Ranking the 10 greatest moments in IPL history

The IPL has produced some really great moments since its inception. There are a lot of great moments that could make you feel nostalgic when you look at the transformation of the tournament. Some moments were absolutely breathtaking while some moments were highly emotional. Over the years, fans have seen it all: blood, sweat, tears, and glory.

This got me thinking about the greatest moments in the tournament. When looking back at the tournament's rich history, there are 10 moments that really stood out to me. Here, we’ve attempted to rank those moments to identify the single greatest moment in IPL history.

So without further ado, here are the 10 greatest moments in IPL history.

#10 Anil Kumble’s 5 wickets for 5 runs

After winning the toss and electing to bat first, Royal Challengers Bangalore posted a total of 133/8 In 20 overs thanks to a great knock of 66 by Rahul Dravid. This total looked too small to defend on a beautiful batting track like Cape Town.

But nothing is impossible for legendary leg spinner Anil Kumble who looked in top form against the Rajasthan Royals. He single-handedly demolished the Rajasthan Royals’ batting lineup on his way to a fifer. He finished the match with five wickets for five runs as Rajasthan Royals were bowled out for just 58 runs.

Despite Kumble's bowling efforts, Dravid was named the man of the match.

#9 Rajasthan Royals chase down 217 runs

Rajasthan Royals were considered the underdogs during the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League. They were a very weak team on paper, but their performances on the field indicated otherwise. One such performance was when Rajasthan Royals took on the Deccan Chargers.

The Royals won the toss and elected to field first. Deccan lost a couple of early wickets, but a century from Andrew Symonds helped steady the innings and Deccan Chargers reached a total of 214/5 in 20 overs.

Chasing huge scores is a big challenge because the margin for error is too slim. The need to keep up with the demanding run-rate often results in quick wickets. However, this wasn’t the case as Rajasthan Royals carefully constructed their innings. Graeme Smith and Yusuf Pathan’s partnership of 98 runs helped keep the Royals in the run chase.

Kaif chipped in with a cameo of his own scoring 34 runs from 16 balls. But it was Shane Warne who was the hero for his team on this day slamming 22 runs from 9 balls to guide his team over the finish line.

This match is so memorable because it raised the confidence of the Royals’ players, made them believe in themselves, and it put them in serious contention for the title.

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#8 Kieron Pollard’s forgettable ‘hat-trick’

Kieron Pollard can easily be considered one of the best fielders in the IPL. It’s amazing to see a man of his size and stature move with such agility. In fact, he can do it all – bat, bowl, take amazing catches.

Pollard has had some amazing moments during his IPL tenure with Mumbai Indians. But, there is one moment in particular that the West-Indian all-rounder would want to forget.

This incident happened when Mumbai Indians played against the Chennai Super Kings. Michael Hussey was the man on strike and Mitchel Johnson was the bowler. He bowled a ball wide of off stump and Mr. Cricket cut it towards Pollard who was standing at point only to be dropped.

The next ball was bowled in the same area, Hussey played a similar shot and was dropped by Pollard again. The exact same thing happened another ball later. It was a hat-trick of dropped catches for Pollard.

He managed to redeem himself later in the match by taking a spectacular catch, but this moment still remains fresh in the fans’ minds.

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#7 Adam Gilchrist’s wicket

Adam Gilchrist terrorized bowlers for many years in the IPL. He had always been this polarizing figure behind the stumps. Some could even say that he is one of the greatest wicket-keepers of the game.

But, in his final IPL game, we all got to see him do something we never thought we would see. He was ready to bowl the last over of the match for his team. Kings XI Punjab already had the match won. Hence, Gilly thought it would be fun to have a bowl.

Harbhajan Singh was the batsman on strike and Praveen Kumar was keeping wickets. Gilchrist bowled the very first ball of his career. Harbhajan Singh slogged him to the deep only to find the fielder.

This moment was so amazing, but what was even more amazing was Gilchrist’s version of the Gangnam style dance. This is a memory that still remains fresh in everyone’s mind till today and was one of the funniest moments in the IPL.

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#6 Chris Lynn’s spectacular catch

After losing the toss and being put in to bat first, KKR managed to put on a total of 150/7 thanks to contributions from Jacques Kallis (43 from 42 balls), and Chris Lynn (45 runs from 31 balls).

