Iyer, Chahal help Punjab seal nervy win over CSK

Shreyas Iyer's half-century and Yuzvendra Chahal's hat-trick kept Punjab Kings in the hunt for an Indian Premier League play-off place after a four-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings.

CSK's own hopes of reaching the play-offs are well and truly over as a late collapse with the bat cost them, while Punjab moved up to second in the table.

The Super Kings made a slow start, with Shaik Rasheed (11) and Ayush Mhatre (seven) unable to make a mark.

Sam Curran injected new life into their innings, helping CSK to finish the power play strong on his way to racking up a 47-ball 88, with Marco Jansen (2-30) eventually ending his stand in the 18th over.

Ravindra Jadeja (17) and Dewald Brevis (32) kept pushing as CSK aimed to breach the 200-mark for just the second time this year, but a late capitulation saw Chahal (4-32) take all four of his wickets in the 19th over, with Deepak Hooda (two), Anshul Kamboj (0), and Noor Ahmad (0) all sent packing as the Super Kings were bowled out for 190 with four balls remaining.

Priyansh Arya (23) and Prabhsimran Singh (54) got the chase going, but it was Iyer's entrance that swung the match in Punjab's favour.

He put together a 72-run partnership with Prabhsimran for the second wicket before dragging the Kings to their target as he racked up five fours and four boundaries in a superb 41-ball 72.

Shashank's stand ended at 23 after aiming to hit a third maximum in a row, thanks to Brevis' catch-of-the-season contender, as he twice made sure he did not hold it outside the boundary.

Iyer tried to go big to finish, but Matheesha Pathirana sent the stumps flying to set up a cagey finale.

Yet Jansen picked up the mantle to guide Punjab over the line with just two balls left.

Another win at Chepauk! pic.twitter.com/JH9x4YV1S0
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) April 30, 2025

Data Debrief: Chahal adds to the record books

Chahal had been used sparingly at the start of the match, but his late flurry set Punjab up with the best chance of clinching the win.

It was the first IPL hat-trick of 2025, and Chahal's second in the competition overall, with his first coming back in 2022 for the Rajasthan Royals against the Kolkata Knight Riders.

His hat-trick is just the 23rd in IPL history, and the first against CSK. It is also the first time a bowler has completed the feat since Rashid Khan in 2023.