Lowest Powerplay Score in IPL: Complete List, Analysis, and Records

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is known for explosive batting and big-hitting during powerplays; however, on occasion, an IPL team will experience a total batting collapse within the first six overs of play. Most people who look up the lowest powerplay scores in IPL history are searching for some of the biggest batting disasters in the competition’s history. In this article I’ll break down the lowest powerplay score in IPL history, the teams responsible, what led to their collapses, and why the lowest powerplay score in IPL continues to be broken each year.

Table of Contents

What Is a Powerplay in IPL?

Before we look at the lowest powerplay scores in IPL history, it will help us to define what the powerplay is. The powerplay in T20 cricket is the first six overs of each inning and has specific fielding restrictions — only two players can be placed outside the 30 yard circle. These restrictions are put into place so that batsmen have an opportunity to get off to a good start to their innings as there are less people positioned along the boundary. Due to these restrictions, most teams attempt to score as fast as possible in the powerplay, therefore any time there has been a lowest powerplay score in IPL history, it stands out and is remembered.

The Current Record for Lowest Powerplay Score in IPL

The current record for the lowest powerplay score in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is held by the Delhi Capitals. The Delhi Capitals scored only 13 runs while losing six wickets during their match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2026. This is the lowest powerplay score recorded in an entire IPL match. This batting collapse occurred on April 27, 2026, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Excellent bowling performances by Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar led to this historical batting collapse.

This inning not only broke the record for the fewest number of runs scored during a powerplay in IPL history, but it led to an even bigger collapse of the batting line-up. In total, Delhi Capitals were dismissed for 75 runs (one of the smallest totals ever recorded in IPL history) and survived only 16.3 overs.

The record for the lowest powerplay score in IPL history had been set almost 20 years ago. Delhi Capitals’ score broke the 17-year old record previously held by Rajasthan Royals. Rajasthan Royals had scored 14 runs with the loss of two wickets against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Cape Town during the 2009 season, when the IPL was hosted in South Africa. That match’s pitch was highly conducive to bowling, and thus made it extremely difficult for Rajasthan’s batsmen to hit their shots.

Table: Lowest Powerplay Scores in IPL History

Below is a table that lists the lowest powerplay score ever in IPL history, for all full and uncompleted matches:

Rank	Powerplay Score	Batting Team	Bowling Team	Venue	Season
1	13/6	Delhi Capitals	RCB	Delhi (Arun Jaitley)	2026
2	14/3	Sunrisers Hyderabad	Rajasthan Royals	Pune	2022
3	14/2	Rajasthan Royals	RCB	Cape Town	2009
4	15/2	Chennai Super Kings	KKR	Kolkata	2011
5	16/1	Chennai Super Kings	Delhi Daredevils	Raipur	2015
5	16/1	Chennai Super Kings	RCB	Chennai	2019
7	17/4	Rajasthan Royals	KKR	Sharjah	2021
7	17/4	KKR	RCB	Abu Dhabi	2020
9	17/3	Mumbai Indians	KXIP	Mumbai	2015

As you can see, this table demonstrates why there are so many of the lowest powerplay scores on the IPL list that have been created because of a combination of poor batting performances (collapses) and good bowling conditions (pitch). It should be noted that Chennai Super Kings are present in the list several times, including the fourth and fifth positions with the lowest powerplay totals at Eden Gardens in 2011 and at Raipur in 2015.

Breaking Down the Top 5 Lowest Powerplay Scores in IPL

1. Delhi Capitals – 13/6 vs RCB (2026)

The new record for the lowest powerplay score in an IPL came in a home match for Delhi Capitals. To date, this remains the lowest powerplay total recorded in the IPL, with Delhi Capitals losing six wickets for only 13 runs against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The extent of this collapse (six wickets lost within six overs) makes it the most extreme entry in the lowest powerplay score in IPL records.

2. Sunrisers Hyderabad – 14/3 vs Rajasthan Royals (2022)

At one point, this was tied for the lowest power play score ever recorded in IPL history (along with Rajasthan Royal’s 2009 inning). However, during IPL 2022, Sunrisers Hyderabad scored only 14/3 in their first six overs when they were chasing 211 runs against Rajasthan Royals. Rajasthan Royals’ strong bowling and solid fielding made it difficult for SRH to get going in the beginning.

3. Rajasthan Royals – 14/2 vs RCB (2009)

For a period of 17 years, this was the lowest powerplay score ever recorded in the IPL. The Rajasthan Royals were able to score just 14 runs for the loss of two wickets against the Royal Challengers Bangalore on a Cape Town pitch that provided a great deal of assistance to the bowlers and made it extremely challenging for the batsmen to make good contact with the ball.

4. Chennai Super Kings – 15/2 vs KKR (2011)

Chennai Super Kings had a very unusual slow start to their innings at Kolkata, as they were only able to score 15 runs and lost two wickets. The reason behind this slow start was due to some of the most consistent bowling from the opponents that included good lines and also excellent placement of the fielders. These factors combined made it difficult for CSK to get off to a fast start. In addition to being held back by the opposing bowlers, the early losses of important players caused the team to change their strategy from aggressive batting during the fielding restriction overs to a more defensive style of play.

