IPL history: Which are the top five closest matches that went down to the wire and thrilled fans?
The Indian Premier League has, over the years, built a reputation as one of the most widely followed sporting events in the world. Beyond the star power and the scale of its brand, what truly defines the IPL is its ability to deliver edge-of-the-seat thriller games that go right down to the wire, often culminating in a dramatic final over or even the very last ball.
Across 18 seasons, the IPL has produced countless nail-biters and unforgettable moments that have kept fans hooked till the very end. The league has witnessed everything from last-over heists to stunning comebacks and improbable finishes.
In this piece, we revisit five such encounters that remain etched in the memory of millions of fans.
2025 Final – Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) vs Punjab Kings (PBKS) – RCB won by 6 runs
The IPL title drought for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally came to an end when they defeated the Punjab Kings in the final of the 2025 edition at Ahmedabad.Â
Punjab Kings, who were also searching for their elusive first IPL trophy, elected to bat first. It paid immediate dividends as RCB lost the dangerous Phil Salt early in the piece. However, the ever-reliable Virat Kohli anchored the ship with the likes of Mayank Agarwal, Rajat Patidar, and Liam Livingstone playing around. At the end of the 15th over, RCB were 132-4, and their middle order had a strong platform to launch a final flourish. Romario Shepherd and Jitesh Sharma played crucial cameos in the end, but a solid final over by Arshdeep, where he gave away just three runs, kept the total under 200 (190-9).
In pursuit of IPL glory, PBKS openers Priynash Arya and Prabhsimran Singh provided them with a rollicking start. In the first powerplay, PBKS churned out 52 runs for the loss of Arya’s wicket and were on course to chase the target comfortably. However, the introduction of Krunal Pandya completely changed the complexion of the game as he not only picked up two crucial wickets of Prabhsimran and Josh Inglish, but also bowled four straight overs, giving away just 17 runs.
This spell meant PBKS needed 90 runs off the last seven overs, and Shashank Singh kept their hopes alive. Despite losing wickets at the other end, Shashank found boundaries at will against both Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, two of RCB’s best bowlers. However, a five-run over by Yash Dhayal in the 18th over meant Shashank and PBKS had a tall task ahead, and they eventually lost by six runs.
Read More: IPL: Top 5 innings over the course of 18 seasons
2023 Final – Chennai Super Kings (CSK) vs Gujarat Titans (GT) – CSK win by 5 wickets
It was a rain-truncated game, and the only IPL final played over three days. Rains at Ahmedabad meant the final was to be played on the reserve day.
In an attempt to capitalise on the prevailing sluggish conditions, Chennai Super Kings opted to bowl first. Still, the home team openers, Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill, asserted their authority by scoring 62 runs in the powerplay. Saha’s second fifty-plus score in an IPL final laid a platform, but it was Sai Sudharsan’s coming-of-age knock that kept Gujarat Titans in the ascendancy. The left-hander made a stunning 47-ball 96 and helped GT pile a huge 214/3 on the board, the highest ever total in an IPL final.
In a bid to win the IPL trophy for the fifth time, CSK’s chase was affected by rain after just three deliveries. This meant the revised target for CSK was 171 runs in 15 overs. In the mandatory four overs of powerplay, the Super Kings amassed 60 runs in the next six overs, with Ajinkya Rahane keeping the CSK’s required run-rate under check. But the GT bowlers picked up wickets at regular intervals even as the runs flowed, and the equation came down to 38 required off the last three, 21 off the last two, and eventually 13 off the last over. In the final over, Mohit Sharma conceded just three off the first four deliveries, but it was Ravindra Jadeja who had the final say as he smashed a six followed by four in the last two to seal the deal for CSK.
Read More:Â The making of a modern T20 finisher
2017 Final –Â Mumbai Indians (MI) vs Rising Pune Supergiant (RPSG) – MI won by 1 run
The Mumbai Indians were chasing history, with a chance to win the IPL title for a record third time. At the Uppal Stadium in Hyderabad, MI opted to bat first but had a torrid start, losing both openers cheaply, and at the end of the powerplay, the score was just 32.
