Top 5 most memorable matches of IPL 2026

The 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has finally come to an end, with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru beating the Gujarat Titans by five wickets to retain their crown.

Another season of the IPL has breezed past, with more big moments being added to the folklore of the illustrious tournament. Like with every season, there will be games which will forever be etched in the memory of fans and experts alike, for maybe significant individual contributions or the magnitude and nervousness of the occasion. 

Here are the five most memorable matches of IPL 2026:

RCB vs MI, Match 54

In a tournament where 200-plus totals have become the norm, a nervy chase of a total close to 160 always comes as a breath of fresh air. That's what happened when the Royal Challengers Bengaluru hosted the Mumbai Indians in Raipur. Being put into bat, the five-time champions were dented early on a spicy pitch by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who picked up three wickets in the powerplay. Despite the early setback, they rode on the back of Tilak Varma's 57 and Naman Dhir's 47 to post a total of 166 for 7.

The eventual champions were dented in their chase, with Deepak Chahar picking up two early wickets in the powerplay, including that of Virat Kohli for a first-ball duck. Krunal Pandya stabilised the innings with a 46-ball 73 despite wickets falling around him, with Corbin Bosch picking up figures of 4 for 26. Pandya fell with two overs remaining, and RCB still needed 17. Jasprit Bumrah just conceded three runs off the penultimate over, but a mighty blow from Bhuvneshwar and runs in extras meant RCB got home with three wickets in hand off the final ball of the game.

LSG vs KKR, Match 38

This clash saw the two teams play out the only Super Over of the season. Batting first on a slowish Ekana track, the Knight Riders were carried by Rinku Singh's unbeaten 83 off 51 balls to a total of 155 for 7. The returning left-arm seamer Mohsin Khan picked up figures of 5 for 23, his first fifer in the tournament. Angkrish Raghuvanshi was controversially dismissed, obstructing the field. 

The Super Giants kept losing wickets in their innings, with Rishabh Pant's 42 being the highest score for them. The team was just able to sneak into a Super Over, with Mohammed Shami hitting the final ball of the innings for a six. Sunil Narine conceded just one run and picked up two wickets in the Super Over, which the Knight Riders completed with ease.

SRH vs RR - Eliminator

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was been the talk of the 2026 Indian Premier League. The southpaw mesmerised with his attacking batting, but he perhaps saved the best of his fireworks for the latter stages of the competition. Sooryavanshi mercilessly took down the Sunrisers' bowlers, hitting them all across the park to reach his half-century off just 16 balls. In the next 12 balls, he added 43 more to his score, well on cue to break Chris Gayle's record for the fastest century off just 30 balls. 

But luck had it the other way, as Sooryavanshi fell for 97 off his next ball. Dhruv Jurel's 21-ball half-century took the Royals to a mammoth 243 for 8, which they defended courtesy Jofra Archer's three-wicket burst in the powerplay. The Sunrisers were bowled out for 196, with Sooryavanshi's merciless display etching itself in IPL folklore.

RR vs MI, Match 13

While Sooryavanshi was the big talk of the IPL, this game was all about Yashasvi Jaiwal proving that he was not to be taken lightly either. Batting first in a game shortened to 11 overs due to rain, the two young southpaws took the attack to the Mumbai Indians bowlers. In a highly anticipated contest, Sooryavanshi hit the mercurial Jasprit Bumrah for three sixes in an over, including one off the first ball he faced from him. The 15-year-old fell for 39, but Jaiswal carried his bat on with an unbeaten 77 off 32 to take the Royals to a dominant 150 for 3 in their 20 overs.

MI were unable to get going in their batting innings, losing wickets at key moments, finishing their innings on 123 for 9. This was the first instance of the Royals' batters announcing themselves as a force to be reckoned with. The young southpaws at the top announced themselves in style, stitching a stand of 80 runs off just 30 balls.

DC vs PBKS, Match 35

It is not every day that someone scores a mammoth 152 in a T20 match and still ends up on the losing side. That is what ensued when the Delhi Capitals took on the Punjab Kings in Delhi at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Electing to bat, the Capitals put on a massive total of 264 for 2, with their talisman KL Rahul scoring an unbeaten 152 off just 67 balls. He took on the Kings' bowlers and stitched a mammoth stand of 220 off just 98 balls with Nitish Rana, who scored a 44-ball 91.

Chasing the daunting total, the Kings got off to a flyer with a 126-run opening stand off just 42 balls between Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh, the latter scoring a brilliant 76 off just 26 balls. They lost a few wickets in between, but were led home by captain Shreyas Iyer, who finished unbeaten on 71 off 36 balls. They chased the total down with seven balls to spare and six wickets in hand.