The Indian Premier League 2024 is at the doorstep of the playoffs as the tournament reaches its business end. With just 10 games left this season, numerous memories have been made. It’s fair to say that not only in this season but also when we look back at history, we have seen some exciting and crunch games in the IPL.
When we talk about iconic chokes, it’s when losing teams that are slipping suddenly make a comeback and clinch the game. On the other hand, if teams lose the game from a commanding position, it is termed a ‘choker.’. Take a look at 3 Iconic Chokes in the History of IPL.
3 Classic chokes in history of IPL
Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals 2023 Group Stage
Speaking about choking and losing the game with the barest of margins. Last year’s match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals was a classic example. After posting 214 runs in 20 overs, everything seemed to be going Rajasthan’s way, not just with the bat but also with the ball. However, one twist changed everything.
When Sandeep Sharma came to bowl the last over, 17 runs were required in six balls. And as mentioned, things were going in Rajasthan’s favor. Abdul Samad, who was batting for SRH, slogged a six on the second ball ,taking two runs on the first. That made the equation 9 runs needed in 4 balls. But Sandeep hunted back and gave away only 3 runs in the subsequent deliveries. However, it turned out that the last ball was a no-ball.
With this error, the game, which seemed to be won by Rajasthan, went into Hyderabad’s cabinet as Samad hit the ball for six. The match was the talk of the town in 2023 simply because of this fault.
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Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians 2019 Final
Speaking of El Clasico, the game between the Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings has always been considered a high-stakes affair. Why not? Both teams are the top two teams in the league, and both teams are the most talked-about teams in the IPL. Speaking of the most talked-about games, they once played the most talked-about game, and that was the IPL 2019 final.
Former MI captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and decided to bat. They started well, reaching 45 runs in 5 overs. But the men in yellow turned the tables and restricted them to 149 runs, thanks to Kieron Pollard’s 41 runs off 25 balls. On the other hand, when CSK came to bat, a similar scenario, we witnessed.
They started off well, but due to wickets falling at regular intervals, they clicked just 88 runs in 15 overs, losing four wickets. Shane Watson played an impressive inning of 85 runs off 59 balls. Watson made sure that CSK would not have to chase more than 10 runs in last 6 balls. Everything seemed to be in place for CSK as they needed just nine runs, but Malinga worked his magic with his bowling in the last over. As he gave just eight runs in his quota and helping MI clinch the title for the fifth time.
Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru 2016 final
Consistently the challenger, but never the conqueror.” This phrase always suits RCB, as if we look at the past IPLs, they always come close but never hug the trophy. In 2016, it was considered the best chance for them, as captain Virat Kohli was at the peak of his career and their bowlers were performing well. In short, it looked like nothing was going to stop them, but in the end, something did stop them, and that is final against SRH.
SRH’s David Warner won the toss and decided to bat first. Hyderabad posted an impressive total of 200 runs in their 20-over quota. Thanks to Warner’s 69 runs and Ben Cutting’s blistering innings of 39 runs in 15 balls. When RCB came to bat, they smashed 114 runs in 10 overs without losing any wickets. As mentioned, everything was going well for them, and then suddenly, that thing happened, for which RCB is known, they choked. They lost four wickets in six overs and couldn’t recover from there. It’s fair to say they couldn’t recover, and it’s right to mention that they threw the game.