At the halfway mark through the innings, Mumbai Indians could muster only 56 runs, and they had lost four of the top-order wickets, including that of skipper Rohit Sharma. Things only got tough as none, barring Krunal Pandya (47), got a substantial score on a surface where slow bowlers had a say. MI eventually crawled to 129-8 at the end of their innings, and it was no way a match-winning total.
Chasing a tricky total in the final, Supergiant made a steady start, scoring 38 runs in the powerplays, with opener Ajinkya Rahane being in decent touch. The run rate was almost a run per ball throughout the chase, and when Pune lost MS Dhoni at 98-3, 32 runs were required off the last 22 balls. The equation was still straightforward with skipper Steven Smith still batting, but the pace trio of Mumbai (Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga and Mitchell Johnson) bowled a great spell in the end overs to script a win.
Johnson defended 10 runs in the last over by conceding just nine and picked the crucial wicket of Smith to give MI a one-run win and their third IPL title.
2019 Final –Â Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings – MI won by 1 run
The Mumbai Indians were involved in a similar thriller, this time in the 2019 IPL final. They faced their arch-rivals, CSK, who were also pursuing a record fourth IPL title.
Opting to bat first at Hyderabad, the Mumbai Indians managed to post a less-than-competitive 149 runs on the board. They had a decent start, piling up 45/2 in the powerplays, and CSK’s Deepak Chahar was bowling beautifully in the phase. After the powerplay, CSK put the brakes on as the next eight overs yielded just 49 runs, with MI losing two more wickets.
Spinners were having a say, and it looked like Mumbai would be bowled out cheaply, but Kieron Pollard kept the scoreboard ticking by staying till the end.
Chennai had a much better start than MI, hammering 53 runs in the first six overs. The equation was pretty much simple in the modern game, but Mumbai made a strong comeback in the middle phase of the bowling innings. They picked wickets at regular intervals as CSK reached 100 only in the 16th over. Things got tough for CSK as they needed 62 off the last five, but Shane Watson gave a fight till the end. He smashed Malnga for three successive fours in the 16th over before hammering three sixes off Krunal in the 18th over to bring
Thanks to this scoring spree, CSK needed just 18 off the last two overs with six wickets still in the bag, but the pair of Bumrah and Malinga once again stepped up for MI when they needed the most. The former conceded just 9 runs in the penultimate over, picking the wicket of Dwayne Bravo, and Malinga restricted the Super Kings further in the final over by giving away just seven when 9 was needed. This gave MI a thrilling one-run win and record-breaking fourth IPL title.
Read More: IPL: Which teams have best maximised batting resources since Impact Player rule adoption in 2023?
2014 Final –Â Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) vs Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) – KKR won by 3 wickets
Punjab Kings were on the receiving side of a close IPL game once again, and this time against the Kolkata Knight Riders. Then called Kings XI Punjab, they reached their maiden final on the back of a dominant run in the league stages of the tournament and survived a CSK scare in Qualifier 2.
Inserted into bat, Punjab got off to a bad start, losing the experienced duo of Virender Sehwag and skipper George Bailey inside the first six overs. Post that, it was Wriddhiman Saha as he, along with an uncapped Manan Vohra, added 129 runs for the third wicket. In the process, Saha became the first batter to score a century in an IPL game, and KXIP posted a healthy total of 199.
With a huge total to chase, KKR stormed to 59-1 in the powerplay despite losing Robin Uthappa in the very first over. If the first innings was Saha and Vohra, this chase was a masterclass of batsmanship by Manish Pandey. The right-hander scored 94 off KKR’s 200, and he found able partners in Gambhir, Shakib al Hasan, and Yusuf Pathan. When Pandey departed, KKR needed 21 off the last three with four wickets in the hut, and Piyush Chawla’s cameo got them over the line with three balls to spare.
Read More: Most likely Playoffs contenders in IPL 2026
