Punjab Kings pull off IPL’s lowest total defended as Yuzvendra Chahal spins out KKR in dramatic win

Mullanpur: Yuzvendra Chahal returned figures of 4-28 as Punjab Kings defended IPL’s lowest ever total of 111 to down holders Kolkata Knight Riders by 16 runs in a thriller on Tuesday.

KKR looked to be cruising at 62-2 before Chahal cut through the chase with his leg-spin, and the side collapsed to 95 all out in 15.1 overs at Mullanpur, near Chandigarh. PBKS were earlier bowled out for 111 in 15.3 overs but Chahal and company turned the match on its head to better Chennai Super Kings’ record — they defended 116 against them (formerly Kings XI Punjab) in 2009.

KKR’s Andre Russell attempted to pull off the chase from 79-8 when he hit two sixes and a four off Chahal but PBKS held their nerve. Arshdeep Singh sent back Vaibhav Arora and then fellow leftarm quick Marco Jansen bowled Russell to trigger wild celebrations in Punjab’s home ground.

Skipper Ajinkya Rahane and impact substitute Angkrish Raghuvanshi put on 55 runs for the third wicket when Chahal broke through to get the captain back in the pavilion lbw. Ball tracker suggested the ball was outside the off stump, but Rahane did not take the review. Chahal, with his tail now up, got Raghuvanshi caught out in the next over for 37 and the Punjab were in the game when Glenn Maxwell had Venkatesh Iyer lbw for 7.

Chahal then got two in two — Rinku Singh stumped and Ramandeep Singh out for a golden duck — before Harshit Rana avoided the hat-trick ball. But the day belonged to Chahal and Punjab, who moved into the top four.

Earlier, Rana rattled the Punjab toporder after a brisk start by the openers and returned figures of 3-25 from his three overs. Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh made the hosts race to 39 in 3.1 overs, before Rana struck to send back the left-handed Arya caught at fine leg for 22.

Rana got one more wicket two balls later when Ramandeep pulled off a stunning catch in the deep to dismiss skipper Shreyas Iyer, for a duck. Varun Chakravarthy joined forces in the next over to have Punjab’s England import Josh Inglis bowled for 2.

Prabhsimran, who made 30, attempted to hit back with two sixes off Rana but the bowler had the last laugh. Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine kept striking regular blows as PBKS’s batting faltered only for their bowlers to save the day.