Yuzvendra Chahal’s 4/28 Helps PBKS Defend 111 Runs against KKR
Punjab Kings defended a modest 111 in just 15.3 overs, bowling out the Kolkata Knight Riders for 95. Yuzvendra Chahal starred with a stunning 4/28, earning Player of the Match honors. Marco Jansen also impressed with 3 wickets. Despite a poor batting show, PBKS's bowlers secured their fourth win of IPL 2025.
With the IPL 2025 serving a low-score thriller to the fans, the 31st match between Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders at Mullanpur turned into a gripping contest where bowlers dominated proceedings, and runs came at a premium. Punjab Kings, defending a modest total of 111, pulled off an inspiring 16-run win over KKR, thanks to a stunning bowling effort spearheaded by veteran leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.
Punjab Kings’ Early Collapse
Having won the toss, Punjab Kings chose to bat first on a wicket that seemed to have a bit of zip early on. Their openers, Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh, gave the team a flying start, racing to 39 in just over three overs. Arya smashed 22 off just 12 balls, and Prabhsimran looked equally dangerous with 30 off 15 deliveries, hitting two fours and three sixes.
However, once Harshit Rana dismissed both openers in quick succession and added the prized wicket of captain Shreyas Iyer for a duck, the innings began to unravel. Josh Inglis fell cheaply to Varun Chakravarthy, who bowled with excellent control, and wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals. Nehal Wadhera and Glenn Maxwell attempted to steady things but managed only brief stays, scoring 10 and 7, respectively. A flurry of wickets saw PBKS slide from 39 for no loss to 86 for 8 in the space of seven overs.
Only Shashank Singh managed a minor resistance in the lower order, scoring 18 off 17 balls. Varun Chakravarthy (2/21), Sunil Narine (2/14), and Harshit Rana (3/25) bowled with discipline to ensure PBKS were bowled out for 111 in just 15.3 overs and hence it looked to be an easy chase for the Kolkata Knight Riders team who looked to have 2 points with them in their game against the Punjab Kings.
KKR’s Positive Start and Middle-Order Collapse
Despite the modest target, the chase was anything but straightforward for the Kolkata Knight Riders. The PBKS bowlers came out with intent and intensity, and it showed from the first over. Marco Jansen struck early to remove Sunil Narine, and Xavier Bartlett followed it up by dismissing Quinton de Kock for just 2. KKR was 7 for 2 within the first 8 balls.
The only bright spot in KKR’s innings came from young Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who played a fluent knock of 37 off 28 balls, striking five fours and a six. He stitched a 55-run partnership with skipper Ajinkya Rahane, and at 62 for 2 in the 8th over, KKR seemed in control of the game. However, Yuzvendra Chahal dramatically turned the tide. He dismissed Rahane’s leg before for 17 and then went on to run through the middle-order with guile and precision.
Venkatesh Iyer (7), Rinku Singh (2), and Ramandeep Singh (0) all fell cheaply as KKR slumped from 62 for 2 to 76 for 7 in the space of just three overs. Glenn Maxwell chipped in with the wicket of Venkatesh Iyer, while Jansen returned to knock over the dangerous Andre Russell for 17, who was looking threatening with a six and a four in his short stay.
From that point onward, the collapse was complete. Harshit Rana, who had shone with the ball earlier, was bowled by Jansen for 3, and Arshdeep Singh cleaned up Vaibhav Arora. Chahal’s 4/28 in 4 overs dismantled the backbone of KKR’s lineup, while Marco Jansen’s 3/17 in 3.1 overs ensured there was no late recovery.
Kolkata Knight Riders were bundled out for 95 in 15.1 overs, 17 short of the target. What made PBKS’s victory even more special was the fact that they defended the lowest total successfully in IPL 2025 so far. The Punjab bowling unit bowled with great discipline, using the wicket’s slowness and variation in bounce to their advantage. Chahal’s control and experience shone through in critical moments, especially when he broke the Rahane-Raghuvanshi partnership and then ran through the rest of the lineup.
In terms of match flow, both teams had explosive starts. PBKS reached 50 in just 5.4 overs but lost too many wickets to build on it. Similarly, KKR was 55 in 5.5 overs but failed to capitalise on the platform. The powerplay phase belonged to the batters, but once the field spread out and the ball got older, spinners and clever seamers took over. The double impact of Chahal and Jansen proved decisive in the second innings, while KKR lacked the kind of middle-order solidity that could see them home in a tricky chase.
What’s Happening in the Points Table?
Both teams came into this contest with 6 matches under their belt, but while PBKS had shown flashes of resilience, KKR was still trying to find consistent momentum in their campaign. With this victory, PBKS moved up to 8 points from 6 matches with a net run rate (NRR) of +0.172, while KKR, with 3 wins and 4 losses now, stayed on 6 points with an NRR of +0.547.
KKR, meanwhile, dropped to sixth with this loss, and their inability to finish chases is becoming a concern. The form of senior players like Rahane and Russell remains inconsistent, and while the bowling attack continues to deliver, the batting collapses have cost them dearly in multiple matches this season.
TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Day
Considering the TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Game, which could have been the match for the KKR team, was in the 7.4 over, when Ajinkya Rahane was given out LBW. It looked like a straightforward decision at first. Rahane went for a slog sweep against the spinner but completely missed the ball and was struck on the back leg. He immediately began walking off, suggesting he believed he was plumb in front. However, he paused midway and had a quick discussion with fellow batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi. Despite the brief chat, Rahane continued his walk back to the pavilion without opting for the review.
But the drama didn’t end there as Ball tracking later revealed a surprising twist: the delivery had pitched around the off stump, and crucially, the impact was outside off. That meant Rahane wouldn’t have been out if he had chosen to review. His back foot was positioned right on the off-stump line when the ball struck his pad, making the impact marginal enough to overturn the on-field decision. This moment could prove costly for KKR, as Rahane’s experience and form could have helped stabilise the innings. A decision not to review, despite it being clear-cut upon review, could well go down as a turning point in this fixture.
TCNI’s Hero of the Day
Being awarded the TCNI’s Hero of the Day, only one man was truly deserving of the spotlight: Marco Jansen. The lanky left-arm pacer delivered a game-changing spell, finishing with figures of 3.1 overs, 17 runs, and 3 wickets. With an excellent economy of 5.36, Jansen not only applied consistent pressure but also picked up key wickets at vital moments to derail the Kolkata Knight Riders’ chase. He made an early impact by dismissing Sunil Narine in the very first over. Who had just struck a boundary and looked to go after the bowling. Jansen’s control in the powerplay helped restrict KKR’s momentum.
Later in his spell, he came back to clean up Harshit Rana, breaking a small stand and pushing KKR further into trouble. However, his biggest moment came at the very end. With Andre Russell at the crease, Kolkata’s last real hope, Jansen held his nerve and delivered a perfect ball that bowled the West Indian powerhouse. Russell had looked threatening with 17 off 11, including a six and a four, but Jansen’s wicket sealed the match. That final dismissal, which ended the KKR innings at 95 in 15.1 overs, was the exclamation mark on a stellar spell, one that truly earned Jansen the Hero of the Day tag.
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