5 Biggest Upsets In IPL History

The IPL is by far, the most competitive tournament. The presence of multiple star-studded teams has resulted in plenty of nail-biting finishes over the years. This is why the tournament is so dearly loved by fans and pundits alike.

Over the last decade so far, there have been teams which have lacked balance and structure as well. That will always happen once in a while but even those teams have caused a few upsets which have made the IPL an even bigger spectacle. It is this unpredictability which makes the IPL charming.

On that note, here’s a look at 5 of the biggest upsets in IPL history:

5. PWI beat KXIP by 7 wickets, 2011

While the Kings XI Punjab have not been the strongest of teams in the tournament, they were much better than the Pune Warriors which graced the IPL for three years. PWI lacked balance and the constant chopping and changing didn’t help. On that, no one gave them a chance in any game.

So, when Punjab and PWI were up against each other in 2011, the latter was not the favourite. However, PWI stunned everyone as they reduced KXIP to just 112 in the first innings. Shrikant Wagh was the star as he returned figures of 3-16. The score would have been lesser if Ryan McLaren had not contributed with an unbeaten 51. PWI chased the target down with 7 wickets and 6.5 overs to spare to complete a terrific upset of the Kings which was not anticipated by many.

4. DD beat MI by 9 wickets, 2013

In 2013, the Delhi Daredevils had a miserable campaign as they lost most of their games, that too in miserable ways. As such, they started as underdogs ahead of their game against eventual champions Mumbai Indians.

Bowling first, the Daredevils restricted MI to just 161. Barring Rohit Sharma and Sachin Tendulkar, none of the MI batters got going. In response, Delhi chased the target down without breaking a sweat as the openers shared a stand worth 151. Virender Sehwag made an unbeaten 95 while Mahela Jayawardena made 59 as the Daredevils won by 9 wickets and 3 overs to spare. 

3. KTK beat RR by 8 wickets, 2011

Kochi Tuskers Kerala who played just one season were another underperforming side. However, in a game against Rajasthan Royals back in 2011, they caused an upset.

In the first innings, the Tuskers bowled Rajasthan out for a paltry score of 97. Brad Hodge was the unlikely star as he picked up a four-wicket haul. The Tuskers then completed the chase in just 7.2 overs to annihilate the Rajasthan Royals convincingly. The win helped them remain in contention for a playoff berth even though they eventually failed to get there.

Also Read: One major mistake from each IPL team

2. KTK beat MI by 8 wickets, 2011

In the same 2011 season, KTK caused another upset as they beat the Mumbai Indians by 8 wickets, chasing down 184 with an over to spare. 

This match is remembered for Sachin Tendulkar’s first and only IPL century. His unbeaten ton took MI to a score of 183 with Ambati Rayudu also scoring a crucial half-century. Not many expected Kochi to do well as their batting lineup had misfired in the previous couple of games. However, the Mahela Jayawardene side batted extremely well to cause an upset and spoil the occasion for the great Tendulkar. 

Brendon McCullum was the star as he made a fantastic 81 while Jayawardena’s 56 also helped the cause.

1. PWI beat MI by 28 runs, 2012

Pune Warriors India feature on this list once again for what is a famous upset. At the receiving end of this were the Mumbai Indians and this happened in the 2012 season. Batting first, PWI scored just 129 and that was not a surprise given their performance in the previous season.

Mumbai was expected to win the game easily. Pune though, had other plans as they restricted MI to just 101 in their 20 overs. MI’s stroke players struggled big time on what was a sluggish pitch. For PWI, Ashok Dinda was the star as he picked up a 4-wicket haul. This loss caused a lot of disappointment for MI’s ardent fans who expected a better show from the star-studded lineup.