Punjab Kings (PBKS) defeated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 16 runs in the 31st match of IPL 2025 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur. Punjab Kings successfully defended a total of 111, thanks to superb bowling performances by Yuzvendra Chahal and Marco Jansen.
Punjab Kings Opt to Bat First
Punjab Kings won the toss. Captain Shreyas Iyer decided to bat first. Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh opened the innings. Vaibhav Arora bowled the first over for Kolkata Knight Riders and gave away just 4 runs. Anrich Nortje came in from the other end, but Priyansh hit him for two boundaries.
Quick Start, Then a Collapse
In the third over, Prabhsimran attacked Vaibhav Arora with a six and two boundaries. Priyansh added another boundary. After three overs, PBKS reached 33/0.
However, the fourth over changed everything. Priyansh hit Harshit Rana for a six but got out on the next ball. Shreyas Iyer came in and fell on the fourth delivery. Rana picked two big wickets in one over. PBKS dropped to 39/2.
Josh Inglis came at No. 4 but couldn’t settle. Varun Chakaravarthy removed him in the next over. Nehal Wadhera joined in, but the fifth over produced just 3 runs and a wicket. Prabhsimran hit two sixes in Rana’s next over but got out on the last ball. He made 30 off 15. After six overs, PBKS were 54/4. Wadhera was yet to score, and Glenn Maxwell had just arrived.
KKR Bowlers Take Control
Sunil Narine bowled the 7th over and gave away only 4 runs. KKR bowlers kept the pressure on with regular wickets. Maxwell hit a boundary in the 8th over. Wadhera got two boundaries in the 9th over but got out on the fourth ball. PBKS reached 76/5 after nine overs.
Varun Chakaravarthy struck again, removing Maxwell on the first ball of the 10th over. Shashank Singh came in. Only 4 runs and a wicket came from that over. PBKS stood at 80/6 at the halfway mark.
Punjab Collapses Further
Sunil Narine returned in the 11th over and struck twice—he dismissed Suryansh Shedge on the first ball and Marco Jansen on the last. Shashank Singh managed a boundary, but PBKS fell to 86/8. Xavier Bartlett came in at No. 9.
In the 12th over, Chakaravarthy gave away only 4 runs. KKR bowlers dominated the middle overs, taking 8 wickets for just 57 runs. Narine bowled tightly again in the 13th. Shashank Singh smashed a six in the 14th, bringing PBKS to 100. Bartlett added a boundary in the 15th. They moved to 109/8. Vaibhav Arora dismissed Shashank Singh on the first ball of the 16th over. Bartlett got run out two balls later. PBKS folded for 111 in just 15.3 overs.
KKR’s Chase Starts With Trouble
KKR needed 112 to win. Quinton de Kock and Sunil Narine opened. Marco Jansen bowled a brilliant first over. He gave just 7 runs and removed Narine on the last ball. KKR were 7/1.
Xavier Bartlett bowled the second over and dismissed de Kock. Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi came together. Raghuvanshi hit his first ball for four. KKR were 12/2.
He then hit back-to-back boundaries in the third over. Both batters played cautiously but attacked when needed. In the sixth over, both hit sixes off Bartlett. KKR reached 55/2 after the powerplay. Raghuvanshi was on 31 (18), and Rahane on 13 (10).
Punjab Fights Back With Wickets
Arshdeep Singh bowled the 7th over and conceded only 6 runs. Chahal removed Rahane in the 8th. Venkatesh Iyer came in. A misfield gave KKR 5 bonus runs in the same over. KKR stood at 68/3.
Maxwell bowled the 9th over and kept things tight. Chahal returned in the 10th and struck again. He dismissed Raghuvanshi for 37. Only one run came from that over. KKR were 72/4. Next, Maxwell trapped Iyer LBW for 7. KKR slipped to 74/5. Chahal struck twice in the 12th—he dismissed Rinku Singh and Ramandeep Singh. KKR stumbled to 77/7.
Punjab Seals Dramatic Victory
Jansen removed Harshit Rana in the 13th over. Vaibhav Arora came in. Only 2 runs were scored. KKR looked in serious trouble at 79/8. Russell gave KKR a glimmer of hope. He hit two sixes and a four in the 14th over off Chahal. KKR moved to 95/8. But Arshdeep bowled a brilliant 15th over. He bowled a maiden and dismissed Vaibhav Arora on the last ball. On the next ball, Jansen removed Russell. He scored 17 off 11. Punjab Kings won by 16 runs in a stunning comeback.