The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a world-class and highly competitive T20 cricket league that showcases some of the finest players and teams from India and overseas. The 16th edition of this mega event, IPL 2023, will be more thrilling and exciting than ever before. This means that there will be more games, more contests, more talent, and more fun for the fans.
With that said, one question is asked: who will be the black horse of this year's IPL?
What is a "black horse" in IPL?
A player or a team who is not expected to perform well or win the tournament, but surprises everyone with their performance and results, is called a black horse in the Indian Premier League. They are often underrated or overlooked by others, but they have the potential and talent to challenge the favourites and create upsets. For instance, Punjab Kings were considered black horses by some experts in IPL 2021, as they had a strong batting line-up and some exciting young players. However, they could not maintain their consistency and finished sixth in the points table.
Similarly, some players who performed exceptionally well in IPL 2021 despite not being very famous or expensive in the auction were Harshal Patel, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Devdutt Padikkal. Harshal Patel was traded from Delhi Capitals to Royal Challengers Bangalore and became the leading wicket-taker of IPL 2021 with 32 wickets.
Here are some players that could become the black horse for IPL 2023.
Sam Curran
Sam Curran is an England all-rounder who has been bought by Punjab Kings for a record Rs 18.50 crore at the IPL 2023 auction, making him the most expensive player in IPL history.
With his skills and form, he can be a game-changer for Punjab Kings and help them win their maiden IPL title. He can contribute with both bat and ball, as well as being a brilliant fielder. He can adapt to any situation and play according to the team's needs. He can also handle pressure well and perform under challenging conditions. He has experience playing in India and knows how to exploit the pitches and conditions there.
Ben Stokes is a cricketer from England who leads their Test team and also plays for their T20I team. He can do well in batting, bowling, and fielding. He will be part of IPL 2023 and will be auctioned for it. He joined CSK for INR 16.25 crore in the IPL 2023 auction that happened on December 23, 2022.
Stokes has a chance to be the black horse of IPL 2023 because he has played a lot of T20 cricket before. He has been in different T20 leagues, including IPL, where he played for RR and RPS before CSK. He also did some amazing things for England in T20Is, like scoring 47 not out off 24 balls against India in Ahmedabad this year. He could also help CSK with some problems they have in IPL 2023, like giving them more options in batting and bowling, making their lower order stronger, and bringing his captaincy skills to their team
Cameron Green
Cameron Green is a young Australian cricketer who has both batting and bowling skills. He plays for Western Australia and Perth Scorchers domestically and made his debut for Australia in 2020. He was bought by Mumbai Indians for a huge amount of money at the IPL 2023 auction, becoming the second most expensive player in the league. As always, auctions often affect IPL betting odds from 10CRIC and other predictions.
Green has a chance to become the black horse of IPL 2023 because he can perform well in different roles and situations. He can also learn from Kieron Pollard, who retired from IPL after being a key player for Mumbai Indians for many years. However, he also has some challenges and risks ahead of him.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has produced some of the most thrilling matches in cricket history, with some teams successfully chasing down mammoth targets to win games. Rajasthan Royals were the first team to chase down a 200-plus total when they scored 217/7 in 19.5 overs to overcome Deccan Chargers’ 214/5 in the IPL 2008. It was only the ninth match of the league. Over the course of the next 12 years, a lot of sides chased down totals over 200+, but none came anywhere close to scaling what RR achieved in 2008.
That record stood for a solid 12 years before the Royals eclipsed it again in IPL 2020 when they hunted down Kings XI Punjab’s 223/2 with 226/6. The mark stood for five years. Currently, Punjab Kings hold the record for the highest successful run chases in IPL history.
Here is a list of the Highest Successful Run Chases in IPL History.
Punjab Kings hold the record for the highest successful run chases in IPL history. PBKS successfully chased down a target of 262 against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens in IPL 2024. Tasked with chasing down a daunting target of 262 in front of a vociferous away crowd in Kolkata, PBKS had their task cut out for them. However, the Punjab team defied all odds.
