IPL is like a festival for cricket fans to support their favorite teams to clinch glory. Sometimes teams don’t start their journey well in the IPL season but end up winning the title or reaching the finals.
Top 5 best team comebacks in IPL history
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5. Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2011
The story of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s comeback in IPL 2011 is a fascinating one, with the team turning their fortunes around after a fumbling start of the tournament. The addition of Chris Gayle to the team was a game-changer, as he single-handedly won matches for RCB with his explosive batting.
Gayle’s century in his very first match for RCB set the tone for the team’s revival, and he continued to dominate the opposition bowlers throughout the tournament. His contributions with the bat, combined with the likes of AB de Villiers and Tillakaratne Dilshan, gave RCB a formidable batting lineup.
As a result, RCB won 7 matches consecutively and finished on top of the points table. Their progress to the final was a remarkable achievement, considering they were at the bottom of the table after the first 5 matches. Although RCB lost to Chennai Super Kings in the final, their comeback was a testament to their resilience and determination. Overall, RCB’s journey in IPL 2011 was an exciting one, and it remains one of the most memorable comebacks in IPL history.
4. Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2014
It is interesting to see how Kolkata Knight Riders made changes to their team and strategy to turn their fortunes around. The decision to drop Jacques Kallis, a veteran player, and promote Robin Uthappa to the opening slot proved to be a masterstroke in the whole IPL 2014 season. This move allowed Uthappa to showcase his batting skills and gave the team a solid start in the powerplay overs and won the orange cap and became first ever player to be the orange cap winner and IPL champions at the same time.
Yusuf Pathan’s blistering knock in the last league game was another crucial moment for the team. It not only helped them secure a playoff spot but also boosted their confidence going into the business end of the tournament. In the playoffs, KKR displayed an all-round performance, with their bowlers and batter stepping up when it mattered the most. Manish Pandey’s match-winning knock in the final against Kings XI Punjab was the icing on the cake for Kolkata as they clinched their second IPL title.
The team’s success is also a result of their inspirational skipper, Gautam Gambhir. His leadership on and off the field played a significant role in motivating the team to perform at their best. Retaining the core players from their successful campaign in 2012 also helped Kolkata maintain stability and consistency in their squad. Overall, Kolkata Knight Riders’ journey to their second IPL title was a remarkable one, as they overcame a slow start and bounced back strongly to win 9 matches consecutively and is one of the best comebacks in IPL history.
3. Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2016
The 2016 season of the IPL was a memorable one, especially for Royal Challengers Bangalore, who had a season to remember, despite not winning the trophy again. The tournament saw some incredible performances from the likes of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, who dominated with the bat throughout the season.
RCB’s campaign got off to a shaky start, as their bowlers struggled to contain the opposition batsmen in the early matches. However, Yuzvendra Chahal and Shane Watson stepped up in the bowling department to help the team get back to winning ways. RCB won six of their next seven matches to secure a spot in the playoffs. The real stars for RCB in the 2016 season were Kohli and de Villiers, who formed a formidable partnership at the top of the order. Their batting exploits were simply amazing, as they amassed a total of 18 fifty-plus scores between them.
In the playoffs, de Villiers played a brilliant knock in the first qualifier to take RCB to the final. In the final against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kohli and Chris Gayle got off to a great start, scoring 110 runs in just 10 overs. However, once they were dismissed, the rest of the batting lineup struggled to maintain the run-rate, and RCB eventually fell short of the target by 8 runs.
2. Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2010
Chennai Super Kings’ victory in IPL 2010 was one of the most remarkable comebacks in the history of the tournament, and it was made possible by the incredible performances of players like Murali Vijay, Albie Morkel, and Doug Bollinger, as well as the leadership and finishing skills of their captain MS Dhoni. Their victory in the final against the Mumbai Indians was a fitting end to a season that saw them bounce back from a slow start and defy the odds to claim the IPL trophy.
1. Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2021
Kolkata Knight Riders had a bit of a mixed start to IPL 2021, winning 2 out of their first 7 games. They were inconsistent with their performances and were struggling to find the right combination of players.
However, they turned things around in the latter half of the tournament. Andre Russell’s power-hitting and Dinesh Karthik’s calmness under pressure helped them secure crucial victories. Nitish Rana, who had a quiet start to the tournament, also came into his own with some match-winning performances with the bat. KKR won 5 of their last 7 matches to secure a spot in the playoffs.
In the eliminator, they put up a clinical performance against Royal Challengers Bangalore, with spinner Varun Chakravarthy taking 3 wickets and conceding just 28 runs in his 4 overs. KKR then defeated Delhi Capitals in the 2nd qualifier to set up a final against Chennai Super Kings which they eventually lost. After having bad seasons since 2014, this was the first time KKR reached the finals.
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