Lowest Powerplay Score in IPL History: Delhi Capitals' 13/6 Tops the List (2008–2026)

The lowest powerplay score in IPL history is 13/6, posted by Delhi Capitals against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026 at Delhi. It broke a 17-year-old record and remains the most dramatic batting collapse in the first six overs the tournament has seen.

Quick Answer: What Is the Lowest Powerplay Score in IPL?

Delhi Capitals scored just 13 runs and lost 6 wickets in the powerplay against RCB in IPL 2026. That is the lowest powerplay score in IPL history across all full matches played since 2008.

Key Facts at a Glance:

• Record: 13/6, Delhi Capitals vs RCB, IPL 2026, Delhi
• Previous record: 14/2, Rajasthan Royals vs RCB, Cape Town, 2009 (stood for 17 years)
• Rain-affected note: RCB once scored 2 runs in a powerplay in IPL 2015, but that match was abandoned early and is not counted in the official list

What Is a Powerplay in IPL Cricket?

In T20 cricket, the powerplay covers overs 1 to 6. During this period, only two fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle, according toWikipedia's breakdown of powerplay rules. The idea is to give batting teams a free-scoring window at the start of the innings.

In practice, most teams use their most aggressive batters at the top of the order specifically to exploit these field restrictions. A score of 45 to 60 in the powerplay is generally considered solid in IPL conditions. Anything below 35 is seen as a setback. Below 20? That usually means the match is already tilting heavily toward the bowling side.

What's often overlooked is how much a powerplay collapse affects a team's morale, not just their scorecard. Losing four or five wickets inside six overs forces the remaining batters into preservation mode, which rarely produces a competitive total in T20 cricket.

Lowest Powerplay Score in IPL: Complete List (2008–2026)

The table below covers the ten lowest powerplay totals in IPL history, across all full matches.

Last Updated: May 2026

One pattern stands out immediately. The vast majority of these low IPL powerplay scores led to match losses for the batting team. Only in rare cases did a team recover enough to make the game competitive.

Powerplay Score vs Match Result

The table below shows how teams with the lowest IPL powerplay scores fared by the end of their respective matches.

The pattern is consistent. A low powerplay score in IPL cricket, particularly one involving multiple wicket losses, almost always ends in defeat. The DC vs RCB 2026 match is the clearest example: Delhi were effectively out of the contest before the powerplay ended.

Teams With Most Appearances in Lowest IPL Powerplay Scores List

Interestingly, CSK appears three times despite being one of the most consistently performing franchises in IPL history. This suggests that even well-organised batting lineups are not immune to powerplay collapses, particularly when conditions favour swing bowling or when the pitch assists early movement.

Match-by-Match Breakdown of the Top Low Powerplay Scores

Delhi Capitals' 13/6 vs RCB, IPL 2026 (The Record Collapse)

This is the match that rewrote IPL history. Delhi Capitals, batting first at home, were undone in the most complete fashion possible inside six overs.

How the Wickets Fell

Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar shared the powerplay between them. Hazlewood removed KL Rahul, Sameer Rizvi and Nitish Rana while conceding just 8 runs. Bhuvneshwar was equally precise, dismissing Sahil Parakh, Tristan Stubbs and Axar Patel for only 5 runs.

At one point, DC were 8/6. Six wickets gone. Eight runs on the board. The contest was already over.

Match Result

Delhi Capitals eventually folded for 75 in 16.3 overs, one of the lowest totals in IPL history. RCB chased it down in 6.3 overs. The match lasted barely two sessions combined. As noted by BBC Sport's analysis of how new-ball bowling shapes T20 outcomes, disciplined seam bowling with tight lines has been putting batting sides under greater pressure in the powerplay across all formats of limited-overs cricket.

Rajasthan Royals' 14/2 vs RCB, Cape Town, IPL 2009

Before the 2026 collapse, this was the record that had stood for 17 years. Praveen Kumar bowled three overs for RCB, conceding 7 runs and picking up 2 wickets. Rajasthan Royals never recovered their powerplay momentum in that match.

The fact that this record survived from 2009 all the way to 2026 says something about how rare genuine powerplay collapses are, even in a tournament with over 1,000 matches played.

SRH's 14/3 vs Rajasthan Royals, Pune, IPL 2022

Prasidh Krishna was the wrecker-in-chief here, bowling three overs for just 2 runs and taking 2 wickets. SRH's top order had no answer to the accuracy on offer. This remains the second-lowest powerplay score in IPL history, tied with the 2009 RR record on runs but with one more wicket lost.

CSK's 15/2 vs KKR, Kolkata, IPL 2011

Chennai Super Kings, typically known for a calm and methodical approach to T20 batting, found themselves in trouble in Kolkata. The pitch and conditions in that match suited the KKR bowling attack, and CSK were unable to assert themselves in the early overs.

CSK's 16/1 Appearances, IPL 2015 and IPL 2019

CSK managed identical powerplay scores of 16/1 in two separate seasons, once against Delhi Capitals in Raipur (2015) and once against RCB in Chennai (2019). In both cases, the team lost only one wicket but scored extremely slowly. Disciplined bowling, not aggression from batters, defined both powerplays.

A Note on the Rain-Affected Record: RCB's 2-Run Powerplay Score

RCB once posted just 2 runs in a powerplay against Delhi Capitals in IPL 2015. That match was called off shortly after RCB had started their innings, which means the score reflects only a fraction of the powerplay overs bowled.

It would not be accurate to compare this with full-game powerplay records. Most cricket reference sources treat this as a separate, weather-affected data point rather than a record in the conventional sense. The main list on this page covers full matches only.

Conclusion

The lowest powerplay score in IPL history is Delhi Capitals' 13/6 against RCB in 2026. It broke a record that had survived 17 seasons. CSK holds the most appearances in the bottom 10 list. Every team on this list lost their respective match, which tells you how decisive the powerplay can be in T20 cricket.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the lowest powerplay score in IPL history?

Delhi Capitals scored 13/6 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026 at Delhi. This is the lowest powerplay score in IPL history in a full match, breaking Rajasthan Royals' 17-year-old record of 14/2 set in Cape Town in 2009.

Which team appears most in the lowest IPL powerplay scores list?

CSK appears three times in the bottom 10, in 2011, 2015, and 2019. Despite being a consistently strong franchise, they have been on the wrong end of disciplined powerplay bowling more than any other team on this list.

Does RCB's 2-run powerplay score count as an official IPL record?

No. That match in IPL 2015 was abandoned shortly after RCB began their innings. Since the full powerplay was not completed, it is not counted alongside records from full matches.

Which bowlers were most destructive in record low powerplay matches?

Josh Hazlewood (3 wickets, 8 runs) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3 wickets, 5 runs) shared the record-breaking spell in 2026. Prasidh Krishna (2 wickets, 2 runs) and Praveen Kumar (2 wickets, 7 runs) were key in the 2022 and 2009 record matches.

What is considered a good powerplay score in IPL cricket?

In general, scoring between 45 and 60 runs in the powerplay without losing more than two wickets is considered a solid start in IPL conditions. Scores below 35 are typically treated as difficult situations for the batting side to recover from.