Player of the Match Jonny Bairstow scored an unbeaten 48-ball 108, while Shashank scored an unbeaten 68 off 28 balls as Punjab pulled off the greatest run chase in IPL history.
In fact, Punjab Kings’ successful run chase against Kolkata Knight Riders is the only time a team has chased down a score of 250 or more in IPL history. It is also the highest successful run chase in T20 cricket as a whole.
2. Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings (2025) | 246 Runs
Sunrisers Hyderabad are second on the list of highest successful run chases in IPL history and coincidentally, it came against Punjab Kings in IPL 2025. After PBKS posted 245/6 in the first innings, SRH chased down the target by reaching 247/2 in 18.3 overs with Abhishek Sharma playing a starring role with a 55-ball 141. Abhishek hit a 40-ball century, making it one of the fastest in IPL history.
Punjab started strong with an explosive opening stand from Prabhsimran Singh and young Priyansh Arya. The two added 66 runs in just 24 balls, giving the team a perfect start. After Prabhsimran fell for 42, captain Shreyas Iyer took charge, smashing a half-century in just 22 balls. Nehal Wadhera supported him well, and the Kings crossed 150 runs within 12 overs.
The strong foundation was capped off in style by Marcus Stoinis, who cleared the ropes four times in the closing overs, helping Punjab finish at 245, their highest total of the season so far and a testament to the batting unit’s depth and intent. But Sunrisers Hyderabad responded with a brilliant opening partnership between Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head. Their 171-run stand helped them chase down the target successfully.
3. Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Lucknow Super Giants (2025) | 228 Runs
Stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma's unbeaten 85 led RCB to chase down 228 runs against Lucknow Super Giants. After the win, they sealed a top-two finish in the very last league game of IPL 2025. This is also RCB's highest-ever successful chase in IPL history and they will now play in Qualifier 1 against Punjab Kings. Records galore for RCB don't stop there, as they have ended up winning all 7 away games in the regular season, which is just remarkable.
The chase saw significant contributions from Virat Kohli and Phil Salt in the powerplay, followed by Jitesh Sharma and Mayank Agarwal's unbeaten partnership. Agarwal scored 41 not out to support Sharma's match-winning innings.
Earlier, Lucknow Super Giants posted a formidable 227/3, powered by captain Rishabh Pant's spectacular 118.
4. Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings (2020) | 224 Runs
A collective effort by Sanju Samson, Steve Smith, and Rahul Tewatia led the Rajasthan Royals to chase down a target of 224 runs against Punjab Kings in 2020, the highest successful run chase in IPL history. Samson was the top-scorer with an explosive 85 off just 42 deliveries but Rahul Tewatia became the centre of attraction because of his massive 7 sixes in the important moment. He smashed 5 sixes in an over against Sheldon Cottrell which changed the whole game.
Rajasthan Royals equalled the highest successful run chase in the IPL recorded by them in 2020, when they beat Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens. In a battle for the position at the top of the IPL 2024 standings, KKR managed 223/6 on the back of Sunil Narine’s maiden T20 century. For the Royals, Avesh Khan and Kuldeep Sen took two wickets each.
In the run chase, Jos Buttler stood tall with an unbeaten 107 off just 60 balls, steering his team over the line on the last ball. The Royals were on the backfoot at 121/6 in the 13th over. But a cameo from Rovman Powell and some late power-hitting from Buttler got the Royals home.
Interestingly, Punjab Kings surpassed this record 10 days later against the same opponent at the same venue, when they successfully chased 262.
6. Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings (2021) | 219 Runs
Mumbai Indians pulled off a stunning 4-wicket victory over their arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings in a match in 2021. Ambati Raydu & Faf du Plessis played blistering innings to put up that mammoth total at Delhi.
