been the biggest by runs in the history of the IPL. In the bowling attack, MI’s Harbhajan Singh and Karn Sharma picked up three wickets apiece to dismantle the Delhi batting line-up.
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Gujarat Lions, 2016 (Bangalore win by 144 runs)
The second in the list of biggest wins in IPL goes to RCB.
At the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Gujarat Lions captain Suresh Raina won the toss and decided to field first. Royal Challengers Bangalore batting was opened by Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli, and although Gayle was dismissed cheaply for only six runs, Kohli (109 from 55 balls) got stuck to the crease with new partner AB de Villiers. Both players scored centuries, with de Villiers remaining not out on 129 runs from just 52 deliveries. His knock included 10 boundaries and 12 sixes. RCB ended up scoring 248 runs for the loss of three wickets.
Chasing the massive target of 249 runs, Gujarat Lions could not compete at all as they were bundled out for 104 runs, losing the clash by 144 runs. Although Aaron Finch (37 runs from 38 balls) and Ravindra Jadeja (21 runs from 19 balls) tried providing some solidity to the batting, the target was always too steep for any hope.
For the RCB bowling department, Chris Jordan was the pick of the bowlers, grabbing four wickets for just 11 runs in his quota of four overs.
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 2008 (Kolkata win by 140 runs)
The third in the list of biggest wins in IPL goes to KKR.
The IPL stage was set on fire by Kiwi Brendon McCullum, who smashed an unbeaten 158 runs in the very first match in the Indian Premier League’s history at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium. McCullum’s scintillating innings of 73 balls was the spark that was needed for the IPL to fire, and my word it did!
KKR ended up scoring 222 runs for the loss of three wickets in their quote of 20 overs. RCB had a bad day in the field, and captain Rahul Dravid would have hoped for a change of fortune in the second innings, but it was not be. RCB was bundled out for only 82 runs, and KKR won the match by 140 runs.
For KKR, disciplined bowling by veteran Ajit Agarkar and Bengal pacer Ashoke Dinda was enough as they started their campaign on a high note.
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kings XI Punjab, 2015 (Bangalore win by 138 runs)
The fourth in the list of biggest wins in IPL belongs to RCB.
A masterclass batting display by ‘Universe Boss’ Chris Gayle saw Royal Challengers Bangalore plummet 226 runs in 20 overs for the loss of three wickets. Gayle’s 117-run blistering knock included 12 sixes and seven boundaries. He was ably assisted by the ever-dependent AB de Villiers, who scored 47 runs from 24 deliveries.
Chasing over 10 an over, Kings XI Punjab never got into the groove and was dismissed for 88 runs in 13.4 overs. Apart from Axar Patel (40 not out from 21 balls) at lower-down the order, none of the Punjab batsmen reached double digits. For RCB, the pick of the bowler was Mitchell Starc and Sreenath Aravind, picking up four wickets each. In the end, Punjab lost the match by a mammoth 138 runs.
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Pune Warriors, 2013 (Bangalore win by 130 runs)
The fifth in the list of biggest wins in IPL goes to RCB again.
Arguably the greatest batting display by a batsman in IPL history, Chris Gayle rewrote history books on April 23, 2013 at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru when he scored an unimaginable 175 runs off just 66 deliveries, carrying his bat throughout the innings. Gayle’s knock included 17 sixes and 13 boundaries, and powered his side — RCB — to an unassailable 263 runs for five wickets. Apart from Gayle, Dilshan and de Villiers played sensible knocks of 33 and 31, respectively.
Chasing an almost impossible target of 264 runs, Pune Warriors lost four batsmen within the batting powerplay and never looked in the game. None of the top four batsmen, Robin Uthappa, Aaron Finch, Yuvraj Singh, and Luke Wright, could get going and Pune ended up at 133 runs for the loss of nine wickets in their quota of 20 overs, ultimately losing the match by 130 runs. For RCB, there was no single bowler who performed well, but instead, their bowling unit remained discipline throughout Pune’s innings. Murali Kartik, RP Singh, Vinay Kumar, and Ravi Rampaul — all had economical figures, with only Jayadev Unadkat going for runs.