5. Chennai Super Kings – 16/1 vs RCB (2019)

The Chennai pitch offered turn and grip that affected the batsmen’s timing on this third occasion when CSK scored fewer than three runs per over in the powerplay.

Honourable Mentions: Rain-Affected Powerplay Totals

Some sources also refer to “rain-curtailed matches” when referring to the lowest powerplay scores in IPL, however, they are usually considered to be distinct from other full, un-interrupted innings since the powerplay was shortened.

The required power play in a Duckworth-Lewis (D/L) affected game for the Chennai Super Kings was shortened to two overs, and during those two overs, the team scored only 11 runs and lost two wickets. The bowler who took four wickets for 17 runs in that same game. Also, there was a rain affected game in 2015 when the Royal Challengers Bangalore could score only two runs in one over prior to abandonment. However, this is an exception due to the short duration of the competition.

Since those matches were shortened power plays instead of the usual six overs, most cricket analysts and record keepers consider the lowest power play score in IPL history to be for the complete, six-over innings (such as those described earlier for the Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals).

Why Do Teams Record Such Low Powerplay Scores in IPL?

The following are the common factors that contribute to an entry on the low-scoring powerplay list in IPL:

Low-scoring innings: A large majority of his lowest scores have come from playing on bowler-friendly wickets. He has experienced these types of pitches most frequently in his early career while playing in South Africa or on old UAE pitches.
Teams with excellent new ball bowlers (e.g., RCB’s attack in the Delhi Capitals collapse of 2026), have always had a high number of times when they had the lowest power play score in IPL history.
The loss of an early wicket in the first six overs (powerplay) can trigger a batting collapse. When a new batsman comes to the crease, he/she takes some time to adjust to the moving ball.
Tactical caution: At times, teams pursuing very large target scores (such as SRH’s 2022 innings) will be uncharacteristically conservative, which can result in a low lowest powerplay score in an IPL entry without necessarily creating extreme panic.
Playing abroad or under unfamiliar circumstances: The 2009 Rajasthan Royals and 2021 UAE based matches show us that playing in a foreign country can lead to some of the lowest power play scores in IPL history because of varying pitches and atmospheric conditions.

Why the Lowest Powerplay Score in IPL Record Keeps Changing

The lowest powerplay score in IPL and other cricket records do not remain unchanged. There is always a greater likelihood of having an extremely poor batting performance as more games are played throughout every year. It took 17 years for the lowest powerplay score in IPL record to be broken; this demonstrates how uncommon such low scores are, but also demonstrates that one very bad day can change the course of cricket history. Because franchises continue to acquire top-notch fast bowlers, it is probable that the lowest powerplay score in IPL record will be challenged again during the next several years.

Conclusion

The Lowest Power Play Score in IPL list shows an interesting contrast to the IPL being known as a place where players hit big and score fast. Both Delhi Capitals’ collapse of 13/6 (first 6 overs) versus Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2026 and Rajasthan Royals’ 14/2 (first 2 overs) record set in 2009 show that even the most destructive T20 batting lineups can be destroyed by strong bowling and difficult playing conditions. As the IPL continues to expand, tracking the Lowest Power Play Score in IPL will continue to provide fans with some of the more interesting insights into how a team’s bowling can dominate in a format that favors the batsman.

FAQs

1. What is the lowest powerplay score in IPL history?

Delhi Capitals made the lowest powerplay score ever in IPL history when they scored only 13 runs for six wickets against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi during IPL 2026.

2. Which team held the lowest powerplay score in IPL before 2026?

Before Delhi Capitals collapsed in 2026, Rajasthan Royals had set the previous record for the lowest powerplay score in the IPL by posting a 14/2 against RCB in Cape Town during the 2009 season.

3. Why does Chennai Super Kings appear so often on the lowest powerplay score in IPL list?

CSK’s history includes several poor performances in the first six overs of matches. For example, they scored just 15/2 against KKR in 2011 and only 16/1 against RCB in 2019. Many times, these poor starts have been caused by the spin-friendly nature of their home ground in Chennai, as well as by the discipline shown by the opposing team’s bowlers.

4. Is the lowest powerplay score in IPL always linked to a team losing the match?

Not always. While the Delhi Capitals were blown out after they had a 13-for-6 collapsed in 2026, there are also cases where teams such as the Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2022 had a low powerplay total of 14-for-3 but went on to successfully chase down a huge total, which shows that a low powerplay does not necessarily determine how a team performs throughout the entire game.

5. What is considered a poor powerplay score in IPL?

In the world of T20 cricket, a powerplay score of less than 30 runs is generally regarded as being subpar, and any score of less than 20 runs (the lowest ever recorded in the IPL) is viewed as a total collapse of the batting lineup.

6. Does the lowest powerplay score in IPL include rain-affected matches?

The answer to this question is typically “no.” The official lowest powerplay score in IPL rankings usually include complete, uninterrupted six-over powerplays. Therefore, if an innings was rain-affected (like CSK’s 11/2 off of two overs in a D/L affected match), then it would generally be considered an honorable mention and not part of the main record list.