Punjab Kings (PBKS) defended the lowest-ever total in Indian Premier League (IPL) history as they beat Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 16 runs in a thrilling match in Mullanpur on Tuesday.

Chasing 112 for a win, KKR were comfortably placed at 71 for 3 in 9.1 overs, but they suffered a sensational collapse to be bowled out for 95 in 15.1 overs.

KKR lost seven wickets and scored just 24 runs in six overs after that.

Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was the main architect of Punjab’s improbable-looking win with his excellent figures of 4/28. He took the crucial wickets of Ajinkya Rahane (17), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (37), Rinku Singh (2) and Ramandeep Singh (0) to orchestrate KKR’s stunning downfall — the last two in consecutive balls in the 12th over.

Pacer Marco Jansen chipped in with three wickets for 17 runs while Xavier Bartlett, Glenn Maxwell and Arshdeep Singh got one each as KKR allowed PBKS to snatch a win from the jaws of defeat.

The earlier lowest total defended was 116 by Chennai Super Kings against then Kings XI Punjab in 2009.

Sunil Narine (5) was looking for his characteristic explosive start but Jansen had other ideas as he was cleaned up by the South African.

That was the start Punjab were looking for and it got even better as Xavier Bartlett got the other opener Quinton de Kock (2) in the next over.

KKR captain Rahane held the innings together for a while along with Raghuvanshi, digging into his vast domestic and international experience.

Rahane was at his best when he lofted a Bartlett half-volley for a straight six into the sightscreen, taking his side to 55 for 2 at the end of powerplay.

The introduction of Chahal in the eighth over did the trick for PBKS as the leg-spinner got Rahane out LBW.

Chahal struck again in his next over to give PBSK some hope. He had Raghuvanshi caught at backward point by Bartlett who leaned forward to take a low catch. KKR were 72 for 4 at the halfway stage.

The match seemed to have opened up when Venkatesh Iyer was ruled out LBW off Maxwell in the 11th over, with the third umpire upholding the on-field umpire’s decision after a long look.

Chahal then turned the match on its head as he removed the dangerous Rinku Singh (2) who was foxed by a delivery that sneaked between his bat and pad for Inglis to do the rest behind the stumps.

There was no stopping Chahal as he dismissed Ramandeep Singh (0) in the next ball to leave KKR at a precarious 76 for 7 in 11.4 overs.

Jansen joined the party as he got Harshit Rana (0) out with a short delivery that the batter played on.

Andre Russell has not scored in double-digit figures before Tuesday’s match and he was on fire in the 14th over, hitting two sixes and a four to take 16 runs in total.

KKR needed 17 runs from six overs but they had just two wickets in hand.

Vaibhav Arora survived five balls bowled by Arshdeep Singh but he offered a simple catch to Inglis in the final ball of the 15th over.

Earlier, KKR dished out a clinical bowling show to bundle out Punjab for a mere 111 — the third lowest total in the ongoing IPL.

PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer’s ploy to bat first after winning the toss at their home ground backfired as all their batters, except openers Priyansh Arya (22) and Prabhsimran Singh (30) struggled on the home pitch.

Only three more batters — Nehal Wadhera (10), Shashank Singh (18) and Xavier Bartlett (11) — could register double-digit scores.

Some PBKS batters were also guilty of reckless batting and poor shot selection.

Harshit Rana (3/25) was the most successful bowler while Varun Chakaravarthy (2/21) and Sunil Narine (2/14) chipped in with two apiece.

Arya (22 off 12 balls), who hit a sensational hundred to win PBKs’ match against Chennai Super Kings, struck two fours off Anrich Nortje in the second over to set the tone of the home side’s innings.

Prabhsimran then struck a six and two fours in the next over bowled by Vaibhav Arora, who conceded 20 runs.

Rana was welcomed by Arya with a six but the bowler had the last laugh as the batter holed out to Ramandeep Singh.

In-form PBKS captain Iyer was dismissed first ball with Ramandeep taking a stunning catch.

Ramandeep ran a few yards and made a full length head-first dive and grabbed the ball inches above the turf.

Punjab’s shoddy batting show continued as Josh Inglis (2) was bowled by Chakaravarthy as the home side were three wickets down in the fifth over.

Prabhsimran, however, was not affected by the fall of wickets as he smacked Rana for two consecutive sixes in the sixth over. But he got out two balls later to become Rana’s third victim of the day.

Ramandeep also grabbed his third catch of the day, all of them off the bowling of Rana, as the duo made a perfect pair.

With 54 for 4 at the end of powerplay, Punjab were clearly in trouble.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni provided the flourish at the end as Chennai Super Kings outclassed Lucknow Super Giants by five wickets to break their run of losses in the IPL 2025 match in Lucknow on Monday.

The iconic Dhoni played a nice little cameo alongside Shivam Dube to guide CSK to a much-needed victory as the five-time champions bounced back after a horror start.

Captain Dhoni played the finisher’s role to perfection, slamming 26 not out off 11 balls, hitting four fours and a six, while Dube stroked an unbeaten 43 not out off 37 balls, with three fours and two sixes.

The duo  shared a match-winning stand of 57 runs for the sixth wicket to chase down a target of 167 with three balls to spare.

This was after LSG skipper Rishabh Pant returned to form with a half-century to guide his side to 166 for seven.

