What are the biggest upsets in IPL history?


IPL 2023 Winner

The IPL is full of shockers—underdogs toppling giants, last-place teams destroying title favorites, and out-of-nowhere wins that left jaws on the floor.

Here are the biggest upsets in IPL history—the ones nobody saw coming 👇

💥 Top 10 Biggest Upsets in IPL History

1. 😱 Kochi Tuskers Kerala Beat Mumbai Indians (2011)

  • MI had prime Sachin, Pollard, Malinga, Bhajji… the works.

  • Kochi? A brand new, one-season wonder.

  • Chased down 183 with Brendon McCullum and Jayawardene in beast mode.

🧨 Kochi beat the league’s strongest side. And then vanished forever.

2. 🔥 Pune Warriors Beat CSK at Chepauk (2012)

  • PWI: One of the weakest IPL teams ever.

  • CSK: Unbeatable at home.

  • Pune defended 159 with Steven Smith and Murali Kartik leading the way.

🧊 Rare Chepauk defeat. PWI pulled off the impossible.

3. 🧨 RR (2008) Winning the Whole Damn Thing

  • Before the season: “RR has the weakest squad.”

  • After the season: “RR won the title under Shane Warne’s leadership.”

  • Beat CSK in a final-ball thriller to lift the inaugural IPL trophy.

👑 From zeroes to champions. The OG fairy tale.

4. 😵 CSK Losing to KXIP (2020) by 10 Wickets

  • CSK scored 125.

  • KXIP chased it without losing a single wicket, with KL Rahul & Mayank toying with bowlers.

  • CSK looked helpless—rare sight.

📉 Dhoni’s men humbled. And questions raised.

5. 💀 MI Eliminated by DC (2022) Despite DC Having No Chance

  • MI were out of playoffs. DC had to win and qualify.

  • MI had nothing to play for—but still crushed DC and knocked them out.

😬 A dead rubber turned dream killer.

6. 🚨 RCB Bowled Out for 49 vs KKR (2017)

  • RCB, with Kohli, ABD, Gayle, etc., were bowled out for just 49—the lowest IPL score ever.

  • KKR destroyed a world-class batting lineup in just 9.4 overs.

💔 From title contenders to Twitter memes.

7. 🧨 GT Winning the Title in Debut Season (2022)

  • Pre-season: “Worst auction ever.”

  • Post-season: “Oh… they actually won it all?”

  • GT topped the table, and beat RR in the final with style.

🥶 Hardik Pandya: Captain. MVP. Icy.

8. 💣 CSK Losing to RR by 17-Year-Old Yashasvi Jaiswal (2023)

  • Jaiswal smashed 50 in just 13 balls—fastest fifty in IPL history.

  • RR chased 176 in 17 overs, made CSK’s attack look like U15s.

💥 Youth > Experience that night.

9. 🧊 KXIP Choking Playoffs in 2014

  • Topped the table with max wins.

  • Dominated the season.

  • Lost the final to KKR despite scoring 199 (Saha’s century!).

🫠 Fairy tale all season, heartbreak at the end.

10. 🔄 MI Losing 6 in a Row (2022) After Being 5-Time Champs

  • The most successful franchise.

  • Worst season start in history.

  • Lost match after match. Everyone was stunned.

😢 Dynasty to disaster. Fast.

🏁 Final Thought:

In the IPL, no one's safe. Not even legends. And that unpredictability is what makes it the best league in the world 🌪️