Every year, the IPL delivers massive scores, huge sixes, and records that fall like dominoes. IPL 2026 was no different. In fact, it was the most run-heavy season in the history of the league. So when the final arrived, most people expected a big game. What they got instead was Gujarat Titans crawling to 155/8 and Royal Challengers Bengaluru chasing it down without too much fuss.
It felt like a letdown. But was it really unusual? And does this keep happening in IPL finals?
The numbers, when you look at all 19 IPL finals from 2008 to 2026, tell a story that most people would not expect.
IPL 2026 Was a Record-Breaking Season
Before getting into the finals, it is worth understanding just how extreme the batting was in IPL 2026.
| Stat | IPL 2026 | Previous Record |
| Total runs scored | 27,450 | Previous all-time high |
| Run rate across season | 9.88 | All-time high |
| Total sixes | 1,426 | 1,294 (set in 2025) |
| Innings of 200+ runs | 65 | – |
| Successful 220+ chases | 9 | 5 (across previous 18 seasons combined) |
| Scores of 200+ chased | 18 | 9 (in 2025) |
Every single one of those numbers is an all-time record. Teams were scoring at nearly 10 runs per over on average. Chasing 220 or more, which used to be seen as nearly impossible, happened nine times in one season alone. Before 2026, it had happened just five times in the entire history of the IPL.
So when the final produced just 155 from GT and a calm chase from RCB, it felt like a completely different game.
The Final Versus the Season: What the Numbers Say
Here is where things get interesting. A Times of India Data Desk analysis looked at all 19 IPL finals and compared the total runs scored in each final to the average match score of that season.
The result? Across the full history of the IPL, finals have actually scored more runs than the average match, not fewer.
| Metric | Figure |
| IPL finals scored above season average | 10 out of 19 |
| IPL finals scored below season average | 9 out of 19 |
| Average runs more than season average (per final) | +5.7 runs |
| Average runs more than venue historical average | +5.1 runs |
So the idea that IPL finals are always tight, low-scoring affairs is largely a myth, at least when you look at the full picture. If anything, finals have historically been very slightly higher-scoring than the regular season.
The High-Scoring Finals You May Have Forgotten
People tend to remember the low-scoring finals more clearly. But some IPL finals have been genuine batting feasts.
| Year | Final Matchup | Score 1 | Score 2 | Total Runs |
| 2016 | RCB vs SRH | 200 (RCB fell short by 9) | 208+ | 408 |
| 2014 | PBKS vs KKR | 199/7 | 200/7 | 399 |
| 2012 | CSK vs KKR | 190/3 | 192/5 | 382 |
These three finals were among the highest-scoring matches of their respective seasons. The 2016 final alone produced 408 combined runs, a full-blown run-fest. The 2014 and 2012 finals were not far behind.
So when someone says “IPL finals are always low-scoring,” these three games push back hard against that idea.
The Low-Scoring Finals That Stick in Memory
On the other side of the table sit the finals that everyone remembers for the wrong reasons, the matches where batting simply collapsed.
| Year | Final Matchup | Losing Team Score | Notes |
| 2024 | SRH vs KKR | 113 (SRH all out) | Lowest total in IPL final history |
| 2022 | RR vs GT | 130/9 (RR) | GT chased with 7 wickets to spare |
| 2026 | GT vs RCB | 155/8 (GT) | RCB chased comfortably |
These three finals all came in seasons known for big batting. In 2024, Sunrisers Hyderabad had broken batting records almost every week during the league stage, and then got bowled out for 113 in the final. In 2022, scores of 200 were becoming normal, yet the final stayed well under 150 for one team.
The 2026 final fits the same pattern. A season of 27,450 total runs ended with a final that produced well below the season average.
The Modern Era Trend: Are Finals Falling Behind?
Looking at the full history, finals and regular matches score about the same. But when you zoom into just the last several years, a different picture starts to form.
| Period | Finals Below Season Average | Average Gap |
| 2008–2017 (10 finals) | 4 out of 10 | Close to season average |
| 2018–2026 (9 finals) | 5 out of 9 | Around 20 runs below season average |
Since 2018, IPL finals have averaged roughly 20 runs below the season’s scoring pace. That is a clear shift from the earlier era.