Pant (63 off 49 balls) struggled initially but grew in confidence as the innings progressed and together with Abdul Samad (20) shared 53 runs for the fifth wicket off 33 balls.

Shaik Rasheed (27 off 19) and Rachin Ravindra (37 off 22) got CSK’s chase off to a flier with a brilliant 29-ball 52-run opening stand.

While Ravindra showed his class on the off side, Rasheed was elegant on the leg side, finding the fence at will to bring up CSK’s fifty in the fifth over.

Debutant Rasheed’s entertaining knock came to an end when he skied a Avesh Khan short ball while trying to hoick it on the leg side.

Aiden Markram then had Ravindra trapped in front of the wicket while Rahul Tripathi failed to cash in on a reprieve as he edged a Ravi Bishnoi delivery back to the leg-spinner.

Bishnoi bowled superbly, and his efforts yielded result as he dismissed Ravindra Jadeja with a flighted delivery, and Markram took a fine catch at long on.

With CSK needing 56 off 30, in came Dhoni and he smashed Avesh through the off side for a four, and deliberately nicked the next ball past the keeper to the third man fence to bring down the equation to 44 of 24 balls.

It was vintage Dhoni on display as he swung his bat to hit a one-handed six off Shardul Thakur and then got a boundary off Avesh.

Both Dhoni and Dube used the pace of LSG bowlers to perfection to take CSK home and give their fans some relief.

Earlier, coming off five successive losses, CSK made a dream start after electing to bowl.  

Left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed (1/38) struck the first blow in the opening over when he dismissed Markram with Rahul Tripathi taking a brilliant diving catch after sprinting backwards.

Two overs later, Anshul Kamboj removed the dangerous Nicholas Pooran leg before wicket.

Mitchell Marsh, returning to the side after sitting out of the last match due to personal reasons, took the attack to the opposition and smashed Khaleel for a four and six in consecutive balls.

Pant, who has struggled in the tournament so far, came out with intent and looked to get back to form with some unorthodox but confident hitting, which included a reverse scoop six off a length delivery from Jamie Overton.

Veteran Ravindra Jadeja (2/34) went for 10 runs in his first over but came back strongly in his next over to disturb the timbers of Marsh.

Young Ayush Badoni (22 off 17) meant business and played his shots from the onset. He hit Overton for two huge consecutive sixes — one over cover and the next over fine leg to take LSG to 95 for three after 12 overs.

Pant welcomed Matheesha Pathrina (2/45) with an exquisite cover drive to the boundary.

After surviving two chances — first when he was caught off a no ball and then a close LBW call off Jadeja in the 14th over — Badoni got out when the left-arm spinner foxed him completely and Dhoni did the rest behind the stumps.

Pant struggled against CSK spinners, especially Noor Ahmad, who returned brilliant figures of 4-0-13-0.

But with pace back into the attack in the form of Pathirana in the 18th over, Pant took his chances as he smashed the Sri Lankan for two sixes — the second one a one-handed pull over square-leg to bring up his fifty.

Pant and Samad were going great guns before Dhoni’s brilliance ensured the dismissals of both the set batters.

Dhoni first hit the non-striker’s end with a direct throw to dismiss Samad and then in the next ball took a fine high catch to end Pant’s stay in the middle.

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya was a relieved man after his team pulled off a win from under Delhi Capitals’ feet in New Delhi on Sunday.

It took some superb fielding to get MI over the line but not before Karn Sharma’s magic spell.

And Hardik credited ‘impact sub’ Karn Sharma for showing a lot of heart to fashion Mumbai Indians’ 12-run win over DC in New Delhi on Sunday, a result that helped the visitors get their IPL campaign back on track.

DC were cruising at 119 for one just after the halfway stage but were eventually bowled out for 193 in 19 overs, with spinner Karn playing a pivotal role by taking three wickets for 36 runs.

It was Rohit Sharma who suggested to coach Mahela Jayawardene to bring Karn into the attack and also requested a ball change after the 11th over.

“Absolutely. Winning is always special. Especially in games like this. You have to keep fighting and it means a lot,” said Pandya at the post-match presentation when asked if he felt relieved after MI secured only their second win of the season.

“(Karn was) Fantastic. Coming in and bowling the way he bowled, showed a lot of heart, especially at a small ground like that.”

Karun Nair’s whirlwind 89 went in vain, and Pandya admitted the knock took them by surprise.

“We were running out of options regarding what to bowl at him. The way he took on our bowlers, took his chances, and the way he executed — it shows the hard work he has put in. I think he took us by surprise.”

DC batters suffered a dramatic collapse that included three successive run outs, ending their chase at 193.

“I always believe fielding is something that can change the game upside down. We were switched on, didn’t give up, and they got the chances and converted.”

Sent in to bat, Tilak Varma smashed a 33-ball 59 to power Mumbai Indians to 205 for 5.

Ryan Rickelton (41 off 25), Suryakumar Yadav (40 off 28), and Naman Dhir (38 off 17) also made vital contributions.

Speaking about MI’s batting approach, Pandya said it depends on the situation.

“Amazing. It’s always going to depend on the situation. The more the in-form players try to face the balls and take responsibility.

“Obviously, dew played a factor later. Just making sure the game is not over till it’s over. Keep fighting — that was the chatter in the group and my message to the boys. Wins like this change the momentum and bring everything back.”