Scoring runs under immense pressure is a skill that very few people have been able to master in the T20s. Especially at the death when a player cannot afford even one dot ball, a cricketer will need a combination of skills and mindset to go his way. The Indian Premier League has provided several instances wherein players have done the unthinkable by chasing a lot of runs in the final few balls of a T20 game. In this article, we take a look at the most runs chased in the last four balls in IPL history so far.
Most runs chased in the last four balls in IPL
Here is a look at the list of the most runs chased in the last four balls in IPL history so far:
- 17 – Gujarat Titans vs Punjab Kings, 2022 (Rahul Tewatia and David Miller)
- 16 – Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Pune Warriors India, 2012 (Ab de Villiers and Saurabh Tiwary)
- 16 – Rising Pune Supergiant vs Punjab Kings, 2016 (MS Dhoni)
- 16 – Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians, 2022 (MS Dhoni)
The chasing of 17 runs happened during IPL 2022. Odean Smith was the bowler and GT had almost lost the game because Hardik Pandya had got out. However, Rahul Tewatia struck two consecutive sixes in the last two deliveries to help his side cross the line. A David Miller boundary had also contributed to this remarkable chase.
RCB was struggling to stitch victories in 2012 and it was a fine chase of 183 that set their campaign back on track. ABD and Tiwary did well in the final few balls to give the team a much-needed win.
MS Dhoni himself has alone chased 16 runs in the last four balls of an IPL game. Axar Patel was the bowler in 2016 when MSD was with RPS. Jaydev Unadkat was the man with the ball in the recent game against Mumbai Indians. The one against MI was special. Since MS Dhoni was not in the best of form, he made the unthinkable a possible feat.
IPL promises more such occurrences
In recent seasons, IPL has ensured that no game is over until it is over. The other day, Rovman Powell attempted 36 runs in the final over. Hence, we can expect a few more similar events in IPL in coming years.