And the four biggest “underperforming” finals in IPL history, meaning the ones that fell furthest below the season average, all happened after 2018.
| Rank | Year | Runs Below Season Average |
| 1 | 2024 | 139 runs below |
| 2 | 2022 | Significant gap |
| 3 | 2017 | Notable gap |
| 4 | 2026 | Notable gap |
The 2024 final stands out by a massive margin. SRH’s 113 all out in a season where 200-plus scores were routine is a record gap that may never be beaten. But 2022, 2017, and 2026 all follow the same general trend.
Why Is This Happening in Recent Finals?
The sample size is still small, just nine finals since 2018. So this cannot be called a firm rule. But there are a few reasonable explanations for why modern finals may be trending lower than the matches around them.
Stronger teams reach the final. By the time two teams make it to a final, they have survived a long tournament. Both sides are usually well-balanced and have quality bowlers. In a league game, a weaker bowling attack gets targeted. In a final, both bowling attacks tend to be among the best in the competition.
| Factor | League Stage | Final Stage |
| Opposition bowling quality | Mixed | Consistently strong |
| Match preparation detail | Standard | Highly detailed |
| Consequence of a bad over | Low | Season-ending |
| Player fatigue level | Early/mid season | Peak fatigue |
Detailed planning. Modern IPL teams enter finals with extremely detailed plans. They know exactly which bowlers trouble which batters. Matchup data is studied deeply. Bowlers attack specific weaknesses. That level of preparation makes it harder for batters to free their arms the way they might in a routine league game.
Pitch wear. Finals are played at the end of a long tournament, often at venues that have hosted many matches. Pitches at the end of the season behave differently, they tend to be slower and offer more to bowlers, particularly spinners. That alone can bring scoring rates down.
The weight of the occasion. In a league game, a top-order batter who gets out for 10 can sit down and know there is another match in three days. In a final, that same dismissal could end the season. Even experienced batters sometimes play that little bit more carefully in the early overs of a final. A slightly slower start is often enough to drag the whole innings below what it might have been in a league game.
None of these factors alone is enough to guarantee a low-scoring final. But together, they create conditions that make batting harder than it looks during the league stage.
Full Picture: All 19 IPL Finals at a Glance
| Year | Winner | Winning Score | Losing Score | Total Runs | vs Season Average |
| 2008 | RR | 164/7 | 163/5 | 327 | — |
| 2009 | DC | 143/6 | 137/9 | 280 | — |
| 2010 | CSK | 168/5 | 146/9 | 314 | — |
| 2011 | CSK | 205/5 | 147/8 | 352 | — |
| 2012 | KKR | 192/5 | 190/3 | 382 | Above |
| 2013 | MI | 148/9 | 125/9 | 273 | — |
| 2014 | KKR | 200/7 | 199/7 | 399 | Above |
| 2015 | MI | 202/5 | 161/8 | 363 | — |
| 2016 | SRH | 208 | 200 | 408 | Above |
| 2017 | MI | 129/8 | 128/6 | 257 | Below |
| 2018 | CSK | 181/2 | 178/6 | 359 | — |
| 2019 | MI | 149/8 | 148/7 | 297 | — |
| 2020 | MI | 157/5 | 156/7 | 313 | — |
| 2021 | CSK | 192/3 | 165/9 | 357 | — |
| 2022 | GT | 133/3 | 130/9 | 263 | Below |
| 2023 | CSK | 171/5 (DL) | 214/4 | 385 | — |
| 2024 | KKR | 114/2 | 113/10 | 227 | 139 below |
| 2025 | RCB | 190/9 | 184/7 | 374 | — |
| 2026 | RCB | Won | 155/8 (GT) | Under 320 | Below |
The Bigger Picture
Across 19 seasons of IPL finals, the numbers clearly show that the belief that “finals are always low-scoring” does not hold up. In total, 10 finals have scored above the season average and 9 have gone below. On average, finals have produced 5.7 more runs than the typical match in that season.
But zoom into the last nine years and the picture shifts. Five of those nine finals have scored below the season average. The gap is growing. And the four worst-performing finals in IPL history all come from this period.
The contrast in 2026 was particularly sharp. A season that produced a record 27,450 runs, 1,426 sixes, and 65 scores above 200 ended with a final where one team could not even get to 160. That is one of the starkest differences between a league stage and a final that the IPL has ever seen.
Whether this becomes a firm trend or just a few data points in a small sample is something only future seasons will answer. But for now, the pattern is there, and it is worth watching closely.
The post IPL 2026: 1426 Sixes, 27450 Runs & 65 Double Hundred, Full Record List appeared first on Sportzcraazy.
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