Yuzvendra Chahal Stars As PBKS Defends Lowest Total Of 111 Runs vs KKR
In a thrilling IPL 2025 match, Punjab Kings defended a mere 111 runs to defeat Kolkata Knight Riders by 16 runs. Yuzvendra Chahal's brilliant bowling turned the game around, taking key wickets and choking KKR's chase. Marco Jansen and Arshdeep Singh also contributed significantly, ensuring PBKS's historic win at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium.
In a shocking and thrilling game at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium, Punjab Kings (PBKS) pulled off a stunning win against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 16 runs, defending a target of just 111 runs — the lowest total ever defended in IPL history.
After choosing to bat first, Punjab started aggressively with openers Prabhsimran Singh (30 off 15) and Priyansh Arya (22 off 12) attacking from the get-go. But once the first wicket fell, the collapse began. Harshit Rana struck twice in one over, removing Arya and skipper Shreyas Iyer. Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine also chipped in, dismantling Punjab’s middle order. Glenn Maxwell and Jos Inglis failed to contribute, and despite some late runs from Shashank Singh (18) and Xavier Bartlett (11), PBKS could only manage 111 runs in 15.3 overs.
Defending such a low total looked impossible, but Punjab’s bowlers came in with a plan. Marco Jansen got rid of Narine in the first over, and Bartlett sent de Kock back soon after. A steady partnership between Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (55 runs) gave KKR hope.
However, the momentum shifted when Yuzvendra Chahal came into the attack. He broke the partnership by trapping Rahane on LBW and then dismissing Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, and Ramandeep Singh. Maxwell didn't remained at the backfoot as he was seen in batting and joined the action too, dismissing Venkatesh Iyer, and suddenly KKR were under pressure at 74/5.
Andre Russell tried to fight back with two big sixes and a four, but Arshdeep Singh bowled a wicket-maiden to dismiss Vaibhav Arora, increasing the pressure. Jansen then bowled Russell to wrap up the match, and KKR were bowled out for just 95.
With this unbelievable victory, Punjab not only defended the lowest total in IPL history but also reminded everyone why cricket is so unpredictable. After chasing down a record total against KKR last season, PBKS pulled off another memorable result — this time with the ball.
After this historic win Punjab Kings will be clashing with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on April 18, Friday at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. It will be interesting to see if Punjab wins the match against RCB and maintain their dominance in the points table and tournament.