In the high-octane world of the Indian Premier League, where 200-plus scores have become a weekly occurrence, there is a rare, grit-soaked beauty in a low-score defense. It is a tactical battle where every dot ball feels like a boundary and a single wicket can shift the win probability by double digits.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) found themselves defending 141 against Delhi Capitals at the Ekana Stadium in 2026—history suggested that the “Spin Fortress” of a slow track is often more lethal than a batting paradise. But they failed to convert the start where they had the Capitals rattling at 26/4. Eventually, the Sameer Rizvi show saw the Capitals home.
The Gold Standard: Lowest Totals Successfully Defended (20 Overs)
To defend a score under 125 requires a “perfect” bowling performance. These are the most clinical defensive displays in the history of the tournament:
| Score | Defending Team | Opposition | Year | Margin |
| 111/10 | Punjab Kings | KKR | 2025 | Won by 16 runs |
| 116/9 | Chennai Super Kings | PBKS | 2009 | Won by 24 runs |
| 118/10 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | MI | 2018 | Won by 31 runs |
| 119/8 | Punjab Kings | MI | 2009 | Won by 3 runs |
| 119/8 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | PWI | 2013 | Won by 11 runs |
| 120/9 | Mumbai Indians | PWI | 2012 | Won by 1 run |
Top 5 Defenses In IPL History
119 Runs: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Pune Warriors India (2013): The night Sunrisers established their identity as “defending kings.” After posting 119, Amit Mishra turned the match on its head with a stunning hat-trick (4/19). Pune collapsed from a steady position to 108 all out, handing SRH an 11-run victory.
111 Runs: Punjab Kings vs KKR (2025): The gold standard of defensive discipline. After PBKS collapsed to 111 at Mullanpur, the match was widely written off. However, Yuzvendra Chahal produced a mesmerizing spell of 4/28, triggering a catastrophic KKR collapse. Despite being 60/2 at one stage, KKR was stifled by the clinical death bowling of Arshdeep Singh, eventually being bowled out for just 95.
116 Runs: Chennai Super Kings vs KXIP (2009): On the sluggish decks of Durban, CSK struggled to 116/9. What followed was a masterclass in “boring” the batter out. Muttiah Muralitharan (2/8) and Ravichandran Ashwin squeezed the life out of the chase, allowing only 92 runs in 20 overs. CSK proved that wickets in hand mean nothing if the scoring rate is completely strangled.
118 Runs: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians (2018): Perhaps the most famous “humiliation” of a heavy hitter. SRH was dismissed for 118 at the Wankhede, but their pace attack of Siddarth Kaul and Sandeep Sharma, combined with Rashid Khan’s wizardry (2/11), skittled a star-studded MI for just 87 in their own backyard.
119 Runs: Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai Indians (2009): A game of pure nerves in South Africa. Punjab managed only 119/8, and Mumbai looked certain to cruise home. However, disciplined spells from Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Abdulla forced the game into a frantic final over. MI needed 12 runs to win but fell 3 runs short in a dramatic 116/7 finish.