NEW DELHI: Yuzvendra Chahal delivered a spell for the ages, taking a stunning hat-trick to derail Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) innings, while skipper Shreyas Iyer’s knock guided Punjab Kings (PBKS) to a thrilling four-wicket win and ended Chennai’s hopes for this year’s playoffs at Chepauk on Wednesday in IPL 2025.
Sent to bat first, CSK looked well set for a massive total after a blazing 88 off 47 balls by Sam Curran.
The left-hander smashed nine fours and four sixes, steadying the innings after early wickets. Dewald Brevis chipped in with 32, and MS Dhoni’s brief cameo (11 off 4) added late fireworks. At 177/5 in the 18th over, CSK were eyeing 200+.
But then came Chahal.
Bowling the 19th over, Chahal turned the game on its head.
First, he dismissed Dhoni, who had just hit him for a six, caught at long-off. Two balls later, Deepak Hooda edged to the keeper.
On the very next delivery, Anshul Kamboj was bowled for a golden duck. He completed the hat-trick by dismissing Noor Ahmad on the final ball. From 184/5, CSK crumbled to 190 all out in 19.2 overs.
Chahal finished with 4/32 in three overs, recording his second IPL hat-trick and ninth 4-wicket haul—the most in league history.
In reply, PBKS chased down the target with two balls to spare. Prabhsimran Singh (54 off 36) gave them a flying start, while skipper Shreyas Iyer anchored the innings with a composed 71 off 41 balls. Despite a few hiccups in the end, PBKS crossed the line at 194/6 in 19.4 overs.
Khaleel Ahmed and Matheesha Pathirana tried to stage a late fightback with two wickets each, but CSK’s total proved insufficient after Chahal’s damage-limiting spell.
PBKS now move to second on the table with 13 points, while CSK remain stuck at the bottom, struggling with just two wins in 11 games.
Brief Scores: CSK: 190 (Curran 88, Chahal 4/32), PBKS: 194/6 (Iyer 71, Prabhsimran 54), PBKS won by 4 wickets
