Punjab Kings (PBKS) were bundled out for just 111 in their IPL 2025 match against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Mullanpur, but an early burst of bowling genius, first from Marco Jansen and then from Xavier Bartlett, gave them hope after an unimpressive batting performance in the first innings.
With Quinton de Kock and the explosive Sunil Narine at the top of the order, KKR started their innings chasing a total of 112.
The opening over’s sixth ball saw Narine come out and smash Marco Jansen for a four over the covers.
The very next delivery, however, saw Jansen pull his length back and slant it in from above the wicket, giving him the final laugh. A massive shot across the line was attempted by Narine, but the off bail was dislodged by the movement off the seam, which beat his bat. The first over saw KKR at 7 for 1.
Breakthrough for PBKS!
Marco Jansen strikes early to remove the dangerous Narine!
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Bartlett struck in the next over before KKR could bounce back from that blow. He got rid of the dangerous De Kock for two on his very second ball. The South African was lured into a big shot by a heavier delivery on the pads, but all he could muster was a top-edge to deep backward square leg, where Suryansh Shedge perfectly finished the grab. Within two overs, KKR was suddenly two down.
The reigning champs remained composed in the face of the double blow. To keep the innings consistent, captain Ajinkya Rahane teamed up with youthful Angkrish Raghuvanshi. With a needed run rate of slightly more than four per over, KKR had advanced to 55/2 by the end of the sixth over.
India
