- May 30, 2025
The IPL playoffs can cause strange things to happen—a bad day can ruin a season. Take, for example, 2025 Qualifier 1 – a Punjab Kings side full of all-star players stammered to a lowly 101 all out versus RCB in front of a raucous home crowd. That was no ordinary loss; that was a meltdown. Playoff cricket, as always, showed that it is a different game! Let’s take a look at the five lowest totals in IPL playoff history and examine what happens when pressure gets the better of us.
Why Playoff Matches Hit Different
In the PBKS vs RCB 2020 Qualifier 1, the batting was more than poor, it was a mental disaster. The batters went back and forth between trying to go hard, and trying to get a momentum, and the confusion created indecision that resulted in the batters mis-timing and making poor shot and selection choices, to the point of becoming lost causes. After Marcus Stoinis (26) and Azmatullah Omarzai (18) batted with some discipline, the remaining batters simply did not show up.
This has not been an isolated event. We could include an argument about Lucknow Super Giants in 2023, Deccan Chargers (twice!) in 2010, and even Delhi Daredevils in 2008. All had good squads but could not perform under playoff pressure. The theme? Playoffs punish indecision more than they do aggression.
The Big 5: When Batting Orders Went AWOL
Let’s take a look at these notorious “five”:
Deccan Chargers – 82 v RCB (2010): The lowest-ever playoff totals. It was a sluggish pitch at DY Patil, and DC’s stars – Gilchrist, Symonds, and Rohit – went down one after the other with Anirudh Singh’s 40 being the only resistance, while Kumble took 4 wickets and spun them out for 82. RCB chased it down with 9 wickets to spare. Brutal.
Delhi Daredevils – 87 vs RR (2008): In the semi-final of the inaugural season, DD was hammered, thanks to the Watson-Pathan duo, after Rajasthan had set a smoothly achieved 192. The only respectability came via Tillakaratne Dilshan, who scored 33. The rest? Didn’t bother.
PBKS – 101 vs RCB (2025): Just happened, and it is still fresh in our minds. A mixture of nerves, some very good bowling from RCB, and an awful display of shot selection meant that Punjab were the latest to join the 100-club.
Lucknow Super Giants – 101 vs MI (2023): This was less about the pitch and more about Akash Madhwal’s brilliance — 5 for 5 in a knockout game is the stuff of fairy tales. MI scored 182, and LSG were batting like it was on a minefield.
Deccan Chargers – 104 vs CSK (2010): In the semi-final, DC simply imploded chasing a modest 142. No one got going except Gibbs and Gilchrist.
These five games illustrate one pervasive truth: reputations mean absolutely nothing in playoff cricket. It’s all about who has the better nerve.
What Teams Can Learn from These Collapses
If there is understanding behind these low totals, it is poor adaptability. In playoff games, teams will need to make mindset shifts, not merely become ultra-defensively or ultra-aggressively, but also be able to read the game more effectively. Too many teams do not build partnerships or have a sense of the conditions, and too many allow one mistake to make them panic.
Which team do you believe handles pressure best in the IPL playoffs? Or better yet, who do you think will be next season’s name on this list? Tell us all below!
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