The introduction of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to the cricketing world was a turning point not just for Indian cricket but for cricket all over the world. The Indian Premier League came as a revolution as the most entertaining league any country could offer. Players from all over the world want to play in this league because of the amount of competition, fans’ participation, and the large sums of money involved. With that kind of investment and player presence, we get to see some of the most entertaining matches the game can offer. In this article we are looking on the top 10 IPL matches of all time.
1. Kings XI Punjab Vs Chennai Super Kings, 2014
Let’s start this list with a knockout match. In the Qualifier-2 of the 2014 season of IPL, Kings XI Punjab faced Chennai Super Kings in a run-fest to get a place in the final. The match took place at the Wankhede Stadium, and Punjab batted first. Virender Sehwag took the game into his own hands and scored a mind-blowing 58-ball 122, taking Punjab to a score of 222. Chasing such a big target, it looked like that Chennai would do it as Raina stormed a 25-ball 87. It proved to be too much for Chennai as they only reached 202 runs, and Punjab reached the finals.
2. Chennai Super Kings Vs Kolkata Night Riders, 2018
Chennai Super Kings played an entertaining game against Kolkata Night Riders in Chepauk Stadium, Chennai. In this match, batting first, Kolkata made a total 202 runs thanks to Andre Russel for his destructive 36-ball 88. This total looked big as Chennai’s pitch was never known for high-scoring games, but CSK responded in some fashion as they chased the target in the last over, thanks to the death-over heroics of Jadeja and DJ Bravo.
3. Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Mumbai Indians, 2022
This match was an example that a team can win from any position. In the 2002 edition of the IPL, these two teams met each other, where MI batted first and scored 161 runs thanks to the contributions from Suryakumar Yadav (52) and Tilak Verma (38*). In its response, KKR was not having one of the best replies, and when, with 13 overs gone, they were well off the target, entered Pat Cummins. Cummins made a 15-ball 56* to sting MI, and KKR chased the total in 16 overs.
4. Royal Challengers Bangalore Vs Mumbai Indians, 2020
We saw one of the best and most entertaining battles in IPL history when Royal Challengers Bangalore met Mumbai Indians at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Banglore, in 2020. Batting first, RCB made a big total of 201, in reply to which Mumbai looked like they were crumbling, but Ishan Kishan’s 58-ball 99* took them at par of RCB, and after 20 overs, both made 201. Then came the Super Over, where MI only managed seven runs, which RCB scored and won.
5. Rising Pune Supergiants Vs Mumbai Indians, 2017
The final of the 2017 edition of the IPL was probably the best match of that IPL edition. In its second season only, Rising Pune Supergiants reached the final and met Mumbai Indians. Mumbai Indians batted first and got to only 129. RPS were the favorites to win the game now, and a good start from Ajinkya Rahane. However, Mumbai showed some very disciplined bowling to get the match to the last over and win the game by just one run.
6. Kings XI Punjab Vs Chennai Super Kings, 2010
This game is said to be a finishing masterclass from Mahendra Singh Dhoni. In 2010, Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings met at Dharamshala, where a win was mandatory for CSK to make the Semi-finals. Batting first, Kings XI Punjab made a big total of 192, and Chennai needed something special to win. CSK struggled in the beginning and somehow maintained its place in the game. Then Dhoni came and, like a spectacular finisher, took CSK over the line.
7. Royal Challengers Bangalore Vs Pune Warriors India, 2013
There is only one Universe Boss in Cricket, and this match is the living proof of it. Royal Challengers Bangalore and Pune Warriors India met at the Chinnaswamy, Bangalore. RCB batted first and scored the highest total of IPL history, 263, thanks to the Universe Boss Chris Gayle, who scored the highest individual score in IPL history with a 66-ball 175. In response, Pune only managed to get a score of 133, giving RCB a 130-run win.
8. Mumbai Indians Vs Rajasthan Royals, 2014
“Anything can happen in Sports,” this saying came to be right this day. Mumbai Indians met Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede in 2014, where they had to beat Rajasthan Royals by a certain margin to qualify for the playoffs. RR batted first and scored 189 runs. To move to the playoffs, Mumbai had to chase the target in just 86 balls to qualify for the playoffs. Mumbai responded with Corey Anderson scoring a 45-ball 95, taking MI really close. However, to win, on the 87th delivery, they had to hit a boundary to qualify, and they did to win a miraculous berth to the playoffs.
9. Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 2008
The first match of the IPL set the tone for it to become the biggest cricket league in the world. At the opening game of the inaugural season of the IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders played Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. KKR batted first, and the man for this occasion was the Kiwi, Brendon McCullum, who scored a 73-ball 158, writing his name in the IPL history book. KKR amassed 222, and in response, Bangalore got bowled out for just 82 runs.
10. Chennai Super Kings VS Gujarat Titans, 2023
The final of the latest edition of IPL was probably the most entertaining game for the IPL lovers. In the final of the 2023 IPL, Chennai Super Kings faced Gujarat Titans in the Narendra Modi stadium, Ahmedabad. Batting first, Gujarat scored a big total of 214 runs with the help of a 47-ball 96 from Sai Sudarshan. In its response, Chennai got a target of 171 runs to chase in 15 overs due to rain. Chennai played well, and almost everyone contributed, but the hero was Ravindra Jadeja, who smashed ten runs of the last two balls that made CSK the champions for the 5th time.