Chasing down the target of 219 runs, Mi didn't have a good start. Kieron Pollard's unbeaten 87 from 34 balls, including 6 boundaries and 8 sixes, played the most pivotal role in securing the win. He was also the best bowler for Mumbai in that match. Pollard conceded only 12 runs in his 2 overs and scalped 2 huge wickets.
7. Rajasthan Royals vs Deccan Chargers (2008) | 215 Runs
In the inaugural IPL edition, Rajasthan Royals chased a massive target of 215 runs against Deccan Chargers. Andrew Symonds' explosive 117 runs in just 53 deliveries helped Deccan Chargers to put up a huge total of 214 runs.
While Chasing, Graeme Smith and Yusuf Pathan laid the foundation with a 98-run partnership. The explosive knocks from Mohammad Kaif and Shane Warne at the end took Rajasthan to achieve victory.
8. Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals (2023) | 215 Runs
Sunrisers Hyderabad stunned Rajasthan Royals at their home to clinch a high-scoring last-ball IPL thriller. Leveraging on a crucial last-ball no-ball from Sandeep Sharma, Sunrisers snatched the cliffhanger to register for their fourth win of the season. With 17 needed off the final over and 4 needed off the final ball, power-hitter Abdul Samad smashed a six off the last ball to help Sunrisers register a memorable win.
The foundation of the chase was laid by top-order batters Abhishek Sharma (55) and Rahul Tripathi (47) but it was the Glenn Phillips 7-ball 25 cameo that turned the game on its head and reignited the chase.
9. Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings (2023) | 215 Runs
Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Kumar produced a superb effort with the bat as Mumbai Indians completed a gigantic 215-run chase against Punjab Kings and won the match by six wickets in Mohali on Wednesday. The pair added 116 runs for the third wicket after Mumbai were 54/2 in the powerplay.
Ishan Kishan scored 75 in 41 balls. Tilak Varma and Tim David joined the chase and wrapped the contest in 18.5 overs with no issues.
10. Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings (2024) | 215 Runs
Brushing aside the first-ball dismissal of the explosive Travis Head, his opening partner Abhishek Sharma showcased an amazing range of stroke-play to ensure Sunrisers Hyderabad finished off its league engagements in the IPL in style with a four-wicket win over Punjab Kings.
Chasing a target of 215, Sunrisers batting depth came to the fore as first Rahul Tripathi set the tone before Abhishek served another reminder of his growing stature as a future India star. The way he stood up and swung Rishi Dhawan and later carted spinner Harpreet Brar for two huge sixes was truly symbolic of his authority, class and timing against pace and spin alike.
Nitish Kumar Reddy and Heinrich Klaasen came up with superbly-paced knocks to help the team’s cause on yet another perfect batting strip here.
With the IPL 2025 playoffs just around the corner, the tension is reaching its peak. Over the years, the Indian Premier League has given fans plenty of memorable moments full of surprises at the fag end of the group stage. Generally, the fans have to wait till the last over of the group stage to know who will qualify for the IPL Playoffs.
Sometimes, it even goes to the final ball as well, to decide the fourth team to qualify.
From teams that regularly reach the playoffs to underdogs who’ve shocked everyone, the path to the final four has always been full of drama.
Let's take a look at the IPL Playoffs teams from 2008 to 2025.
Cricket has always been a bridge across cultures, a phenomenon that connects players with fans from all around the world. Situations often force people to migrate from one country to the other. There have been instances when cricketers were born in different nations but ultimately played for a different country.
Let's take a look at the cricket facts of cricketers who didn't play for their country.
Cricket Facts | Cricketers who didn't play for their country
5. Glenn Phillips (South Africa-born)
New Zealand cricket all-rounder Glenn Philips moved from East London, South Africa to New Zealand at the age of five. He pursued his education in New Zealand, where he began his cricket journey. Having made his domestic debut with Auckland, he signed with Otago to play alongside his brother, Dale Phillips, in 2022. Interestingly, he made his international debut against South Africa, the country where he was born.
