Shreyas Iyer while leading the Punjab Kings to a thrilling and memorable win against KKR, created history as he has now become the first skipper to defend the lowest-ever total in the entire 17-year-long history. He surpassed the legendary CSK skipper MS Dhoni, who had this record to his name earlier for defending a 116-run total target against Punjab Kings 16 years back in IPL 2009.
Following Dhoni, it was Kane Williamson’s SRH to beat MI in IPL 2018, defending a low target of 118 runs. Moving back to IPL 2009, the Kumar Sangakkara-led Punjab Kings defeated the Mumbai Indians, keeping them away from a target of just 119 runs. In IPL 2013, the former legendary batter Kumar Sangakkara once again defended a low target but this time, he was captaining the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and defeated Pune Warriors India, defending a 119-run target.
Coming back to Shreyas Iyer, it was also a very crucial game for him as he was facing his previous franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, which he led to win the title last year in IPL 2025. But the franchise released him before IPL 2025 mega-auction. Furthermore, the Punjab Kings bought him for a massive amount of INR 26.75 crores and appointed him as their skipper for IPL 2025.
Also Read: 'This recognition is incredibly special...' - Shreyas Iyer wins ICC Player of the Month award for March 2025
Bowlers lead Punjab’s unforgettable defence in IPL history
Speaking of the action of this thrilling IPL encounter between Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders in New Chandigarh, the hosts’ skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and decided to bat first. The Punjab Kings' batters failed miserably, and they were bundled out at the score of just 111 runs in 15.3 overs. It was only Prabhsimran Singh who displayed a bit of resilience, scoring 30 runs off just 15 balls, with two fours and three sixes.
Harshit Rana scalped 3 wickets at 25 runs in 3 overs, alongside 2 wickets each, bagged by Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine. Vaibhav Arora and Anrich Nortje.
While defending the low target of 112 runs, the Punjab Kings’ bowlers completely ran through KKR’s batting lineup and bundled them out at the double-digit score of just 95 runs in 15.1 overs. Eventually, KKR registered a narrow and thrilling 16-run win to enter the list of ‘top four’ teams in the tournament’s points table.
The veteran leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal scalped 4 wickets at just 28 runs in four overs, alongside 3 wickets picked by Marco Jansen at just 17 runs in 3.1 overs. Besides these two, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, and Glenn Maxwell also claimed a wicket each to help PBKS beat KKR in this low-scoring affair
Now, Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab Kings are in the fourth spot on the tournament standings, with four wins and two defeats in their six games, earning 8 points.
Also Read: WATCH: Ramandeep Singh takes sensational forward-dive catch to dismiss Shreyas Iyer on second-ball duck in PBKS vs KKR game
/sportsinfo/media/member_avatars/image 59.png)
/sportsinfo/media/member_avatars/2024/12/10/2024-12-10t072017470z-umesh-photo.jpg )
Follow Us/sportsinfo/media/media_files/2025/04/15/OIvuunH3fojmjPNR4JOy.png)