Punjab Kings defended the lowest total in IPL history to win against Kolkata Knight Riders by 16 runs. The defending champions looked to be cruising towards victory until Chahal's magical spell derailed the run chase.
Following the match, a video has gone viral in which KKR skipper AJinkya Rahane with a big smile on his face can be seen saying, “Kya faltu batting kari humne,” to his Mumbai mate and Punjab Kings skipper, Shreyas Iyer during the customary handshake.
Chahal's heroics help PBKS stun KKR
Rahane’s Kolkata Knight Riders had the match in their pocket. Chasing just 112 on a placid New Chandigarh pitch, they were cruising at 62 for 3 in the 8th over. But one misjudgment turned the tide in a way no one saw coming.
Facing a well-disguised googly from leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahane went for a big sweep. The ball struck him on the pad, and the umpire raised the finger. It looked close, but not conclusive. Yet, after a brief chat with non-striker Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rahane chose not to review. A fatal call, as replays later revealed the ball had pitched outside off and would have missed the stumps. He would’ve survived. KKR would’ve stayed in control. Instead, the collapse began.
Chahal, breathing fire, dismantled the middle-order with figures of 4/12. KKR, who needed just 50 more runs with over 12 overs to go, lost five wickets for 17 runs. From 62 for 3, they crashed to 79 for 8.
Andre Russell tried to pull off another miracle with a couple of big hits, but Arshdeep Singh and Marco Jansen were too good on the night, sealing the deal for Punjab. KKR were bowled out for 95 — falling short by 16 runs — and in the process, PBKS defended the lowest total in IPL history.
