NEW DELHI: Close encounters and matches going down to the wire have been a constant in the IPL over the seasons. These nail-biting finishes not only bring the best out of the players under pressure but also keep the fans on the edge of their seats.
There have been many occasions when certain teams looked like they were down and out -- be it chasing a total or defending it -- but some magical performance came out of nowhere, helping them snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
The ongoing season has certainly been no different in that aspect. At the halfway mark into the season already there have been quite a few heart-stopping finishes.
From precarious positions, certain players have produced unbelievable performances, earning unlikely victories for their teams.
TimesofIndia.com here takes a look at some of the most insane finishes of the season so far:
Pat Cummins carnage against Mumbai Indians (KKR vs MI)
He came, he saw and he conquered. Pat Cummins played the best T20 knock of his life so far, stunning the Mumbai Indians in one of IPL's most dramatic matches ever.
Cummins, who is primarily known for his bowling prowess, even surprised himself when he produced one of the most amazing knocks ever in the history of the tournament.
Chasing a tricky 162 for victory in Match 14, Kolkata Knight Riders were reeling at 101 for 5 in the 14th over with all their big guns back in the pavilion.
As Rohit Sharma and co. continued to chip away with regular wickets and the KKR batters struggled to put bat on ball, it looked as if Mumbai would easily register their first win. But Cummins was a man on a mission that day. He arrived in the middle and from Ball 1 was in attack mode.
With 4 fours and 6 sixes, Cummins blew away Mumbai's bowling attack in an absolute carnage at the MCA Stadium in Pune.Cummins, in the blink of an eye finished off the match with the joint fastest fifty (off 14 balls) ever in the IPL.
A 15-ball 56 not out from Cummins brought Mumbai to their knees as everyone struggled to come to terms with the outrageous knock the Aussie had just played.
In the span of a couple of overs, Cummins demolished the opposition, as KKR won the match with as many as 24 balls to spare.
(Photo credit: BCCI/IPL)
Rahul Tewatia's last over madness against Punjab Kings (GT vs PBKS)
Over the last couple of seasons, Rahul Tewatia has emerged as someone who has proved multiple times that he has nerves of steel and refuses to bow down to any pressure even when the odds are completely stacked against him and his team.
Tewatia magic was on display earlier this season when he pulled off a highly improbable win for his team, the Gujarat Titans against Punjab Kings in Match 16.
With 19 needed off the last over in a steep chase of 190, Gujarat lost finisher Hardik Pandya (27) off the first legal ball of the over from Odean Smith. Coming to the crease on the second ball, Rahul took a single off the first delivery he faced. His batting partner David Miller then collected 5 runs off the next couple of deliveries which brought Rahul back on the strike for the last two balls.
With 12 runs needed off the last two deliveries, it was highly unlikely that Rahul, who till then had just faced one ball, would manage to hit Smith over the ropes twice.
But Rahul scripted what is a bowling team's nightmare in these kinds of situations. A couple of mighty blows over the deep fence and Tewatia reminded everyone of his Sharjah heroics.
Finishing the match off in style with two sixes, Rahul achieved what had looked like an impossible target for his team, which made the fans jump out of their chairs and left the opposition shell shocked.
(Photo credit: BCCI/IPL)
Electric Rashid cameo shocks Chennai Super Kings (GT vs CSK)
48 to win off the final three overs - that is something even the best in the business would find difficult to pull off. But a fiery Rashid Khan along with a swashbuckling David Miller pulled off something spectacular against battle-hardened Chennai Super Kings in Match 29.
Chasing 170 for victory, Titans were seemingly out of the match as they slumped to 16 for 3 and then to 87 for 5. But then Rashid joined Miller, who by that time was on 52* off 29 balls after the early collapse.
While Miller continued to tonk the bowlers, Rashid initially started his innings steadily. But with Gujarat then needing 48 runs in the last 18 balls, Rashid out of nowhere went absolutely bonkers, smoking three sixes and a four in the 18th over bowled by Chris Jordan. The 25-run 18th over from Jordan completely shifted the momentum in the Titans favour.
Dwayne Bravo did manage to remove Rashid in the next over but the Afghans brutal 21-ball 40 cameo that was laced with 2 fours and 3 sixes had already done the damage.
Although the Titans had another wobble, Miller ensured that his 94* off 51 ball knock took his team across the line with a ball to spare.
The 31-ball 70 partnership for the sixth wicket between Miller and Rashid that completely swung the game will always be one of the most fondly remembered partnerships in the history of the competition.
(Photo credit: BCCI/IPL)
Dhoni rewinds the clock against Mumbai Indians (CSK vs MI)
MS Dhoni might be 40, but the killer instincts and muscle memory continue to serve the greatest finisher of the game ever. The former India captain, in Match 33 against the Mumbai Indians, turned back the clock, allowing his team and the fans to relive his glory days.
Adding another chapter to his long chapter of last-over finishes, Dhoni pulled off a miraculous win for his side Chennai Super Kings in a thrilling last over finish against Rohit Sharma and co.
Chasing 156 for a win, CSK needed 17 off the last 6 balls and Dhoni and Protea Dwaine Pretorius were in the middle. Experienced Jaydev Unadkat had the ball in hand for the final over and he straightaway made an impact, dismissing Pretorius off the first ball. Dwayne Bravo then arrived in the middle and rightfully gave Dhoni the strike, taking a single off the first ball he faced.
With 16 needed off the final 4 balls, the equation brought everyone to the edge of their seats because Dhoni 'the finisher' was on strike. A SIX off the third ball followed by a FOUR and it was clear that it was vintage Dhoni on display. A couple of runs off the fifth ball brought the equation to 4 being needed off the last ball.
Ice cool Mahi then whacked an under-pressure Unadkat for a four past short fine leg to pull off an incredible win for his side. CSK won the match by 3 wickets.
(Photo credit: BCCI/IPL)
Rashid Khan blitz trumps Umran Malik fifer (GT vs SRH)
A bowler taking a fifer in a T20 game and his side still ending up on the losing side - that is not a very common sight. An evening that belonged to pace sensation Umran Malik was hijacked by Rahid Khan's uncanny blitz in Match 40 between Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
On the day when SRH's Umran, with his sheer pace and accuracy terrorized the batters and registered the best bowling figures of the season so far (5-25), Rashid came out of nowhere and showcased some of the best death overs hitting skills to steal a win for his side.
Chasing a steep 196 for win, Umran's 5 for 25 almost sealed the win for Sunrisers - all 5 GT wickets that fell were taken by him - but the match still had to be won. And SRH faltered at the last hurdle.
With 22 needed off the last over, it was highly unlikely that Sunrisers would lose the match given the fact that their last match hero Marco Jansen was to bowl the final over.
But Rashid and Rahul Tewatia, who were in the middle for Titans, had completely different plans.
Tweatia started the over with a maximum and then a single. It was clear that the Titans were not going down without a fight. With Rashid on strike, 15 were needed off the last 4 balls. A maximum from Rashid off the third ball brought the equation down to 9 needed off 3, but Jansen bounced back, bowling adot off the fourth ball.
With 9 needed off the last 2 deliveries, not many were expecting Rashid to pull off something that many greats in the past have failed to achieve. But with back to back sixes, Rashid (33* off 11 balls) decimated Jansen and the Sunrisers in a shocker of a finish to give the Titans a 5 wicket win and their seventh triumph of the season to take the back to the top of the table.
(Photo credit: BCCI/IPL)
