IPL: Top-5 powerplay scores in the tournament’s history

Powerplay is a vital aspect of the limited overs format in cricket since it determines whether a side is setting a total or pursuing a target. The powerplay is much more critical because batters can only use two fielders outside the inner ring or the 30-yard circle during the first six overs of an inning.

Over the years in the Indian Premier League, batters usually provide explosive starts for their teams. Slow starts are rare, especially when matches are played chiefly on good batting wickets. Here’s a list of top-5 powerplay scores in the tournament’s history. 

105 Runs (KKR) vs RCB, 2017 edition

KKR became only the second IPL team to score 100 runs on the powerplay. They won the toss and chose to bat first against RCB at Chinnaswamy Stadium, limiting the hosts to 158/4 in the first innings. 

The Knight Riders retaliated with all guns blazing. Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine annihilated the RCB bowling lineup from the start. Narine hit the then-fastest half-century in 15 balls, while Lynn needed 19 deliveries to achieve the mark. They won by six wickets with 29 balls to spare.

100 Runs (CSK) vs PBKS, 2014 edition

CSK fans remember this game fondly, even though they were defeated. In Qualifier 2 of the IPL 2014 at the Wankhede, PBKS won the toss and chose to bat first. With Virender Sehwag’s century (122* off 58 balls), they set a target of 227 runs for last year’s finalists.

Suresh Raina delivered one of the most memorable IPL knocks in a losing cause. After being removed for a duck on the second delivery of the innings, du Plessis scored 87 runs off just 25 balls. He was, however, run out immediately after the powerplay ended.

90 Runs (CSK) vs MI, 2015 edition

In the much-anticipated IPL battle, the Mumbai Indians (MI) won the toss and opted to bat first. Despite a collapse in the top order, they managed to reach 183/7 in the first innings. The team’s main batting contributors were Kieran Pollard (64) and Rohit Sharma (50).

CSK’s devastating combo of Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum did the damage in response. Smith was the main contributor, scoring 50 points on only 22 balls, while McCullum got 36 points on 15 balls. In the final three overs of the powerplay, they annihilated Malinga, Suchith, and Harbhajan. It resulted in a six-wicket victory with 20 balls remaining.

87 Runs (KTK) vs RR, 2011 edition

This list also includes the now-defunct IPL franchise Kochi Tuskers Kerala. In a must-win game for both teams, they defeated the Rajasthan Royals for 97 runs.

KTK was rushing to meet the target to lower its net run rate deficit. Brendon McCullum came out firing and blasted 29 runs off only 12 balls before being removed in the fourth over. Brad Hodge didn’t waste any time, scoring 25 runs off 12 balls. Parthiv Patel also contributed a useful 12-ball 19* in the first six overs. They won the game with 12.4 overs remaining.

86 Runs (PBKS) vs SRH, 2014 edition

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) won the toss and chose to bat first at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi Stadium. They were given a goal of 206. 

They batted aggressively despite losing Virender Sehwag in the first over. Wriddhiman Saha (52* off 23 balls) and Manan Vohra (29* off 11 balls) produced outstanding shots during their time at the crease. They targeted Moises Henriques’ overs, in which he allowed 36 runs in two overs. PBKS won by six wickets with eight balls remaining.