One of the better teams in the current IPL 2025 suffered a stunning collapse at the hands of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru bowling attack, which displayed sheer class. Despite having the advantage of playing at home, the Punjab Kings were bowled out for one of the worst totals in the playoffs. Suyash Sharma and Josh Hazlewood each took three wickets. In 85 balls, Punjab was bowled out for a mere 101 runs.

The RCB team's outstanding bowling was not the only factor in the defeat; the Punjab batters were largely at fault for their terrible shot selection on Thursday in the Qualifier 1 match at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Chandigarh. During their stay at the crease, as wickets fell at regular intervals, none of the batters displayed any promise. But the tail put up a little bit of a fight, forcing Punjab to huff and puff their way over the 100-run barrier. However, just that.

The misery of Punjab in Chandigarh finally came to an end when wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma made an outstanding one-handed catch on the first ball of the 15th over. On the length ball from Josh Hazlewood, Azmatullah Omarzai attempted to swing across the line, but he only managed to get a tiny outside edge. Jitesh threw himself at the ball and produced a spectacular one-handed catch.

Punjab reached a new low.

After Deccan Chargers' 82 against the RCB in 2010 and Delhi Capitals' 87 against the Rajasthan Royals in 2008, a score of 101 is the joint third-lowest score in the history of the IPL playoffs. Two years prior, in the Eliminator match against the Mumbai Indians, the other club that had a total of 101 was the Lucknow Super Giants.

It is also PBKS's worst all-out score, following 73 against the Rising Pune Supergiants in 2017 and 88 against the RCB in 2015 and 2018. The fewest number of overs played by any side in a playoff match, however, is 14.1, which breaks the previous mark of 16.1 overs set by Delhi versus Rajasthan in the 2008 IPL.

The fact that an IPL team has ever successfully defended a score of less than 140 in the playoffs—Mumbai Indians' 129/8 against RPS in the 2017 final—only serves to exacerbate PBKS' problems.

Read Also: Qualifier Chaos: Gavaskar Lashes Out as PBKS Crumbles Against RCB

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