Most Runs Scored in Last 5 Overs by Teams in IPL: Death-Over Explosions

# Most Runs Scored in Last 5 Overs by Teams in IPL: Death-Over Explosions

The last five overs of an IPL innings can change a match faster than any other phase. A team that looks set for 170 after 15 overs can suddenly finish above 210, while a chasing side can turn an impossible equation into a realistic target with two explosive overs.

Overs 16 to 20 demand a different style of batting. Boundary riders are already in position, fast bowlers attempt yorkers and slower balls, and batters have very little time to settle. Successful death-over hitters therefore need power, range and the ability to punish even small errors in length.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru hold the all-time IPL record for the most runs scored in the final five overs of an innings. Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers helped RCB smash an extraordinary 112 runs from overs 16-20 against Gujarat Lions in 2016. It remains the only confirmed instance of an IPL team scoring more than 100 runs during this five-over phase.

RCB came close again in 2026, scoring 97 runs against Chennai Super Kings. Delhi Capitals also made 97 against Gujarat Titans in 2024, while Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings share the next mark with 96.

Most Runs Scored in Last 5 Overs by Teams in IPL

The leaderboard shows how difficult it is to sustain a scoring rate above 18 runs per over for five consecutive overs. Even in the modern high-scoring IPL era, only three innings have reached 97 or more runs from overs 16-20.

1. RCB – 112 Runs vs Gujarat Lions

RCB’s 112-run finish against Gujarat Lions in 2016 remains the greatest death-overs explosion in IPL history.

Bengaluru were 136/1 after 15 overs. That was already a strong position, but what followed was extraordinary.

Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers attacked almost every bowler Gujarat used. The last five overs produced 112 runs, an astonishing rate of 22.4 runs per over. RCB eventually reached 248/3.

De Villiers finished unbeaten on 129 from just 52 balls, hitting 10 fours and 12 sixes. Kohli made 109 from 55 deliveries and struck eight sixes.

Their partnership reached 229 runs, which remains one of the highest partnerships in IPL history.

The final three overs alone produced 75 runs. Gujarat took wickets from the last two deliveries, but by then the damage was complete.

RCB then bowled Gujarat out for 104 and won by 144 runs.

2. RCB – 97 Runs vs Chennai Super Kings

RCB produced another historic death-overs performance against CSK in 2026.

They were 153/3 after 15 overs at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Devdutt Padikkal had provided momentum through the middle phase, but Rajat Patidar and Tim David completely transformed the innings from that point.

The pair added an unbeaten 99 from only 35 balls. RCB scored 97 runs without losing a wicket from overs 16 to 20, finishing on 250/3.

David was especially destructive. He attacked Noor Ahmad for three sixes in the 17th over and later smashed Jamie Overton for four sixes in the 19th.

He finished unbeaten on 70 from 25 balls, while Patidar made 48 not out from 19.

RCB’s 250/3 became the highest IPL total scored against Chennai Super Kings. Bengaluru eventually won by 43 runs.

3. Delhi Capitals – 97 Runs vs Gujarat Titans

Delhi Capitals matched the 97-run mark during their thrilling 2024 match against Gujarat Titans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

Delhi’s innings looked relatively ordinary for much of the first 15 overs. They were 127/3 after that phase, with Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel rebuilding after early wickets.

Then the match changed completely.

Axar struck back-to-back sixes off Noor Ahmad, while Pant moved through the gears. Tristan Stubbs later arrived and hammered 26 from only seven balls.

Delhi scored 97 runs in the final five overs, reaching 224/4.

Pant produced the biggest finish. He attacked Mohit Sharma in the final over for four sixes and a four as the over yielded 31 runs.

Delhi hit 11 sixes during overs 16-20 alone.

Pant finished unbeaten on 88 from 43 balls, while Delhi eventually won by only four runs. That narrow result demonstrated just how important the death-over surge became.

4. Mumbai Indians – 96 Runs vs Delhi Capitals

Mumbai Indians’ 96-run finish against Delhi Capitals in 2024 was one of the most sudden accelerations in IPL history.

MI were 138/4 after 15 overs. Their Powerplay had been strong, but Delhi had controlled the middle overs well enough to leave Mumbai looking at a total around 190.

Tim David and Romario Shepherd changed that completely.

David began the attack before Shepherd produced an unforgettable final over against Anrich Nortje. Shepherd hit the six deliveries for 4, 6, 6, 6, 4, 6, scoring 32 runs from the over.

Mumbai collected 96 runs from the final five overs and reached 234/5.

Shepherd finished unbeaten on 39 from only 10 balls, while David made 45 not out from 21. Their late assault proved decisive because Delhi eventually reached 205/8, losing by 29 runs.

5. Punjab Kings – 96 Runs vs Mumbai Indians

Punjab Kings had produced the same 96-run finish one season earlier at the Wankhede Stadium.

PBKS were struggling at 118/4 after 15 overs against Mumbai Indians. Sam Curran was 17 from 15 deliveries, while Harpreet Singh Bhatia had made 16 from 20.

There was little indication that Punjab were about to reach 214.

The 16th over completely changed the innings. Arjun Tendulkar conceded 31 runs as Curran and Harpreet attacked a combination of full tosses, short balls and extras.