4. Ish Sodhi (India-born)
Inderbir Singh 'Ish' Sodhi was born in Ludhiana, India, on October 31, 1992, and spent his early years in New Zealand. He made his New Zealand debut as a leg-spinner in 2013, and since then, he has been a reliable performer in limited-overs forms, contributing significantly to the country's T20 World Cup campaigns.
3. Devon Conway (South Africa-born)
After playing for Gauteng and the Highveld Lions, Devon Conway moved to New Zealand in 2017 and made an immediate impact. He was the leading run-scorer in both the 2018-19 Plunket Shield (659) and 2018-19 Super Smash (363). Conway became eligible to play for New Zealand in August 2020 and has since become a key player for them across all formats. He averages 36.72 after 27 Tests and has also made 36 ODI and 50 T20I appearances.
2. Marnus Labuschagne (South Africa-born)
Marnus Labuschagne was born in Klerksdorp, in South Africa. His family moved to Australia when he was 10. Labuschagne made his Australia debut in Tests in 2018, after Steve Smith suffered an injury during the Ashes tour. Since then the prolific batter has emulated the batting prowess of his best friend and has not looked back.
Speaking of his impressive international cricket career for Australia, Marnus Labuschagne has played 57 Tests, scoring 4396 runs with 11 centuries, and played 63 ODIs, scoring 1869 runs with two centuries. He has also played one T20I match.
Ben Stokes was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, in June 1991. His family moved to Cumbria when Stokes was 12 years old after his father was appointed head coach at Workington Town Rugby League Club.
Stokes has played for England in all three formats. Stokes is regarded as one of England's greatest all-rounders in the history of the sport. In domestic cricket, he represents Durham and has played in multiple Twenty20 leagues around the world. He was part of the England team that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup.
IPL 2025: Here are the overseas players who might not come for the remainder of the tournament
Will your favourite overseas IPL star leave mid-season? Check out the list of overseas players who might not come for the remainder of the tournament in IPL 2025.
As IPL 2025 faced disruptions and was suspended on 9th May, 2025, most of the overseas players returned back to their respective home countries.
The tournament is set to resume from 17th May, 2025, and it raises a crucial question about how many overseas players can rejoin their franchises.
Given their international commitments and other issues, check out the overseas players who might not come for the remainder of the tournament in IPL 2025 for each team.
IPL 2025 Points Table
Firstly, see where each team stands before the tournament resumes.
From Pandya to Curran: Meet the Cricket brothers who ruled world cricket
From legendary pairs to modern-day stars, the world of cricket has got family on the field throughout. Meet the cricket brothers who ruled the world of cricket.
The bond of brothers is often strong, but when it extends to the cricket field, the results can be spectacular. We have witnessed such amazing pairs across the globe.
From Pandya brothers to Curran and Pathans, meet the cricket brothers who ruled world cricket. Read till the end to discover the pairs you didn't know about!
Pandya Brothers (Hardik Pandya & Krunal Pandya) | India
Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya playing for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2017. Image | Hindustan Times
The Pandya brothers are currently the most popular pair from India, known for their hard-hitting capabilities with the bat, and surprise bowling impact on the team. They started their career playing for their home city, Baroda, and later made their way to Mumbai Indians in IPL.
Hardik Pandya made his International debut in 2016 for India, and has been an integral part of the team ever since. His heroic contributions under pressure is something the nation will never forget. He also led India as a captain in 16 T20 matches, winning 10 among them.
Krunal Pandya debuted for India in 2018, which was only 2 years after his IPL debut for MI. In 2021, he became the fastest Indian to score a ODI half century in a debut match. He scored it off just 26 balls against England.
Curran Brothers (Sam Curran & Tom Curran) | England
Tom Curran and Sam Curran playing for the England Cricket Team. Image | Pinterest
The Curran Brothers are brilliant all-rounder pair from England. They both made their international debut at a young age and have evolved to be a popular name in the cricketing world.
