Team-wise one worst memory in IPL history

“Winning and Losing is a part of the game”, we all have heard these lines right from our childhood regarding sports. And this rule applies to cricket too. But sometimes losing can turn up into a very disappointing moment for a team.

IPL is considered as the toughest cricket league in the world. Every team has experienced at least one moment in 14 seasons (including 2021) which can be termed as the worst one for them. So, here we have-

Worst memory for every Team in the IPL History

1. Rajasthan Royals

The defending champions, Mumbai Indians were not having a good season in 2014. They lost five matches consecutively but had a good comeback later. Rajasthan Royals had a mixed tournament. They won some, lost more. So here was the last league match for both the teams and whoever wins the game will enter the playoffs. But just winning wasn’t enough for MI to qualify.

In the match, MI had to chase. Rajasthan scored 189 runs in the first innings. Now Mumbai will qualify for the top-4, only if they chase the target in around 15 overs which was very difficult. Mumbai had an explosive start because of Corey Anderson, who scored 95* later in that match. They scored 71 runs in the first six overs.

After the end of the 14th over, the chasers required 9 runs to win which was quite easy but in order to qualify, they needed nine runs off three balls.

But then a situation arrived that Mumbai needed a boundary of one ball to qualify and the young man Aditya Tare, who was facing his first ball was on strike. Faulkner bowled a full toss to Tare on the leg stump and he launched it over square leg for a six!

This was how Mumbaikars knocked Rajasthan out of the league. Rahul Dravid’s angry reaction of throwing the cap shows how disappointing that loss was for RR because Mumbai managed to reach 190 in just 14.4 overs, making it the worst moment for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL.

2. Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals)

Delhi Daredevils was considered one of the weakest teams in the league before 2019. And here is a moment that was worst among those bad seasons for them in all these years of playing.

In 2013, Delhi Daredevils lost six straight games at the start of the season. Everyone criticized the team and its management for such a poor performance.

Daredevils managed to win only three games in the tournament. That season highly affected the team’s following. After 2018 DC has managed to build up a strong team, but the fans will always try to forget that season.

3. Sunrisers Hyderabad

This was a match between SRH and RCB. The Orange Army was going to bat first. Due to a heavy downpour, the overs were reduced to 11. SRH scored 135, thanks to the fine innings by Henriques and Warner.

But the rain started again, reducing the score to 81 for RCB in six overs. The target wasn’t so easy but the Universe Boss gave Bangalore a thrashing start with his 35 off 10 balls. But then Gayle lost his wicket and the responsibility of winning the chase was now on Kohli and ABD.

But ABD got out too early and now it was Virat Kohli, the lone warrior. Kohli batted very well, taking down the chase to 13 needed off six. Kohli batted with perfect temperament bringing the chase to four needed off two. Kohli mistimed the ball towards long-off and Warner caught it, he started celebrating but he actually touched the rope making it a six!

Kohli went mad with joy and the SRH contingent was very disappointed. That was a match that Hyderabad fans will always try to forget.

4. Kings XI Punjab ( now Punjab Kings)

Kings XI Punjab is another team, which is not so strong in the league. But the 2014 season was a treat to watch for them. The Kings for the first time were having a chance to win the tournament by entering into the final with KKR.

Punjab scored 199 in the first half of the match, credit goes to Saha’s incredible hundred. In response, KKR’S one-down batsman Manish Pandey scored 94 but got out later. Now, in the end, Kolkata required five runs from the last over. But the tail-enders Chawla and Narine were on the crease so it wasn’t so easy.

First ball, dot by Narine. The second goes for a single. On the third ball, Chawla makes room for himself and slices it to the point for a four and it’s all over for the Kings. Punjab for the first time was just a step away from the title and losing that final in a dramatic way makes it heartbreaking for the fans.

5. Chennai Super Kings

The Yellow Army made their comeback in a phenomenal way in 2018 by clinching the trophy after a two-year ban. In 2019 CSK’s batting unit wasn’t in form. But most of the time, their Thala used to come to the rescue. So they reached into the final to battle with their arch-rivals, Mumbai Indians.

The Men in Blue made 149 in the first innings. Then CSK had a mixed start, with some runs on the board and wickets falling. In the 11th over, captain cool walked into partner Watson, who was playing well. But after playing some deliveries, Dhoni got run out. It looked like he is inside the crease from one angle, whereas from the other it felt like he has missed it just by an inch. The umpire raised his finger and Dhoni went back to the pavilion.

Watson with an injured knee was batting as a one-man army. In the end, Chennai needed two to win from the last ball remaining with Shardul Thakur on strike. Malinga bowled a yorker and Thakur got LBW. This was a very heartbreaking moment for the CSK fans, especially because it was against their rivals Mumbai Indians.

6. Mumbai Indians

As CSK’s worst moment was against MI, the case is vice-versa now. It was the year 2018, CSK was going to play their first match after a ban of two years. And the game was against Mumbai Indians. Mumbai batted first to make 165. CSK didn’t have a very good start as they kept losing wickets with some runs in hand. Even Dhoni got out to young Mayank Markande’s beautiful ball.

Chennai needed 91 from 48 balls to win when Dwayne Bravo walked in to bat. He just turned the tide for CSK. He showed his hard-hitting skills to the opponents by hitting Bumrah for huge sixes. But he got out in the 19th over, bringing down the chase to seven off six balls with one wicket left. The injured Kedar Jadhav was on the crease.

Jadhav ramped the third ball for a six, over fine leg, and then smashed it for a four to win the game. Looking at the game before the 15th over, it feels like Chennai was nowhere in the game, but Bravo’s brilliance created a moment to be called as the worst one for Mumbai.

7. Royal Challengers Bangalore

Whenever you’ll ask an RCB fan about the 2017 season, their face will drop off as they were last that season. The worst part of the tournament for RCB was against KKR, which was also their worst moment of all time.

RCB bowled very well by bowling KKR all out for just 131 but no one expected what was going to follow. Bangalore had a disastrous fall of wickets, going all out for 49. This was the lowest total ever in the league.

Virat Kohli, the skipper was very unhappy and disappointed with what happened. RCB gets trolled even today by many for that performance. That wasn’t just the worst moment, but it was a nightmare that no team will ever want to happen with them.

8. Kolkata Knight Riders

The 2021 season (so far) wasn’t so good for KKR. But in this season, they also lost a match that was in their hands against Mumbai.

So KKR was chasing a score of 153. They had a good start, thanks to the partnership between Shubman Gill and Nitish Rana. Even when KKR lost a few wickets, Kolkata was still in the game. But later none of their batsmen showed temperament. Eoin Morgan and Shakib Al Hasan played needless shots to walk back.

Then Dinesh Karthik and Russell played a lot of dot balls. In Krunal Pandya’s 16th over, they scored just one run. So with the poor performance of batting, in the end, the Knights lost an easy match.

The KKR contingent was very disappointed with their performance. That match lowered their confidence. Not for everyone, but for many fans, that is the worst moment for KKR in the league.