IPL 2025: Chahal stars as Punjab Kings defend 111 to stun Kolkata Knight Riders

MULLANPUR: Yuzvendra Chahal’s four-wicket haul lifted Punjab Kings (PBKS) to a stunning 16-run victory over defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 31st match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 here at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Opting to bat first, the home side could amass a modest 111 before getting bowled out in 15.3 overs as none of their batters could make a significant step against a disciplined KKR bowling attack.

The home side, however, got off to a decent start to their innings as Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya added 39 runs for the first wicket until both fell victim to Harshit Rana in the fourth over.

Singh top-scored for the Kings with a blistering 30 off 15 deliveries, laced with two fours and three sixes, while Arya made a 16-ball 22, featuring three fours and a six.

Their dismissal sparked an astounding collapse which saw the Kings losing their remaining eight wickets for just 72 runs.

Besides the openers, middle-order batters Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh were the other two to amass double figures, scoring 10 and 18 respectively.

For KKR, Rana picked up three wickets, while Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine bagged two each.

Chasing a modest 112-run target, the KKR’s batting unit unfolded on a meagre 95 in 15.1 overs and thus handed a narrow 16-run victory to the Kings, who set the record for defending the lowest total in the history of the IPL.

Middle-order batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi waged a lone battle for the defending champions with a gutsy 37 off 28 deliveries and remained their top-scorer.

Besides him, skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Andre Russell could reach double figures by scoring 17 each, while the rest of their batters were outfoxed by the Chahal-led Kings bowling attack.

Chahal was the standout bowler for the Kings, taking four wickets for just 28 runs in his four overs, followed by Marco Jansen, who claimed three, while Glenn Maxwell, Xavier Bartlett and Arshdeep Singh chipped in with one dismissal apiece.

For his match-winning bowling performance, Yuzvendra Chahal was adjudged the Player of the Match.

The 16-run victory lifted Punjab Kings to the fourth spot in the IPL 2025 standings with eight points in six matches, while Kolkata Knight Riders remained in sixth position with six points in a game more.