When bat met ball with fire and finals turned into thrillers
Some IPL finals are nail-biters. Others? They're fireworks in motion. When the biggest match of the season kicks off, bowlers usually hope for a bit of mercy. But every now and then, the batters decide to go big or go home—and boy, do they go big.
But over the years, a handful of teams have thrown caution to the wind and stacked up totals that made chasing feel like climbing a mountain in flip-flops.
Here are the top five highest targets ever set in an IPL final—and the drama that followed.
It was meant to be just another final. Instead, it turned into a run-fest under the lights in Ahmedabad. In just their second IPL season, Gujarat Titans set a formidable total of 214 for 4. This was made possible by a brilliant 96 off 47 from young Sai Sudharsan and a steady 54 from Wriddhiman Saha.
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But even that mountain wasn't sufficient. Rain played spoilsport, and DLS came into play. Chennai Super Kings, ever so calm under pressure, executed a chase for the ages—171 in 15 overs—with no balls to spare. MS Dhoni's men lifted their fifth title that night, but GT's 214 remained etched as the highest IPL final total ever.
Pressure? What pressure? David Warner strode into the 2016 final for Sunrisers Hyderabad as if it were merely another league match. His 69 established a solid foundation, but Ben Cutting truly made an impact with a blistering 39* off just 15 balls.
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SRH's 208 was strong, but Chris Gayle's 76 threatened to spoil it. Virat Kohli added 54, and RCB seemed close to winning. Yet, Cutting took 2 wickets, showing poise in the daeth overs to lead SRH to an exciting 8-run victory.
You don't often see IPL finals being one-sided. But this one? It was a yellow tide from start to finish. Murali Vijay went ballistic with 95 runs, expertly supported by Mike Hussey's 63. Chennai Super Kings reached a commanding 205 for 5 at home, and the stadium erupted.
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RCB had no answers. Their famed top order fell apart, and they stuttered to 147 for 8. Ravichandran Ashwin spun a web with figures of 3 for 16, sealing CSK's second IPL trophy.
CSK once again found themselves on the wrong end of a final. The Mumbai Indians, having stumbled early on, picked themselves up with a classy 68 from Lendl Simmons and a stylish 50 from captain Rohit Sharma. Kieron Pollard contributed as well, and MI posted a total of 202/5 at the historic Eden Gardens.
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In response, Chennai never quite found their rhythm. Dwayne Smith top-scored with 57, but they could only manage 161/8. MI won the title by 41 runs, having outplayed the yellow army in every department.
If you ever needed proof that even centuries in finals aren't enough, ask Wriddhiman Saha. His unbeaten 115, the first-ever IPL final ton, propelled Kings XI Punjab to 199/4. Manan Vohra's 67 supported him well, and KXIP left the field with confidence.
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But KKR had other ideas. Manish Pandey played the innings of his life—94 off 50—countering every blow Punjab threw. It came to the final over, and the KKR sprinted home with three balls and 3 wickets to spare.
