A huge roar erupted from the Punjab Kings’ dugout and stands as Yuzvendra Chahal dismissed the dangerous Suryakumar Yadav during the IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 clash at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium. Among those celebrating were RJ Mahvash and franchise co-owner Preity Zinta, visibly ecstatic as PBKS struck a major blow in a high-pressure contest. Suryakumar, Mumbai Indians’ batting mainstay this season, looked in sublime touch once again before falling for 44 off 26 balls. He had earlier hit Chahal for two sixes in the match before the leg-spinner had the last laugh. With this dismissal, the Surya vs Chahal battle in IPL now reads: 13 innings, 88 balls, 116 runs, four dismissals at an average of 29 and a strike rate of 131.81. Not dominant, but not a walkover either. Coming into the match, Surya had already amassed 673 runs in 15 innings at an average of 67.30, striking at 167.83. His wicket tilted momentum slightly in PBKS’s favour as they looked to restrict MI to a chaseable total.Punjab Kings had earlier won the toss and opted to bowl first under cloudy skies in Ahmedabad. The decision reaped early rewards as Rohit Sharma, fresh off a dazzling 80 in the Eliminator against Gujarat Titans, was dismissed for just 8 (7) by Marcus Stoinis.
Rohit’s cheap dismissal meant he now shares an unwanted record with Suresh Raina for the most single-digit scores (9) in IPL knockout matches.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player? Jonny Bairstow contributed a brisk 38 off 24 balls, while Tilak Varma anchored the innings with a composed 44 off 29. Despite these efforts, it was Suryakumar’s wicket that brought the loudest cheer from PBKS fans. With the scoreboard reading steady but not imposing, Mumbai now look towards captain Hardik Pandya and youngster Naman Dhir to provide the fireworks at the death and push the total past the par mark. The stakes couldn’t be higher than a spot in the IPL 2025 final against RCB hangs in the balance.
