Lowest Total Defended in IPL History: PBKS Shock KKR with 16-Run Win

Punjab Kings (PBKS) stunned Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by defending the lowest total in a full 20-over IPL game. Defending a measly 111 runs to beat Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 16 runs. Bowled out in 15.3 overs, PBKS fought back with gutsy bowling to dismiss KKR for just 95, setting a new record for the lowest total defended in a full 20-over IPL match, topping Chennai Super Kings’ 116 from 2009.

PBKS started decently after choosing to bat, with openers Priyansh Arya (22) and Prabhsimran Singh (30) putting on 39 runs. But KKR’s Harshit Rana turned the game, getting Arya, Shreyas Iyer (0), and Prabhsimran caught out, all snapped up by Ramandeep Singh. Spinners Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine kept the pressure on, grabbing two wickets each, and PBKS crumbled to 111. Still, captain Shreyas Iyer noticed the pitch was tricky, with uneven bounce that would later help their bowlers.

Chasing 112, KKR got off to a rough start as Xavier Bartlett and Marco Jansen sent Quinton de Kock and Sunil Narine packing early. Angkrish Raghuvanshi (37) and Ajinkya Rahane (17) steadied things with a 55-run partnership, but the game flipped when Yuzvendra Chahal came on. Chahal’s 4/28, including a controversial LBW call on Rahane, sparked a collapse. Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, and Ramandeep fell quickly, leaving KKR at 74/5. Andre Russell tried to swing things with 17, including two big sixes off Chahal, but Arshdeep Singh and Jansen kept striking, with Jansen sealing the deal by getting Russell.

PBKS coach Ricky Ponting was all smiles, praising Chahal for bouncing back from a shoulder niggle to steal the show. The win lifted PBKS to fourth in the IPL 2025 standings with four wins in six games, while KKR slipped to sixth. This heart-pounding, low-scoring thriller was a reminder of how wild T20 cricket can be, with PBKS’ never-say-die bowling outshining KKR’s shaky batting in a match for the ages.