PBKS vs KKR, IPL 2025: Yuzi Chahal sends Kolkata Knight Riders on a tailspin with four-wicket haul

Add as a preferred source on Google

Yuzvendra Chahal has been in the news for wrong reasons, most of it relating to his personal life and legal split in a court of law with Dhanshree Verma. It cost a bomb, valued in crores of rupees. Perhaps, a common man going through such emotions would have caused commotion.

No, not for Yuzi, as cricketers like to call him. Like the wily old fox, Yuzi came up with one of the most sensational spells in the IPL, taking four for 28, as Punjab Kings rocked Kolkata Knight Riders by 16 runs in Mullanpur, near Chandigarh, on Tuesday (April 15) night.

For those used to 'batathons' in the IPL where batters are smashing fours and sixes at will, a low-scoring match like this one produced plenty of twists and turns. In the end, as Sardars jumped in the stands wearing colourful turbans and Preity Zinta looked so pretty and cheered the side, Punjab Kings roared.

If you go through the social media blitz of Punjab Kings, it is pretty engaging. This is a state, where the menfolk are referred to 'as Sher da puttar." That, in Punjabi means being blessed with aggro instincts. Indeed, it needed a large heart, guile and guts, called 'gurda' in local lingo in Punjab to fashion this win.

Before the ignoramus say this was a lousy wicket, fact is, it was not. It was not a belter and scoring runs meant putting in effort. There was something in it for the pacers as well, which is how and why Harshit Rana could take three wickets for KKR. But then, despite the low total of 111 to defend, Punjab Kings clawed their way back.

Two early wickets courtesy speedsters Marco Jansen and Xavier Barlett had triggered the KKR batting top order collapse. Ajinkya Rahane walked in, surveyed the field and then lured fans into believing he was going to seal the deal for the Kolkata side when he smashed a six in Power Play. That is where things went wrong.

In terms of a match-up in the IPL, Rahane versus Shreyas Iyer was not hyped too much. Anyone who has followed the IPL knows, Shreyas, title-winning captain of the KKR in 2024, dared to walk out of the side. His migration to Punjab was at an auction purchase of Rs 26.75 crores.

Some said it was an oversell, but not Punjab Kings. Preity Zinta, head coach Ricky Ponting and the think-tank were ready to break the bank for Shreyas and Yuzi, who went for Rs 18 crores.

What goes on in the auction does not necessarily result in good returns in the IPL contests. Shreyas has been nicknamed Sarpanch of Punjab Kings. For someone who has been treated shabbily by the BCCI selectors, including him for the Indian ODI team at the Champions Trophy, Dubai, was no favour.

As a captain in the T20 format, Shreyas was always razor sharp. Proof of it came once again, as he set an attacking field, had so many fielders close to the bat like the predator waiting for the swoop to kill.

When Rahane had smashed one six in Power Play, it looked like he would bat and seal the deal. No, cricket, a game of glorious uncertainties, as said many times, provided a twist and turn. Four to be precise, as that was the number of wickets which Yuzi snarled.

If Rahane getting out leg before became debatable, that's sad. Decisions in the IPL from umpires is subject to scrutiny. It is a batter's instinct he always feels a leg before decision is 'wrong.' Rahane had hinted as well, he was not out, later, at the press conference..

None can take credit away from what Yuzi, the pocket-size dynamo produced, where he got super backing from Shreyas. At Rs 18 crores, it is a decent deal for Yuzi. He is 35, and the best cricket is behind him. Or so we thought. At five feet and six inches, Yuzi let it rip.

As a classical leg-spinner, the loop in the air, where the white ball creates cobwebs of uncertainty in the mind of batters was evident. As he triggered a collapse, much to the delight of loud fans who screamed their lungs out, the carnage which Yuzi left behind with his four-wicket haul was mind blowing.

A few minutes before the match, there were doubts if Yuzi was a 100 per cent fit. He said 'yes' and Ponting let him into the 11. Some decisions are based on gut instinct as Yuzi transported Punjab Kings to flights of fancy, tossing the ball and then making it turn/drift, this was the menacing Yuzi back in business.

For those who will blame the wicket, that would be a shame., KKR also bowled well. If batters failed, this was not a featherbed of a track. There was bounce and turn for spinners and even the speedsters loved it. If Yuzi was the masterstoke produced by Shreyas in terms of taking a call with such little runs on the board to defend, that is captaincy.

In the old days, when Virat Kohli was captain of the T20 side, Yuzi was his go-to bowler. Now, right arm leg spinners seem out of vogue for Team India. The accent is one left-arm spinners, as witnessed in the Champions Trophy.

Yuzi needed this boost and for him to break the back of KKR in a tantalising fashion brings alive the charm of a big win in a low-scoring match. It is Test cricket which usually produces classics with spinners in operation. For good old Yuzi to be juicy and destroy KKR, this is the spirit of playing for a side where the whole team management at Punjab Kings allows freedom to express.

If you still have doubts how well Punjab Kings are shaping up, they are on top, though one misfit seems to be Glenn Maxwell. He seems to have forgotten batting but is a favourite of Ponting!