Curran eventually made 55 from 29 balls, while Jitesh Sharma smashed 25 from only seven deliveries with four sixes.

Punjab added 96 from the final five overs and finished at 214/8.

Mumbai reached 201/6 in reply, meaning Punjab’s late acceleration was effectively the difference between the teams. MI coach Mark Boucher later pointed directly to the 96-run final phase as the key reason for the defeat.

Most Sixes in the Last 5 Overs of an IPL Innings

Six-hitting becomes the quickest way to accelerate once the innings reaches overs 16-20.

Delhi Capitals’ 97-run finish against Gujarat Titans in 2024 included an extraordinary 11 sixes during the final five overs. Pant, Axar and Stubbs repeatedly cleared the boundary as Gujarat’s death bowling broke down.

RCB’s 2026 assault against CSK was similarly six-heavy. Tim David struck eight sixes in his overall innings, with several coming during the final five overs, while Patidar also cleared the ropes repeatedly.

Mumbai’s 96-run finish against Delhi in 2024 featured four sixes from Shepherd in the final over alone. David had already attacked Khaleel Ahmed, Ishant Sharma and Nortje before Shepherd arrived.

The 2016 RCB record remains the benchmark for overall scoring because Kohli and de Villiers combined exceptional six-hitting with a steady stream of fours and twos. De Villiers finished that innings with 12 sixes overall and Kohli added eight.

Biggest Death-Overs Comebacks in IPL

Punjab Rise from 118/4 to 214/8

Punjab’s transformation against Mumbai in 2023 is arguably the clearest example of a death-overs comeback.

At 118/4 after 15 overs, a total close to 170 looked realistic. Five overs later, Punjab had 214.

They added 96 runs despite losing four wickets in that period.

Mumbai Recover from 138/4

Mumbai were similarly stalled at 138/4 against Delhi in 2024.

Instead of accepting a score below 200, David and Shepherd added 96 during the final phase. MI finished 234/5 and eventually won by 29 runs.

Delhi Turn 127/3 into 224/4

Delhi Capitals scored only 127 runs in the first 15 overs against Gujarat Titans.

Pant, Axar and Stubbs then added 97 in the final five, meaning more than 43 percent of Delhi’s entire innings came during only one-quarter of the available overs.

They needed almost every one of those runs, winning the match by just four.

Famous Last-5-Overs Explosions in IPL

Kohli and Moeen Ali at Eden Gardens

RCB scored 91 runs in the final five overs against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2019.

Virat Kohli eventually reached 100 from 58 balls, while Moeen Ali smashed 66 from 28. One of the defining moments came when Kuldeep Yadav conceded 27 runs in the 16th over.

RCB finished on 213/4 and won by 10 runs.

Pollard and Hardik Destroy Punjab

Mumbai Indians scored 89 from their final five overs against Punjab in Abu Dhabi in 2020.

Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya targeted the death bowlers relentlessly and lifted MI to 191/4. Mumbai then defended the total successfully.

Pollard and Ishan Kishan Force a Super Over

Mumbai also scored 89 in the last five overs against RCB in Dubai during the same season.

Ishan Kishan and Pollard dragged MI back from a seemingly impossible chase and tied the match at 201. Bengaluru eventually won the Super Over, but Mumbai’s late assault remains one of the finest death-overs recoveries in a chase.

Why Death-Over Scoring Has Become More Important

IPL death-over scoring continues to rise, although not as dramatically as Powerplay scoring.

Across the competition, teams scored at 9.13 runs per over during overs 16-20 in 2009. By 2026, that figure had increased to 10.79 runs per over. The 2024 season reached an even higher average of 11.21.

Teams now build batting lineups specifically around the final phase. Specialist hitters such as Tim David, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Shimron Hetmyer and Romario Shepherd can enter with only a few overs remaining and attack immediately.

Yet the 112-run RCB record still stands apart. Scoring at more than 22 runs per over across five complete overs requires almost continuous boundaries and very few dot balls.

That is why Kohli and de Villiers’ 2016 assault remains one of the most extraordinary batting passages in IPL history.

FAQs

### What is the most runs scored in the last five overs of an IPL innings?

Royal Challengers Bengaluru hold the record with 112 runs from overs 16-20 against Gujarat Lions in 2016.

Which teams have scored 97 runs in the final five IPL overs?

Delhi Capitals scored 97 against Gujarat Titans in 2024, while RCB matched that total against Chennai Super Kings in 2026.

### How many runs did Mumbai Indians score in the last five overs against Delhi Capitals in 2024?

Mumbai Indians scored 96 runs from overs 16-20 and finished on 234/5. Romario Shepherd scored 32 from the final over alone.

How many sixes did Delhi Capitals hit in their 97-run death-overs burst?

Delhi Capitals hit 11 sixes during the final five overs against Gujarat Titans in 2024. Pant, Axar Patel and Tristan Stubbs were the main contributors.

Which team has appeared most often among the biggest IPL death-over totals?

RCB appear repeatedly near the top, including the all-time record of 112, the joint-second-best 97 and other major finishes of 91 and 88 runs.

What overs are counted as the last five overs in this record?

This article counts overs 16 through 20 as the last-five-overs or death-overs phase of a standard IPL innings.