IPL 2025 | Chahal took fitness test before match, reveals coach Ponting after PBKS stun KKR

Punjab Kings coach Ricky Ponting referred the stunning win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2025 on Tuesday (Apr 15) as the best of his career. PBKS were given no chance after folding out for 111 but they managed to defend that total - three days after they failed to secure a win despite posting 245 on the board.

"I couldn't have been prouder of us in the second half, the batting was poor, but if we had gone down in a close one, I thought this was a season defining moment. I reckon at the half way mark there weren't too many people around the world who would have defended that. That might just be about the best win I've ever had as coach," Ponting said at the post-match presentation.

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The architect of the win was spinner Yuzvendra Chahal who returned with the figures of 4/28 in four overs including his 16-run last over of the quota. Ponting revealed that he had undergone fitness test before coming into the game and he was sensational.

"How about Chahal tonight? He actually had a fitness test before the game tonight, I asked him if he was okay, he said he was ready to go," Ponting revealed.

KKR were in cruise control mode at 62/2 in a chase of 112 but then Rahane was dismissed and the floodgates opened. After Chahal sent back Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Maxwell removed Venkatesh Iyer and KKR were suddenly 74/5.

In the next over, Chahal removed Rinku Singh and Ramandeep Singh on two consecutive balls to break the chase open. Marco Jansen removed Harshit Rana in the next over before returning to dismiss Andre Russell as the last wicket.

The 16-run win by PBKS came in an IPL record - smallest total defended and with that the winning team now sits on fourth place with four wins and eight points from six games.