New Delhi: History was written again in IPL 2026 on Wednesday night as Kolkata Knight Riders beat Mumbai Indians by four wickets to become the second team’s 42nd win of the season, the highest win in a single edition of IPL.
The previous record was 41 successful chases in the 2016 season, but with five games remaining in the 2026 IPL, this record has been surpassed this season.
The chasing teams have won 42 of the 65 games played so far this season, meaning 64.6% of the games have been won by the second batting side. Excluding the resultless clash between KKR and Punjab Kings, the ratio further rises to 65.6.
Currently, only three IPL seasons (2026, 2016 and 2011) have seen chasing teams achieve 40 wins or more, underscoring a growing trend of leaning heavily towards second-place teams this year.
The team with the most wins from a chasing team in an IPL season
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IPL 2026 42 games (65 games)
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IPL 2016 41 (60 matches)
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IPL 2011 40 games (73 games)
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While the record highlights the thrill of a successful chase, it also reignites the debate over whether teams batting first increasingly find themselves at a disadvantage in matches.
KKR stay alive in playoffs
Kolkata played some disciplined bowling on a tricky, two-pace Eden Gardens pitch and then chased down 148 for four wickets to keep their playoff hopes alive.
KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane claimed to bat first but after early strikes from pacers Saurabh Dubey and Cameron Green, Mumbai never found momentum and they took two wickets each in the opening session.
Mumbai fell to 46/4 in the powerplay format – the fifth time this season that they have lost at least three wickets in the first six overs. Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma added 43 runs but their stand consumed 49 balls and failed to provide the acceleration that Mumbai desperately needed.
Sunil Narine performed well in the middle order, conceding just 13 runs in four overs, while Corbin Bosch’s last six runs helped Mumbai reach 147/8.
KKR’s chase also began to falter after Finn Allen fell in the opening over. Rahane and Green were soon gone as Mumbai threatened an upset.
But veteran campaigners Manish Pandey and Rovman Powell stabilized the innings with a composed partnership that ultimately decided the match.
Pandey scored a crucial 45 in the first game of the season and later admitted that the innings meant a lot to him.
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“This is my only at-bat this season. I’ve put on the pads waiting to bat and this is a special one for me,” he said.
Powell’s aggressive batting was matched by Pandey’s composure before Linku Singh completed the chase to ensure KKR stayed alive in the playoffs.