Kolkata Knight Riders hold the record for the highest run-chase in the history of IPL finals. Having lifted the silverware in the biggest T20 league around the world in 2012 and 2014, the Gautam Gambhir-led team had bettered their own record of chasing down the highest target in the night of the final nine years ago.
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Chennai Super Kings, who have sealed a run-chase in an IPL final only once in the past, will have to break Knight Riders’ record if they are to win the ongoing Indian Premier League 2023 final against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Assuming they are able to break Kolkata’s record, it will allow them to equal with Mumbai Indians in the list of most IPL titles. Gujarat, meanwhile, will equal KKR’s two titles in addition to becoming the third team to win consecutive IPL seasons.
Historically, six out of 15 IPL finals till date have been won by the team batting second. Out of these six, targets more than the 190-run mark have been achieved only by KKR. Speaking of CSK, their solitary entry in this list had come on the back of chasing down a 179-run target primarily due to a match-winning century from all-rounder Shane Watson half-a-decade ago.
Highest Run Chase in IPL Final History
| Target | Overs | Team | Opposition | Venue | Year |
| 200 | 19.3 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Kings XI Punjab | M Chinnaswamy Stadium | 2014 |
| 191 | 19.4 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Chennai Super Kings | MA Chidambaram Stadium | 2012 |
| 179 | 18.3 | Chennai Super Kings | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Wankhede Stadium | 2018 |
| 164 | 20 | Rajasthan Royals | Chennai Super Kings | Dr DY Patil Sports Academy | 2008 |
| 157 | 18.4 | Mumbai Indians | Delhi Capitals | Dubai International Cricket Stadium | 2020 |
| 131 | 18.1 | Gujarat Titans | Rajasthan Royals | Narendra Modi Stadium | 2022 |
CSK Need To Chase Down a 215-Run Target
Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni‘s decision of bowling first after winning the toss was followed by pacer Deepak Chahar (1/38) dropping a couple of catches to hand reprieves to Titans’ opening batters Shubman Gill (39) and Wriddhiman Saha (54) in the powerplay.
Playing only his 26th T20, a career-best knock by Sai Sudharsan played a pivotal role in powering GT to 214/4 in their 20-over quota. Sudharsan, who missed out on a maiden T20 century, scored an awe-inspiring 96 (47) comprising eight fours and six sixes at a strike rate of 204.25 to put Chennai under a lot of trouble.
