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Punjab Kings (PBKS) scripted history after pulling off the highest run chase in the history of IPL following their six-wicket win over Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley stadium on April 25. PBKS chased down the 265-run target with seven balls to spare.
PBKS' record chase against DC
Batting first, DC rode on KL Rahul's 67-ball 152 blitzkrieg to post a colossal total of 264/3. In reply, Prabhsimran Singh and Shreyas Iyer's fifties ensured PBKS seal the match in 18.5 overs. Notably, PBKS had previously established a precedent for such high-pressure chases, having set the record for the highest successful run chase in IPL history by overcoming 262 runs against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024.
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After this win, PBKS continued their unbeaten streak in IPL 2026 season, retaining their top spot int he points table with 11 points from six games.
Shreyas, Prabhsimran's blistering fifties in Kings' win
The chase was set in motion by the explosive opening partnership of Prabhsimran Singh (76) and Priyansh Arya (73), who added 126 runs in just 42 balls. The duo showed remarkable intent, consistently finding the boundary; Prabhsimran was particularly aggressive, smashing six fours against Mukesh Kumar in the sixth over alone. Following their departure, captain Shreyas Iyer took control, scoring an unbeaten 71 off 36 deliveries. Despite being dropped twice by Karun Nair in the span of three balls, Iyer remained composed, guiding his side to victory with seven balls to spare.
It was a challenging day for the bowlers, who were largely overshadowed in a match that saw a combined 49 boundaries and 33 sixes, with only six wickets falling throughout the entire contest. Sloppy fielding plagued both sides, with dropped catches and misfields further hindering the bowling efforts. The visitors, however, demonstrated exceptional composure, effectively building on their recent form to continue their dominant run this season.
The intensity of the game was momentarily punctured by a distressing injury to Delhi Capitals pacer Lungi Ngidi. While attempting to take a catch off Priyansh Arya’s bat, Ngidi fell and struck the back of his head on the ground. The incident caused a delay of over 15 minutes, during which the South African bowler had to be stretchered off the field, momentarily halting the proceedings.
KL Rahul's ton in vain
Earlier, Rahul and Nitish Rana produced a clinical batting masterclass, propelling DC to a mammoth 264/2. The performance was anchored by an unbeaten 152-run knock from Rahul off just 67 balls and a blistering 91 from 44 balls by Rana. Their combined efforts resulted in a 220-run partnership—the second-highest in IPL history, and secured the highest team total of the 2026 season for Delhi, setting the Punjab Kings a daunting target of 265 to preserve their unbeaten streak.
The innings began with an early scare for the Capitals. While the team moved to 35/1 by the end of the third over, KL Rahul narrowly avoided an early dismissal when Shashank Singh dropped a straightforward catch off the bowling of Arshdeep Singh. Though Arshdeep managed to remove Pathum Nissanka in that same over, Rahul made the Punjab Kings pay dearly for the reprieve. Following the powerplay, Delhi sat at 68/1, with Nitish Rana having joined the fray and immediately displaying aggressive intent with back-to-back boundaries off Marco Jansen.
As the match progressed, the duo maintained a relentless pace. They navigated Yuzvendra Chahal’s spin without difficulty, accumulating 10 runs in his first over, which helped Rahul reach his fifty in just 26 deliveries. The scoring rate exploded in the 12th over, where Nitish Rana took apart Xavier Bartlett, smashing 28 runs, including a series of fours and a monstrous six over deep extra cover—to bring up his own half-century in just 29 balls. Even when Shreyas Iyer introduced Marcus Stoinis to stem the flow, the Capitals continued to punish the bowling.
The closing stages of the innings saw Rahul shift into another gear. He targeted Arshdeep Singh in the 14th over, collecting 20 runs to push the total to 173/1. By the 15th over, Rahul brought up his sixth career IPL century off just 47 deliveries with a boundary against Jansen. He continued the carnage in the 16th over, taking 24 runs off Vijaykumar Vyshak with a flurry of boundaries and sixes, pushing the Delhi Capitals past the 200-run mark and setting the stage for their historic final total, which was chased down by Kings with so much ease.
DC will next face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on April 27, while PBKS will take on Rajasthan Royals (RR) on April 28.
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