IPL: 5 most surprising moments in the tournament's history

Ever since its inception in 2008, the Indian Premier League has grown in stature and is now one of the biggest, if not the biggest, domestic cricket league in the world. Players from all around the globe have enjoyed being a part of this lucrative tournament. The fans have loved this mega event and it keeps getting bigger and better with each passing year.

Over the past 10 seasons, the IPL has given us everything; from close finishes to individual brilliance to game-changing bowling spells to match winning knocks to heated arguments. The list goes on and on. The IPL has also witnessed some surprising moments which have made the fans go “Woooooooah, what just happened?”.

Here are the 5 most surprising moments in the history of the Indian Premier League.

#5 Mumbai chase 190 inside 15 overs

It was the last round robin match of IPL 7 and both Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians came into the game knowing that a win would seal their place in the playoffs. While Rajasthan just needed a win, Mumbai’s task was slightly tougher as they required a huge win to qualify.

Put into bat, Rajasthan racked up 189 runs, thanks to a phenomenal 47 ball 74 by Sanju Samson and a quickfire 27 ball 50 by Karun Nair. Mumbai then realized that they needed to chase down the stiff target in 14.4 overs to qualify.

The road seemed tough but Corey Anderson had other ideas. He came in and blasted an unbeaten 44 ball 95 to give the Mumbai crowd hope. All of a sudden, though, wickets tumbled and Mumbai found themselves requiring a boundary off the subsequent ball to not only win the game but also book their spot in the final four. In walked Aditya Tare, who kept his cool and produced one of the most memorable strokes of his career with a huge six over fine leg to seal the deal for Mumbai.

#4 RCB skittled out for lowest IPL total ever

One of the most dramatic games in the history of the IPL saw a star-studded RCB unit crumble at the Eden Gardens to register the lowest ever IPL total. No one could quite believe their eyes even as the KKR fans roared in delight.

Chasing a modest 132, it seemed as though the batting heavy RCB outfit would romp home but what unfolded left everyone surprised. The RCB skipper fell for a duck and right after his dismissal, wickets tumbled like nine pins. In just 9.3 overs, they were bundled out for a paltry 49 with none of the RCB batsmen reaching double digits.

KKR won the encounter by a massive 82 runs and left all the RCB fans stunned.

#3 Rohit Sharma’s hat-trick

When we talk about Rohit Sharma, his sublime batting comes to mind, but on 6th May 2009, it was Rohit Sharma the bowler who left a long lasting memory in the minds of all cricket lovers.

Defending a modest 145, Mumbai Indians looked like they were going to run away with an easy win but then came the twist. Deccan Chargers skipper, Adam Gilchrist, tossed the ball to part-timer Rohit in the 16th over. This move shocked all the cricket fans but little did they know that it would turn out to be a masterstroke.

In his fifth and sixth delivery, Rohit dismissed Abhishek Nayar and Harbhajan Singh, tilting the game in Deccan’s favour. The crowd went wild. Gilchrist gave Rohit another over and in his first delivery, he found the edge of the in-form JP Duminy to complete a stunning hat-trick. He finished with impressive figures of 4 for 6 in 2 overs and helped his side to a 19 run win.

#2 Gilchrist takes a wicket

The Mumbai vs Punjab game at the HPCA ground in Dharamsala will be remembered for just one thing - Adam Gilchrist's wicket. It was a dead rubber as table toppers Mumbai had already booked their place in the playoffs while Punjab didn’t have a chance at all.

It turned out to be a one-sided contest as Punjab, who made 183 runs, took the game to Mumbai. In the chase, with 19 overs done and the game beyond Mumbai’s reach, the Punjab skipper surprised everyone. Playing in his last competitive match, Adam Gilchrist decided to roll his arm over.

He took off his wicketkeeping gloves and pads, handed them to Praveen Kumar and took his mark at the bowling end. The Australian great ran up and bowled off-spin to another off-spinner, Harbhajan Singh, who tried to hoick him for a six but completely mistimed his shot. It fell straight into Gurkeerat’s hands.

As soon as the catch was completed, Gilchrist brought out his dancing shoes and began doing the "Gangnam Style" along with few of his teammates. It was his first ever wicket in his illustrious career and Gilchrist danced like there was no tomorrow. It was a moment which will never be forgotten by anyone.

#1 Zaheer Khan comes out to bat at number three

Deccan Chargers, after being put into bat, finished with an impressive 175 on the back of a splendid 35 ball 61 by little known Bharat Chipli. Zaheer Khan was RCB’s best bowler with three scalps.

While chasing 176, RCB started poorly and despite a valiant effort by Virat Kohli, who scored a brilliant 71, they never got going and eventually fell short by 33 runs. What surprised everyone in this game though was the decision made by then RCB captain, Daniel Vettori, who shockingly sent Zaheer Khan out to bat at number 3. Yes, you read that correctly - NUMBER 3!

The ploy did not work as the Indian left-arm seamer was dismissed by Dale Steyn for a three-ball duck. Later on, Vettori revealed that it was a team tactic to send Zaheer at three which obviously backfired.