PK edge past CSK in thrilling finish, climb to second spot

KATHMANDU: In a thrilling Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter on Wednesday night, Punjab Kings defeated Chennai Super Kings by four wickets, moving up to second place in the points table.

Chasing a challenging target of 191 runs set by Chennai, Punjab clinched victory on the fourth ball of the final over.

Captain Shreyas Iyer led from the front with a blistering 72-run knock, while Prabhsimran Singh added a vital half-century to anchor the innings.

The chase was sealed by Shashank Singh, who scored a quickfire 23 runs off just 12 balls to take Punjab home with four wickets in hand, finishing at 194/6.

For Chennai, Khaleel Ahmed picked up two wickets.

The turning point of the match, however, came in the 19th over of the first innings.

When Chennai looked set to cross the 200-run mark, Yuzvendra Chahal delivered a sensational over, claiming a hat-trick and finishing with four wickets.

His effort restricted Chennai to 190 runs despite a strong 88-run knock from Sam Curran.

Chennai crumbled in the final overs, losing six wickets for just 18 runs in the last 11 balls.

For Punjab, Arshdeep Singh and Marco Jansen each took two wickets, tightening the screws at the death.

Captain Shreyas Iyer was named Player of the Match for his match-winning performance.

With this victory, Punjab Kings have collected 13 points from 10 matches and now sit in second place.

Meanwhile, with four matches remaining, Chennai Super Kings have been eliminated from playoff contention.