New Delhi: Punjab Kings (PBKS) scripted history as they defended the lowest-ever total in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to beat Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 16 runs in a thriller at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Chandigarh, on Tuesday, April 15. PBKS rode on stellar effort from their bowlers to defend a low-key total of 111 runs against KKR at their home.
Yuzvendra Chahal spun a web, while Marco Jansen was excellent with his pace and precision as the duo starred with the ball to help Punjab Kings pull off a successful defence of the 111-run total against a star-studded KKR batting lineup. Chahal was the pick of the bowlers for PBKS with a four-wicket haul, including two wickets on successive deliveries in a game-changing 12th over.
Not many gave Punjab Kings a chance in the contest after they were bowled out for a paltry 111 following a stellar performance from the KKR bowlers. However, skipper Shreyas Iyer marshalled his troops to perfection and Chahal stood up to deliver under pressure as the hosts pulled off one of their most memorable victories in recent times.
𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙎. 𝙄𝙎. 𝘾𝙄𝙉𝙀𝙈𝘼 🎬#PBKS have pulled off one of the greatest thrillers in #TATAIPL history 😮
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/sZtJIQpcbx#PBKSvKKR | @PunjabKingsIPL pic.twitter.com/vYY6rX8TdG
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 15, 2025
KKR lost openers Quinton de Kock (2) and Sunil Narine (5) cheaply in the Powerplay but were cruising at one stage with skipper Ajinkya Rahane going strong in the middle with young Angkrish Raghuvanshi. The pair added 55 runs for the third wicket to bring KKR’s chase on track. Chahal struck in the 8th over to break the partnership by trapping Rahane lbw.
The replays later showed Rahane would have survived had he opted for a review. The dismissal turned out to be the turning point in the game as Chahal also removed Raghuvanshi on 37 in quick succession to derail KKR’s chase. Chahal then dismissed Rinku Singh and Ramandeep Singh on successive deliveries in the 12th over to turn the match in the Punjab Kings’ favour.
Glenn Maxwell picked up the important wicket of Venkatesh Iyer in the previous over, sending him packing on just 7 off 4 balls. Chahal’s twin strikes reduced KKR to 76/7 and helped him finish with excellent figures of 4/28 off his 4 overs. Jansen then joined the party as he bowled Harshit Rana on 3 to leave KKR tottering.
With KKR 17 runs away from victory and the dangerous Andre Russel on strike, Jansen delivered once again as he bowled the West Indies all-rounder on 17 to seal a thrilling victory for Punjab Kings. Jansen finished with exceptional figures of 3/17 off his 3.1 overs and was arguably one of Punjab’s best bowlers in the game alongside Chahal.
Bowlers dominate on a rare day in IPL 2025
It was a rare day of bowlers’ domination in the ongoing IPL 2025 as KKR and Punjab Kings produced a low-scoring thriller in Mullanpur. Batting first, Punjab Kings were skittled out for just 11 runs after pacer Harshit Rana got KKR off to a flyer with three wickets in the Powerplay. The spin duo of Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine then picked up a couple of wickets apiece to run through Punjab’s batting line-up.
PBKS openers Prabhsimran Singh (30) and Priyansh Arya (2@) top-scored for their team and added a 39-run opening stand, which turned out to be the highest in their innings as all the other batters failed to deliver. Nehal Wadhera (10) and Shashank Singh (18) were the only other PBKS batters who managed to score in double digits.
Bowlers continued to dominate the proceedings during KKR’s run-chase as Chahal and Jansen combined to help Punjab defend the lowest total in IPL history. Punjab Kings bounced back to winning ways after losing their last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad by 8 wickets.
It was their 4th win in six matches as they climbed to the fourth spot on the IPL 2025 points table. Meanwhile, KKR are in the sixth spot with 4 losses and three wins in their first seven matches in IPL 2025.
Yuzvendra Chahal picked up a four-wicket haul while Marco Jansen bagged a three-wicket haul as Punjab Kings (PBKS) defended the lowest total in IPL history to beat Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 16 runs in IPL 2025 on Tuesday. IPL Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
