In a night full of drama and grit, Punjab Kings pulled off the unthinkable—defending just 111 runs against Kolkata Knight Riders on Tuesday at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium. It’s now the lowest total ever successfully defended in IPL history.
After electing to bat first, Punjab’s innings collapsed fast. They were skittled for 111 in just 15.3 overs. Harshit Rana led the damage with three wickets, while Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine picked up two each.
But that was before Punjab’s bowlers staged a twist in what seemed a runaway affair. Yuzvendra Chahal bowled a match-winning spell, claiming 4 for 28—his best in the tournament. Marco Jansen got in the act as well, taking three crucial wickets as KKR found it difficult to get off the blocks.
Skipper Shreyas Iyer told reporters after the game his players had stuck to their instincts and made aggressive selections of where to position fielders to create pressure.
“I just trusted my gut. I saw the pitch turning, told Yuzi (Chahal) to focus on his breathing, and we kept the field aggressive—right in their faces,” Iyer said. “They made mistakes, and the momentum flipped.”
Despite getting a feel for the tricky pitch during his short time at the crease, Iyer knew even a low total could be defended. “The bounce was inconsistent. One ball stayed low, another hit the bottom of my bat. So we told our bowlers to use that and stay sharp,” he explained.
The match turned when Punjab picked up two quick wickets in back-to-back overs. That opened the door, and the home side never looked back.
“This kind of win is special,” Iyer added. “But we’ve got to stay humble. We’ll take the positives and start strong in the next game.”
The win lifts Punjab to fourth on the table with eight points from six matches. KKR, with six points from seven games, drop to sixth.
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