Punjab Kings pulled off a historic win in the 31st match of IPL 2025. Chasing a target of just 111 runs against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Punjab won the match by 16 runs.

The hero of this victory was spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who took 4 wickets and broke KKR’s batting lineup. In this match, Punjab Kings proved that even a small target can be defended with smart and strong bowling.

Punjab Kings Pulled Off a Historic Win Against KKR

In the 31st match of IPL 2025, Punjab Kings defeated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 16 runs at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur. Chasing a small target of 111 runs, KKR’s batting collapsed against Punjab’s sharp bowling attack.

Punjab’s Batting Struggles After Early Partnership

Earlier, Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and chose to bat first. Openers Prabhsimran Singh (30 runs off 15 balls) and Priyansh Arya (9 runs off 8 balls) gave a strong start with a 39-run stand in just 3.1 overs. But KKR pacer Harshit Rana broke the partnership and took two wickets in his very first over.

Harshit finished with 3 wickets for 25 runs. Spinners Varun Chakravarthy (2/21) and Sunil Narine (2/14) added more pressure, while Anrich Nortje and Vaibhav Arora took one wicket each. Only Shashank Singh (18 runs) showed some fight, but the rest of the batters failed. Punjab was all out for 111 runs in just 15.3 overs.

KKR’s Strong Start Turns Into a Shocking Collapse

KKR had a weak start to their chase. Openers Quinton de Kock (2 runs) and Sunil Narine (5 runs) were out early. Then captain Ajinkya Rahane (17 runs) and young Ankrish Raghuvanshi (31 runs) built a solid 55-run partnership for the third wicket. At that point, it looked like KKR would win easily.

But Yuzvendra Chahal changed the game completely. In his first over, he sent Rahane back lbw. After that, he dismissed Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, and Ramandeep Singh, breaking KKR’s middle order. Chahal finished with impressive figures: 4 wickets for 23 runs in 4 overs.

Marco Jansen also played a key role by dismissing Harshit Rana at a crucial moment. KKR was bowled out for 95 runs in 15.1 overs. Jansen took 2 wickets, while Arshdeep Singh and Xavier Bartlett took one wicket each.

Chahal’s Spell Leads Punjab to Rare IPL Feat

This victory is very special for Punjab Kings, as defending a low target like 111 is rare in IPL history. Chahal once again showed why he is one of the best wicket-takers in IPL. His spin attack trapped KKR’s big hitters one after another.

Captains React After the Match

After the match, Punjab captain Shreyas Iyer said,
“We got a good start but lost wickets in the middle overs. Chahal’s bowling changed everything. Our bowlers also did a great job today.”

KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane said,

“It was an easy target but Chahal’s spin broke our rhythm. We have to learn and play better in the next game.”

Points Table Update

With this win, Punjab Kings now have 6 points on the table. KKR also remains on 6 points, but their net run rate might suffer after this loss. Punjab will aim to keep Chahal’s form going, while KKR will try to fix their batting issues in the upcoming matches.