Sam Curran is a key player for England, known for his brilliant transformation from bowling all-rounder to being equally aggressive with the bat. He was a part of the T20 World Cup winning squad in 2022.
Tom Curran made his debut for England at the age of 22, and has served as an efficient bowling all-rounder for his nation.
They also have another brother, Ben Curran, who currently plays for Zimbabwe national team.
Pathan Brothers (Yusuf and Irfan Pathan) | India
Yusuf Pathan and Irfan Pathan playing for their respective franchises in IPL 2016. Image | Instagram
The Pathan brothers played for India and earned worldwide recognition. Both were a part of the T20 World Cup winning squad of India in 2007.
Yusuf Pathan is the elder one, known for his explosive batting, especially in the limit overs format. His six-hitting abilities and raw power has significant impact of teams.
Irfan Pathan's swing bowling and batting contributions made him a fan favourite. He played as a vital all-rounder for India, especially during memorable victories.
Morkel Brothers (Albie Morkel & Morne Morkel) | South Africa
Morne Morkel and Albie Morkel playeing for their respective franchises during IPL 2012. Image | Facebook
The Morkel brothers represented South Africa and were one of the finest cricketers who played a major role behind the team's success. They became the first brothers in 56 years to be named as South African Cricket Annual cricketer of the year in the same season, in 2008.
Albie Morkel is the older brother, who played as a batting all-rounder, contributing by his powerful hitting.
Morne Morkel is a tall right-arm fast bowler, whose ability to generate pace and bounce made him an integral bowler in the bowling attack. He is currently the bowling coach of Indian Cricket Team, since 2024.
Chahar Brothers (Deepak & Rahul Chahar) | India
Deepak Chahar and Rahul Chahar playing for their respective franchises in IPL 2019. Image | ESPNcricinfo
The Chahar brothers are another pair of brothers who represents India in both ODI and T20 formats.
Deepak Chahar is the older one, who is a right-arm medium bowler and can also contribute with the bat. He took 6 wickets for 7 runs against Bangladesh in 2019, which is the best bowling figures in T20Is for India.
Rahul Chahar is the younger one, who is a right-arm leg-breal bowler. He made his IPL debut at only 17 years of age and strengthened the spin unit of his team.
Hussey Brothers (Michael Hussey & David Hussey) | Australia
Michael Hussey and David Hussey playing for their respective franchises in Big Bash League in 2015. Image | dailytelegraph.com
The Hussey brothers are another extremely popular pair in the world of cricket, hailing from Australia. They dominated the field with their batting power and consistency.
Michael Hussey was given the nickname "Mr. Cricket" because of his strong performances across all formats. He is one of the batting legends of the Australian team, having a highly successful career.
David Hussey is the younger brother who was more prominent in ODIs and T20Is than in Tests. He usually played as a right-handed batter, occasionally bowling off-break for the team.
Akmal Brothers (Karman Akmal & Umar Akmal) | Pakistan
Karman Akmal and Umar Akmal during their practice session for the Pakistan national team. Image | crictoday
The Akmal brothers played major roles representing Pakistan in International Cricket. They are basically a trip of cricketers, and all of them has played for the national team.
Karman Akmal is the eldest, who played as a wicket-keeper batsman. He has stuck with the team for a long time and was also am integral part of Pakistan's winning squad in the 2019 T20 World Cup.
Umar Akmal is known for his aggressive batting style who is also a popular name in the history of cricket in Pakistan.
As mentioned above, they are a trio, and Adnan Akmal is the youngest one among them. He also represented Pakistan in Tests and ODIs.
The cricketing bloodline flows through their family, as they are also the cousins of Pakistan's former captain Babar Azam.
