Lowest Score Defended in IPL: 111-Run Record
The lowest score defended in IPL history in a scheduled 20-over match is 111 runs, achieved by Punjab Kings against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2025. PBKS were bowled out for 111 in 15.3 overs at Mullanpur, but their bowlers restricted KKR to 95, giving Punjab a 16-run victory. The result broke Chennai Super Kings long-standing record of defending 116 in 2009.
The record needs a little context because lower totals have been defended in rain-shortened IPL matches. Those games are not directly comparable with a normal 20-over contest. This article covers the lowest totals defended in full-length IPL matches and then explains the reduced-over records separately.
What Is the Lowest Score Defended in IPL?
The answer is 111 runs by Punjab Kings against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2025.
PBKS batted first at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur on April 15, 2025. Kolkata bowlers reduced them to 111 all out in 15.3 overs. That appeared to leave KKR with a straightforward target of 112. Instead, KKR collapsed to 95 all out in 15.1 overs, handing PBKS a 16-run win.
The important point is that this was a scheduled 20-over match, not a rain-reduced contest. PBKS simply lost all 10 wickets before reaching the end of their allotted innings. That is why 111 qualifies as the lowest defended total in the normal IPL record category.
Punjab achievement was particularly notable because CSK had held the previous record for almost 16 years with 116/9 against the same franchise, then known as Kings XI Punjab, in Durban in 2009.
Lowest Totals Successfully Defended in IPL
The following list covers full-length IPL matches and excludes rain-shortened games.
| Rank | Defending team | Total | Opponent | Opponent total | Season | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Punjab Kings | 111 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 95 | 2025 | Won by 16 runs |
| 2 | Chennai Super Kings | 116/9 | Kings XI Punjab | 92/8 | 2009 | Won by 24 runs |
| 3 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 118 | Mumbai Indians | 87 | 2018 | Won by 31 runs |
| 4 | Kings XI Punjab | 119/8 | Mumbai Indians | 116/7 | 2009 | Won by 3 runs |
| 5 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 119/8 | Pune Warriors India | 108 | 2013 | Won by 11 runs |
| 6 | Mumbai Indians | 120/9 | Pune Warriors India | 119/6 | 2012 | Won by 1 run |
The IPL own statistical records also listed CSK 116 as the previous benchmark, followed by SRH 118, KXIP 119 and SRH 119 before the PBKS result in 2025 changed the order.
How Punjab Kings Defended 111 Against KKR
Punjab record-setting match was not a case of dominating from the beginning. It was almost the opposite.
PBKS reached 39 without losing a wicket, but Kolkata attack then caused a steady stream of dismissals.Prabhsimran Singh top-scored with 30, while Priyansh Arya made 22.PBKS eventually lost all 10 wickets for 111 in 15.3 overs.
KKR appeared to be in control during the chase. After losing Sunil Narine and Quinton de Kock early, captain Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi rebuilt the innings. KKR moved to 62/2, leaving only 50 runs required with plenty of deliveries available.
The turning point came when Punjab bowlers attacked the middle order.
Yuzvendra Chahal finished with 4/28, while Marco Jansen took 3/17. KKR then lost eight wickets for only 33 runs and were bowled out for 95 in 15.1 overs.
Chahal contribution was particularly important because he continued attacking even after Andre Russell hit him for boundaries late in the innings. His four wickets helped prevent KKR from converting a comfortable position into victory. The official IPL match report records his 14 dot balls across the four overs.
For more bowling-related IPL records, readers can also explore best bowling figures in IPL.
CSK 116-Run Defence in 2009
Before PBKS entered the record books in 2025, Chennai Super Kings 116/9 against Kings XI Punjab was the lowest total successfully defended in IPL history.
The match was played at Kingsmead in Durban on May 20, 2009, during the South Africa-hosted IPL season. CSK scored 116/9, with Parthiv Patel making 32 from 23 balls. Kings XI Punjab could manage only 92/8 from their 20 overs, leaving CSK with a 24-run victory. Muttiah Muralidaran was named Player of the Match after taking 2/8.
The match illustrates why low totals can still be competitive when conditions make stroke-making difficult. CSK bowlers kept Punjab scoring rate under control, while Muralidaran and Ravichandran Ashwin played important roles in restricting the chase. ESPN report described the contest as one in which the bowling side steadily increased pressure after Punjab began chasing.
For almost 16 years, 116 remained the benchmark. PBKS finally moved the record down by five runs in 2025.
SRH Defended 118 Against Mumbai Indians
The next entry is Sunrisers Hyderabad 118 against Mumbai Indians in 2018.
SRH were bowled out for 118 in 18.4 overs at the Wankhede Stadium. Mumbai looked capable of chasing such a small target, but the chase never became comfortable. MI slipped to 21/3 inside the first six overs before Suryakumar Yadav and Krunal Pandya attempted to rebuild.
Rashid Khan produced an important spell of 2/11 in four overs, including 16 dot balls.Siddarth Kaul claimed 3/23, and Mumbai were eventually dismissed for 87 in 18.5 overs. SRH therefore won by 31 runs.
At the time, IPL official statistics described 118 as the second-lowest total successfully defended in league history.
KXIP Defended 119 Against MI in 2009
Another remarkable low-scoring match took place in the same 2009 season.
Kings XI Punjab scored 119/8 against Mumbai Indians in Durban. Kumar Sangakkara played an important innings of 45 not out from 44 balls, helping Punjab reach a total that appeared vulnerable.
Mumbai chase ended at 116/7, meaning KXIP won by just three runs. JP Duminy scored 59 from 63 balls, but Punjab bowlers managed to protect the narrow advantage.
