PBKS Pull Off Incredible Heist to Defend 111 Against KKR
It was a bizarre night at the New Chandigarh stadium that promised a routine chase before turning into one of the most dramatic collapses in IPL history. Punjab Kings looked down and out after being bundled out for just 111. KKR, cruising at 60/2 inside seven overs, seemed set to wrap things up with ease. But cricket, ever the unpredictable sport, had other plans, reports Live Cricket Score.
Yuzvendra Chahal (4 for 28) and Marco Jansen (3 for 17) spun a web in the second innings to bowl KKR out for a shocking 95, sealing a 16-run win. It marked the lowest total ever defended in the IPL, lifting PBKS to fourth in the standings and leaving KKR shell-shocked.
Where Was It Won?
Two stunning middle-order implosions defined the match. PBKS lost eight wickets for 47 runs between overs 3 to 11 after a solid start at 39/0. KKR, in comparison, looked more assured at 62/2 but then unravelled spectacularly, losing six wickets for 17 runs. The game turned decisively during overs 7-14 of the second innings, where Chahal’s spell tore through the KKR middle order.
Punjab Kings Innings
Powerplay: Hot Start, Sudden Stumble
Phase score – 54/4 [RR: 9.00, 4s/6s: 5/4]
PBKS began brightly. Priyansh Arya showcased flair with drives and pulls, while Prabhsimran Singh added flair with audacious flicks and scoops. But the early fireworks fizzled as Harshit Rana picked up Arya, followed by Shreyas Iyer (playing against his former franchise) falling for a duck. Varun Chakaravarthy trapped Josh Inglis with a sharp delivery, and despite Prabhsimran’s attacking strokeplay, he too fell shortly after bringing up the team’s 50.
Middle Overs: Collapse Continues
Phase score – 55/4 [RR: 6.11, 4s/6s: 5/1]
Any hopes of a rebuild were dashed. Glenn Maxwell and Nehal Wadhera started to stitch something together before Nortje dismissed the latter. Impact substitute Suryansh Shedge couldn’t offer resistance and fell to Narine. Varun then snared Maxwell—his fourth dismissal of the Aussie in IPL—to leave PBKS reeling. Narine and Nortje cleaned up the lower order, leaving Shashank Singh and Xavier Bartlett to scrape the team past 100.
Death Overs: Innings Ends Abruptly
Phase score – 2/2 [RR: 4.00, 4s/6s: 0/0]
Just as PBKS looked to bat out the final overs, Arora trapped Shashank lbw, and Bartlett was run out to end the innings in the 16th over at just 111—PBKS’ lowest total at home.
Kolkata Knight Riders Innings
Powerplay: Confident Start Despite Early Losses
Phase score – 55/2 [RR: 9.16, 4s/6s: 7/2]
Despite losing Narine and de Kock early, KKR needed a solid start and got one. Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Ajinkya Rahane accelerated well, especially targeting Bartlett in the sixth over. The chase looked comfortably on track with 55 on the board after six overs.
Middle Overs: Chahal’s Spell of Destruction
Phase score – 40/7 [RR: 4.44, 4s/6s: 1/2]
Then came the turning point. Chahal got Rahane and Raghuvanshi in quick succession. Maxwell joined the party by trapping Venkatesh Iyer. Chahal returned to stun KKR further, dismissing Rinku Singh and Ramandeep Singh in the same over. Jansen cleaned up Rana as the chase spiralled out of control. Though Andre Russell fought back briefly with two sixes and a four, the damage had been done.
Death Overs: PBKS Seal a Stunning Win
Phase score – 0/1 [RR: 0.00, 4s/6s: 0/0]
Needing a rescue act, Russell stood as the final hope. But Jansen struck gold, bowling the West Indian with an inside edge to complete a historic win for PBKS—a performance that will go down as one of the most remarkable turnarounds in IPL history.
Brief Scores:
Punjab Kings 111 in 15.3 overs (Prabhsimran Singh 30; Harshit Rana 3-25, Sunil Narine 2-14)
beat
Kolkata Knight Riders 95 in 15.1 overs (Angkrish Raghuvanshi 37; Yuzvendra Chahal 4-28, Marco Jansen 3-17)
by 16 runs.
What’s Next?
PBKS will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru twice quickly, starting with an away game at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 18. Meanwhile, KKR will have five days to regroup before facing the Gujarat Titans at Eden Gardens on April 21.