Marsh Brothers (Shaun Marsh & Mitchell Marsh) | Australia
Mitchell Marsh celebrating with his brother Shaun Marsh during a test match in 2014. Image | NDTV
The Marsh brothers are Australian brother pair, representing their country at the highest level. They became the third pair to score a century in the same test innings for Australia, in 2017-18 Ashes series against England.
Shaun Marsh is the elder one, who played as a top-order batter for his country. He also became the highest run-scorer in the inaugural season of IPL in 2008, and holds the record for highest individual score by an uncapped overseas player (115*) in IPL history.
Mitchell Marsh is an all-rounder, who strengthens the middle order of the team, but also has the ability to come early and give a good start. He scored 177* runs against Bangladesh in 2023, which is the third highest individual score by Australian in ODI World Cup.
Bravo Brothers (Dwayne Bravo & Darren Bravo) | West Indies
Darren Bravo and Dwayne Bravo posing for a picture during their tenure in respective franchises in IPL 2017. Image | crictoday.com
The Bravo Brothers are notable pair of cricket stars from West Indies. They are half brothers as they share the same father but different mothers.
Dwayne Bravo is a key player for West Indies cricket team, who is an all-rounder, known for his dynamic bowling and aggressive batting. He is among the most successful T20 players globally. Dwayne as been a part of the team in memorable winning ICC tournaments.
Darren Bravo is the younger one, who also represented West Indies in international cricket as a left-handed batsman. He majorly played in ODI cricket and Tests, and was less prominent in T20s.
McCullum Brothers (Nathan McCullum & Brendon McCullum) | New Zealand
Nathan and Brendon McCullum representing New Zealand during a T20 match in 2010. Image | ESPNcricinfo
The McCullum brothers are a popular pair in the history of New Zealand cricket. They have a strong sporting family background.
Nathan McCullum played as a off-break bowler and was a useful lower-order batsman. He was a part of the New Zealand squad that reached the World Cup final in 2015.
Brendon McCullum is regarded as one or the most influential cricketers. He is a wicket-keeper batsman, known for his aggressive batting and quick run scoring abilities. He holds the record for fastest test century by scoring one off 54 balls in 2016.
Lee brothers (Brett Lee & Shane Lee) | Australia
Brett Lee and Shane Lee representing Australia | ESPNcricinfo
The Lee brothers are a pair of cricket brothers who represented Australia.
Shane Lee is the elder one and all-rounder, who was was in the World Cup winning Australia squad of 1999. He played 45 ODIs and retired in the age of 29 due to knee injury.
Brett Lee is one of the fastest bowlers in the history of cricket. He played for Australia in all three formats and was a dominant bowler. Lee holds the record for second-most wickets taken by an Australian in ODIs.
Waugh Brothers (Steve Waugh & Mark Waugh) | Australia
Steve Waugh and Mark Waugh during their tenure playing for Australian cricket team. Image | ESPNcricinfo
The Waugh brothers are iconic figures of Australiam cricket. They are identical twins and both played at the highest level.
Steve Waugh is regarded as one of the greatest captains in cricket history. He is often nicknamed as "Tugga." He is Australia's most capped test player and holds 16 consecutive test wins and other batting records.
Mark Waugh is nicknamed as "Junior," and was known for his elegant style of play. He played as a top-order batsman for the team, and was an integral part throughout 1990s and early 2000s.
Flower Brothers (Andu Flower & Grant Flower) | Zimbabwe
Andy Flower and Grant Flower posing for a picture before their practice session for Zimbabwe. Image | Facebook
The Flower brothers are most celebrated sibling pair from Zimbabwe cricket team. They formed the backbone of the team's batting line-up.
Andy Flower is Zimbabwe's greatest cricketer and one of the finest wicketkeeper batsman. He holds numerous batting records and have captained, as well as coached the Zimbabwe national team.
Grant Flower is the younger brother, played as the opening batsman and slow left-arm orthodox bowler. He contributed brilliantly with the bat, forming crucial partnerships with his brother.
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