This remains one of the clearest examples of how small the margin can be in a low-scoring IPL match: just four runs separated the two sides totals, but one team still walked away with a victory.
SRH 119 Against Pune Warriors in 2013
Sunrisers Hyderabad appear twice among the five lowest full-length defended totals.
In 2013, SRH made 119/8 against Pune Warriors India at Pune. The hosts seemed to have a manageable chase, particularly when they reached a position where only 14 runs were needed from the final 12 deliveries with six wickets still available.
Then came one of the most dramatic finishes in the record list.
Amit Mishra took four wickets for 19 runs, including a hat-trick in the closing stages. Pune Warriors lost their last six wickets for only seven additional runs and were bowled out for 108. SRH won by 11 runs.
Mishra performance was particularly significant because he had already contributed with the bat, scoring 30 from 24 balls while SRH were struggling at 44/6.
Mumbai Indians Won With 120 in 2012
The sixth-lowest total on this list belongs to Mumbai Indians, who defended 120/9 against Pune Warriors India in 2012.
Mumbai made 120 after losing nine wickets, with Dinesh Karthik and Lasith Malinga helping push the total into three figures late in the innings. Pune chase reached 119/6 after 20 overs, leaving Mumbai with a one-run victory.
The IPL official statistics identified the result as the third-lowest total successfully defended in a 20-over IPL match at that point, and also the lowest successful defence on Indian soil at the time.
Why Are Low IPL Totals So Difficult to Defend?
A target of 112, 117 or 120 looks small by modern IPL standards, but the scoreboard alone does not determine how easy a chase will be.
The condition of the pitch is one factor. A surface offering slower pace, grip or uneven bounce can make timing difficult and reduce the value of aggressive strokes. That was visible in several of the historic low-total matches, including CSK’s defence at Durban and SRH 2018 win at Mumbai.
Wickets are another major factor. A chasing side may begin at a healthy run rate, but successive dismissals can change the required rate quickly. That was exactly what happened to KKR in 2025: they went from 62/2 to 95 all out after losing eight wickets for 33 runs.
Bowling plans also matter. The record matches show bowlers using spin, pace variations, pressure through dot balls and attacks on the stumps rather than relying only on raw speed. Chahal, Muralidaran, Rashid Khan and Amit Mishra all played major roles in these successful defences.
That is why a low first-innings total should not automatically be treated as the end of a match.
Is 111 the Lowest Score Defended Including Rain-Shortened Matches?
Not exactly.
The 111-run mark is the lowest in a normal scheduled 20-over match. There have been lower successful defences when rain reduced the length of the contest.
One example came in 2013, when Royal Challengers Bangalore made 106/2 from eight overs against Chennai Super Kings. CSK were given a revised target of 107 but finished at 82/6, giving RCB a 24-run victory.
Another came in 2015 when Kings XI Punjab scored 106/6 in a rain-reduced 10-over match against RCB and then restricted RCB to 84/6. KXIP won by 22 runs.
These totals are lower than 111, but the matches had only eight or 10 overs per side. Because the scoring requirements and innings conditions were different, IPL record lists commonly separate them from full-length matches.
Lowest Team Total Is a Different Record
Another common mistake is confusing lowest score defended with lowest team total.
The two records are not the same.
A team total can be extremely low and still result in a loss. For example, Royal Challengers Bangalore were bowled out for 49 against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2017 while chasing 132. Since RCB were batting second and lost the match, 49 was not a defended total.
So the three figures often mentioned in discussions about IPL lowest scores refer to different categories:
| Record category | Figure | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest score defended in a full-length match | 111 | PBKS defended 111 against KKR in 2025 |
| Lower defended score in a reduced-over match | 106 | Achieved in rain-shortened contests |
| Lowest team total in IPL history | 49 | RCB’s losing total against KKR in 2017 |
Keeping these categories separate prevents misleading comparisons.
Has the 111 Record Been Broken in IPL 2026?
No. The 111-run record remained intact after IPL 2026.
The 2026 season concluded with the final on May 31, and subsequent IPL record coverage continues to identify Punjab Kings’ 111 against Kolkata Knight Riders as the lowest full-length total successfully defended.
Punjab Kings own official website also referred to the 111-run defence as the IPL lowest total during the 2026 season.
That means the answer to “What is the lowest score defended in IPL?” remains 111 by Punjab Kings against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2025.
Conclusion
The history of the lowest score defended in IPL shows that T20 cricket is not always decided by huge batting totals. Punjab Kings 111-run defence against KKR is the current full-length record, replacing CSK’s 116 from 2009. Behind those two are SRH 118 against MI and two separate 119-run defences by KXIP and SRH.
The common thread is clear: once a low-scoring match becomes a battle of wickets and dot balls, even a modest target can become difficult to chase. The record also demonstrates why IPL statistics need proper context particularly when rain-shortened matches and ordinary 20-over contests are mixed together.
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FAQs
What is the lowest score defended in IPL?
The lowest total defended in a scheduled 20-over IPL match is 111 by Punjab Kings against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2025. PBKS won by 16 runs after dismissing KKR for 95.
Which team defended 111 in the IPL?
Punjab Kings defended 111 against Kolkata Knight Riders at Mullanpur on April 15, 2025.
What was the previous lowest score defended in IPL?
Before PBKS 111, Chennai Super Kings held the record with 116/9 against Kings XI Punjab in 2009. CSK won that match by 24 runs.
Has a score lower than 111 been defended in IPL?
Yes, but lower examples such as 106 came in rain-shortened matches with fewer overs per side. They are generally kept separate from the full-length record.
What is the lowest score defended by SRH in IPL?
Sunrisers Hyderabad have defended 118 against Mumbai Indians in 2018 and 119/8 against Pune Warriors India in 2013.
