3 teams that successfully defended the lowest totals of IPL 2020

The T20 format is one usually dominated by the batting department. High totals and chases have become a tradition in the T20 format for the last few years. However, some matches with a really low total to defend have been equally exciting and nail-biting as well. In IPL 2020, only once did a team manage to defend a total of 160. This shows that even a generally decent total of 160 was mediocre this season. Here we list 3 teams that successfully defended the lowest totals in IPL 2020:

3. SRH vs DC (162/4, SRH won by 15 runs)

Batting first, SRH got off to a quick start. The partnership of 77 runs between Warner and Bairstow eased SRH to 77 in 9.3 overs. Warner was soon dismissed, scoring 45 off 33 balls.

Bairstow fought his way up till the 18th over, scoring an impressive 53 runs. However, Kane Williamson was the one to grab eyeballs that day. A quickfire 41 off 26 balls helped SRH reach a total of 162 at the loss of 4 wickets.

Everyone expected DC to chase down such an average total with ease. However, the SRH bowlers had other plans. Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed Shaw for just 5. Apart from Dhawan, who contributed 34, no other DC batsmen lasted long on the pitch. Rashid Khan was the standout bowler of the match, picking up 3 wickets in just 4 overs. Rabada and Hetymer tried to stand against the SRH bowlers, however, in vain. Giving only 14 runs and taking 3 wickets, Rashid Khan was awarded the Man of the Match trophy.

2. DC vs RR (161/7, DC won by 13 runs)

DC won the toss and chose to bat against RR. The pacy Jofra Archer got the wickets of Shaw and Rahane. However, a sensible partnership of 85 runs between Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer helped DC stay in the game. After the duo’s dismissal, Marcus Stoinis and Alex Carey pushed the total to 161.

RR got off to a quick start, with 37 runs in the first three overs. After losing two of their best batsmen, Butler and Smith, things fell off track for RR. The middle-order batsmen failed to chase the total as RR lost by 13 runs. Nortje and Deshpande picked up 2 wickets each, allowing RR to put only 148 runs on the board.

1. KXIP vs SRH (126/7, KXIP won by 12 runs)

In one of the most exciting matches this season, KXIP successfully defended a below-par total of 126 against SRH. The openers could not inflict much damage, with both Rahul and Gayle dismissed for 27 and 20 respectively. Rashid Khan once again proved instrumental, picking up wickets in 4 overs and conceding only 14 runs.

The openers got off to a perfect start, smashing 56 runs in just 6 runs. With only a score of 126 to defend, things looked bleak for KXIP. It was now that KXIP started falling apart. Losing 3 quick wickets, SRH had 100 runs on board in the 17th over. After Manish Pandey’s dismissal, it felt as if they lost hope. SRH collapsed, losing 7 wickets in just 23 balls. The standout bowlers for KXIP were Arshdeep Singh and Chris Jordan, picking up 3 wickets each.

READ MORE Cricket articles here!