The IPL is the world’s most-attended cricket league, ranking sixth in terms of the average crowd among all sports leagues in 2014. The IPL became the world’s first sporting event to be broadcasted live on YouTube in 2010. In 2022, the IPL’s brand value reached 90,038 crores (US$11 billion). According to the BCCI, the 2015 IPL tournament contributed 1,150 crores (US$140 million) to India’s GDP.
The history of the Indian Premier League is quite intriguing. The idea of the Indian Premier League was conceived by Lalit Modi, Vice President of the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI). It is patterned around European club football, particularly the English Premier League. The IPL was established in response to Zee Group’s breakaway Indian Cricket League (ICL). After India won the Twenty20 World Cup, the Twenty20 format was established as a phenomenon, and fans have been engrossed in it ever since.
In a match where batsmen generally overpower bowlers, they weaken and end up having a mediocre score. In such circumstances, it is up to the bowler to harness his expertise and tactics to retrieve from the poor results, as bowlers have retrieved low totals and saved a one-sided match from the opposing team on several occasions. This article goes into detail about all of such occasions in the history of IPL:
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List of Lowest Score Defended in IPL:
| Team | Total | Win Margin | Against | Year |
| Chennai Super Kings | 116 | 24 | Punjab Kings | 2009 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 118 | 21 | Mumbai Indians | 2018 |
| Punjab Kings | 119 | 3 | Mumbai Indians | 2009 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 119 | 11 | Pune Warriors India | 2013 |
| Mumbai Indians | 120 | 1 | Pune Warriors India | 2012 |
| Royal Challengers Bangalore | 126 | 14 | Chennai Super Kings | 2008 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 126 | 22 | Pune Warriors India | 2013 |
| Pune Warriors India | 129 | 28 | Mumbai Indians | 2012 |
| Deccan Chargers | 129 | 50 | Kochi Tuskers Kerala | 2011 |
| Punjab Kings | 132 | 23 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 2014 |
CSK – Chennai Super Kings (116 Runs in the tournament of 2009)
According to specific assessments, Chennai Super Kings has the lowest defensive score among all the other IPL teams. In this specific game against Punjab Kings (Formerly Kings XI Punjab), the Chennai Super Kings won the toss and choose to bat first. They collected roughly 116 runs for 9 wickets in this IPL 2009 match. Although the mark was not difficult to reach, the Chennai bowlers outdid themselves by limiting Punjab to only 92 runs. Chennai won the game by a total of 24 runs as a result, claiming the lowest defended total in IPL history.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (118 Runs in the tournament of 2018)
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Since Hyderabad was able to defend the second-lowest total in history, Sunrisers Hyderabad was positioned in second place in the IPL. Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians faced each other in the 23rd match of the IPL, with Hyderabad struggling to score a bigger target and giving Mumbai an easy 119-run chase. However, when Mumbai headed out to chase the score, they were unable to push ahead with the strategy and approaches of the Hyderabad bowlers, and the entire squad was bowled out for a total of 87 runs, allowing Hyderabad to achieve victory by 31 runs and rank second in IPL history for lowest totals defended.
The Punjab Kings (119 Runs in the tournament of 2009)
Punjab Kings are placed third in IPL history for defending the lowest total ever. The 20th match of the IPL 2009 was held between the Punjab Kings and the Deccan Chargers. Punjab won the toss and elected to bat first, scoring a low target of 119 runs. When the Deccan Chargers set out to chase which they felt was an easy total, they struggled from the start and could only make 116 runs. As a result, Punjab won the game by a narrow margin of three runs and earned a place on the list of IPL teams with the lowest score defended.
Hyderabad Royals (119 runs in the 2013 tournament)
Sunrisers Hyderabad is once again securing a spot, fourth among IPL teams in terms of saving the lowest totals. In the 22nd match of the IPL 2013, Hyderabad batted first against Pune Warriors India, scoring only 119 runs. In response, Pune Warriors India went out to chase the seemingly simple score, but Amit Mishra stood out in particular, stopping the Warriors at 108 runs with four key wickets. As a result, Sunrisers Hyderabad reclaimed the game and won by 11 runs, with Amit Mishra named Man of the Match.
The Mumbai Indians (120 Runs in the tournament of 2012)
The Mumbai Indians are placed fifth among IPL teams in terms of the lowest score retrieved. In the 45th match of the IPL 2012, Mumbai Indians batsmen did not achieve a high total against Pune Warriors India. In response, when Pune came out to chase the target of 121 runs, which seemed easy at first, their batsmen seemed to stumble from the start of the second half of the game and struggled to maintain the required run rate, resulting in a one-run loss. As a result, Mumbai won by one run, and Lasith Malinga was named Man of the Match.
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