IPL 2025: “Season-Defining Win”: Ponting Hails PBKS After Historic Defence of 111 Against KKR

In what head coach Ricky Ponting called his “best win ever as a coach”, Punjab Kings pulled off a stunning 16-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders, defending just 111 runs — the lowest total ever defended in IPL history.

Yuzvendra Chahal celebrates with his Punjab Kings teammates the fall of a wicket during their 16-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders in New Chandigarh. @ BCCI

The dramatic collapse of the KKR batting line-up saw them bowled out for 95 at the PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh, registering the lowest aggregate match total (206) between the two sides.

Punjab’s bowlers, led by Yuzvendra Chahal (4-28) and Marco Jansen (3-17), delivered under pressure to secure the win after PBKS were bundled out in just 15.3 overs.

Ponting after the game said

The heart rate is still up there... two days ago we couldn’t defend 240. To come out and win this, this might just be the best win I’ve ever had as a coach. At the halfway mark, I don’t think too many people thought we’d defend that. But we did. This could be a season-defining moment.

Ponting also revealed that Chahal had to prove his fitness before the match. “I asked him if he was ready, and he said he was good to go. He showed what a match-winner he is.”

KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane took responsibility for his team's defeat after falling lbw to Chahal during a key moment in the chase.

Rahane, who scored 17 and shared a promising 55-run stand with Angkrish Raghuvanshi (37) before the collapse began, said

I’ll take the blame. It was a wrong shot, and I didn’t review the decision. We batted poorly as a unit. The bowlers did their job, but the batting was reckless. We have to take full responsibility.

PBKS had earlier stumbled after a solid 39-run opening stand between Prabhsimran Singh (30) and Priyansh Arya (22). Harshit Rana (3-25), Sunil Narine (2-14), and Varun Chakaravarthy (2-21) ripped through the middle order, leaving PBKS all out for 111.

But Punjab’s bowlers flipped the script, claiming wickets in quick succession and never allowing KKR to recover after Rahane’s dismissal.

The win lifts Punjab Kings to fourth in the points table with 8 points from 6 matches, while KKR slip to fifth with 6 points from 7 games.

Brief Scores: Punjab Kings 111 all out in 15.3 overs (Prabhsimran Singh 30, Priyansh Arya 22; Harshit Rana 3-25, Narine 2-14) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 95 all out in 15.1 overs (Angkrish Raghuvanshi 37, Andre Russell 17; Chahal 4-28.