Royal Challengers Bangalore were cruising along thanks to a good start provided by their top order. They still had a few runs to get in the final over with AB de Villiers on strike. This is where things turned around for RCB.

AB de Villiers tried to slog the ball for a six. But, instead, he hit it to the area where Chris Lynn was standing. Lynn took an absolutely spectacular catch to dismiss de Villiers. That catch also turned the game on its head and KKR won the match.

#5 AB-Kohli 229 run partnership against Gujarat Lions

This match took place during the 2016 edition of the IPL. It was one of the most beautiful displays of batting you will ever see. This particular IPL season will always be remembered for the way that Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers batted.

Hence, when they got a chance to bat together against Gujarat Lions, they took full advantage of it. After the losing the toss and being sent out to bat first, RCB lost the wicket of Chris Gayle quite early. However, that did not stop them as de Villiers walked out to bat. Right from the first ball, they (Kohli and de Villiers) looked in an attacking mood.

Both batsmen scored brilliant centuries in a 229 run partnership. It was raining fours and sixes at the Chinnaswamy stadium as they both hit a total of 15 fours and 20 sixes. Kohli was dismissed in the final over, but the damage was already done. RCB finished with a massive total of 248/3.

In return, Gujarat Lions never got going and lost a lot of early before being bowled out for a poor total of 104.

#4 McCullum’s 158

The first match in the IPL took place between KKR and RCB. This match proved that the IPL was something special in the making. After being put in to bat first by RCB, Brendon McCullum quickly stole the show with a breathtaking performance. He smashed the bowlers to all parts of the ground on his way to a masterful 158 runs. This remained the highest T20 score for quite some time.

KKR finished the innings at 222/3 and bowled out RCB for just 82 runs.

#3 The very first IPL final

It’s quite obvious that the very first IPL final should be considered as one of the greatest moments in IPL history. One of the reasons is because of the two teams playing the finals. Chennai Super Kings were considered favorites right from the start of the tournament. Led by a captain who is known for his calm demeanor and explosive finishing ability, CSK quickly became everyone’s favorites to win the tournament.

On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals looked a weak side on paper so much so that every cricket pundit predicted that they (RR) will finish in bottom place. However, that wasn’t the case as Rajasthan Royals topped the points table.

Hence, when these two teams clashed, it was the ultimate David vs. Goliath matchup. Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to field first. Chennai Super Kings put on a total of 163/5 thanks to contributions from Parthiv Patel, Raina, and Dhoni.

Yusuf Pathan was the star for the Rajasthan Royals as he scored 56 runs from 39 balls. It was a thrilling encounter that came down to the last ball. Shane Warne finished the match by hitting a boundary to take RR over the line. The ultimate underdogs had lifted their first IPL trophy.

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#2 CSK’s triumphant return

CSK was banned for two years from participating in the IPL. Hence, their return was met with great appreciation from the fans. Even the players looked emotional and why not, it was an emotional moment for everyone involved.

Hence, they were as determined as ever to win the coveted trophy after two years’ absence. CSK remained on a roll throughout the tournament and looked unstoppable. They finished in second place on the points table and even the reached the final. After defeating SRH in the final, CSK captured the IPL title for their third time.

This moment will always be remembered as one of the greatest moments in IPL history because of the amount of emotion involved. CSK rose to glory and reclaimed their throne as the most successful IPL franchise in history.

#1 Chris Gayle's 175

For many years, Brendon McCullum’s 158 remained the highest individual score in T20 cricket. However, on April 23, 2013, that all was about to change when Royal Challengers Bangalore took on the Pune Warriors India.

After winning the toss and electing to field first, PWI soon realized their mistake. Chris Gayle looked in scintillating form has he hammered bowlers to all part of the ground. He scored the fastest century in T20 cricket reaching his century off just 30 balls.

Chris Gayle finished on a mammoth 175 from 66 balls with 13 fours and 17 sixes helping his team post the highest total in IPL history (263/5).

This knock is one of the most memorable knocks you will ever see due to the sheer destruction involved. While most teams struggle to score 175 in an inning, Chris Gayle single-handedly scored 175 all by himself.

In return, PWI didn’t put up much of a fight and finished their innings at 133/9 in 20 overs giving RCB the win by 130 runs.

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Edited by Zaid Khan