Ranking the 10 Greatest Moments in IPL History
Over the 15 thrilling seasons of the Indian Premier League so far, there has been plenty of harsh batting, razor-sharp bowling, incredible catching, and even a few oddities.
Continue reading to view the IPL’s top ten moments.
Table of Contents
1. Chris Gayle’s 175 not out off 66 Balls
Chris Gayle’s epic 66-ball 175 is easily the most memorable moment in IPL history.
The West Indian opener blasted the Pune Warriors’ hapless bowlers for 17 sixes while also shattering many records.
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2. The First IPL Final
In 2008, the inaugural IPL final featured Chennai against Rajasthan, resulting in a memorable nail-biting run chase.
The Super Kings scored 163 runs, with each of their top five batters contributing. The Royals, on the other hand, successfully chased down the runs, with Sohail Tanvir scoring a single on the very last pitch.
3. Gilchrist’s 85 off Just 35 Balls
In the 2009 IPL semi-final, Adam Gilchrist transformed a potentially difficult target into a walk in the park by hitting 85 off just 35 balls.
His team, the Deccan Chargers, won the match against Delhi and went on to win the tournament as well.
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4. Yusuf Pathan’s 100 off 37 Balls
When the run rate reaches double figures, it’s usually game over for the chasing side, in this case the Rajasthan Royals, who needed 212 runs to win.
Despite the high run rate, Yusuf Pathan scored the then fastest T20 ton ever off just 37 balls in 2010, putting his team on the verge of victory. Unfortunately, Mumbai triumphed by by four runs, so it was still a losing effort.
5. Anil Kumble’s 5 Wickets for 5 Runs
After nearly single-handedly destroying the Rajasthan Royals in 2009, statistics speak for themselves for famous Indian spinner Anil Kumble.
On a challenging Cape Town batting pitch, Kumble got four wickets to lead his Royal Challengers Bangalore side to victory.
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6. Bisla’s 89 Runs off 48 Balls
Manvinder Bisla was the unexpected hero of the 2012 IPL final, scoring 89 runs off just 48 balls to help Kolkata beat Chennai.
As if the occasion wasn’t enough, Bisla was also under scrutiny after controversially replacing the out-of-form but popular Brendon McCullum.
7. Michael Hussey’s 116 off 54 Balls
Michael Hussey hit 116 off 54 balls in only his second-ever IPL encounter, a day after Brendon McCullum smashed 158 in the inaugural.
The Australian talent would go on to become a regular in the competition and will return to play Mumbai Indians this year.
8. Amit Mishra’s Hat-Trick of Hat-Tricks
Amit Mishra scored a spectacular hat-trick to help the Sunrisers Hyderabad beat the Pune Warriors in a low-scoring thriller in 2013.
Mishra now has three IPL hat-tricks to his credit, the first coming in 2008 and the second in 2011.
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9. McCullum’s 158 off 73 Balls
If people had their doubts about the longevity of the IPL, then Brendon McCullum’s blistering 158 not out in the competition’s very first match put paid to that.
The Kiwi smashed 15 sixes as part of a huge individual score that would remain the tournament’s highest score for five years.
10. Virat Kohli’s 973 runs in 2016
The former RCB skipper was in red hot form in 2016 edition when he cranked up the best ever 973 runs in a single season.
He went on to score a total of 4 centuries and helped in taking his team through to the final for the thrid time. However, they fell short to Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final.
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