Punjab Kings scripted another landmark chase in IPL history, smashing the highest successful total in T20 cricket by chasing down 265 with six wickets to spare in Delhi on Saturday. The run chase was an all-timer: KL Rahul crafted a dazzling 152 off 67 balls—his third-best score in the league—while Nitish Rana backed him with a powerful 91 as Delhi Capitals finished on 264 for 2 after being put in to bat first.
As the chase gathered pace, there was also a serious moment involving Delhi’s Lungi Ngidi. Multiple teams later posted messages wishing him a speedy recovery, underscoring how closely the league watched the injury situation as the match proceedings paused.
Chase: Punjab’s record run chase
- Punjab began their pursuit with Prabhsimran Singh (76) and Priyansh Arya (73) striking from the outset, combining to add 126 runs in only 42 deliveries to set a platform for a sixth win of the season.
- Even after momentum was already firmly with the chasing side, the required rate stayed under control as the openers kept finding boundaries consistently.
- Skipper Shreyas Iyer, having been dropped by Karun Nair twice within three balls, then took over when needed, finishing unbeaten on 71 off 36 balls to guide Punjab to victory with seven balls remaining.
- During the chase, Arya’s batting led to anxious scenes when Lungi Ngidi was struck on the back of the head on the ground while attempting a catch off Arya’s bat; the South African was stretchered off after a delay of more than 15 minutes.
- Fielding lapses also added to the drama, with both teams guilty of dropped chances and misfields during a match that produced 49 boundaries and 33 sixes, even though only six wickets fell overall.
Punjab’s chase also echoed a historic precedent: the previous benchmark for a successful chase in both T20 cricket and IPL history belonged to Punjab Kings themselves, when they chased 262 against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024.
Innings highlights: Rahul’s 152 and Rana’s 91
- Delhi Capitals, batting first for the first time this season, started with clear intent and attacked throughout their innings, aiming to set a towering total.
- Delhi struck 29 fours and 13 sixes to post the highest team total of the 2026 IPL campaign, piling up runs at a rate of more than 200 during the 20 overs.
- Rahul’s 152 off 67 balls included an array of traditional strokeplay across the ground, blending timing with aggression and becoming the highest score ever by an Indian in IPL history.
- That innings also pushed Rahul to a rare club: it was only the third time in IPL history that a batter went past 150 runs, following Chris Gayle’s 175 and Brendon McCullum’s 158.
- After being dropped twice, Rahul made the most of the reprieve, sharing a 220-run second-wicket stand with Rana; it was the second-highest partnership in IPL history, behind the 229 between Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.
- Rana’s 44-ball knock—featuring 11 fours and four sixes—kept the scoreboard moving and complemented Rahul perfectly as Delhi raced through the middle overs.
- Rahul struck early with consecutive boundaries in the second over, and Pathum Nissanka added a sharp four to keep the pressure on the Punjab bowlers.
- Punjab managed an early breakthrough when Nissanka top-edged to the keeper, but after that there was little relief for the bowling side as Delhi continued to dominate.
- Delhi also punished loose moments in the field, while Punjab’s own misfields compounded their problems as the innings accelerated.
- Once set, Rahul and Rana seized control and propelled Delhi to 68 for one—Delhi’s best powerplay score of the season—before launching another surge with 145 runs in the middle overs.
- Rana then delivered a major shift in tempo in the 12th over, smashing Australian pacer Xavier Bartlett for 28 runs, including a boundary sequence of 6,4,4,4,4,6.
- At the other end, Rahul took advantage of Vijaykumar Vyshak in the 16th over, hitting three sixes and a four as Delhi tightened their grip on the match.
With the combination of Rahul’s record-setting innings, Rana’s aggressive follow-through, and Punjab’s stunning pursuit under pressure, the match became a high-scoring spectacle in every sense—punctuated by an injury scare that briefly interrupted the action and drew immediate support from across the league.
