Some cricket scores feel like they belong only in video games. On a blistering afternoon in Delhi, the Delhi Capitals set a target that appeared to stretch the limits of what is possible in T20 cricket. For the Punjab Kings, however, it was nothing out of the ordinary.
In what now stands as the highest successful run chase in T20 history, Punjab Kings overhauled a massive target of 265 with more than an over remaining. The outcome keeps PBKS unbeaten this season, embodying a batting approach so fearless that even breaking world records is greeted with little more than a shrug and subdued celebrations.
The first half of the evening belonged to KL Rahul. In an innings of pure authority, Rahul hammered an unbeaten 152, the highest score by an Indian in IPL history and the third-highest overall. Alongside Nitish Rana, he forged a 220-run second-wicket partnership, the highest ever by an Indian pair in the league.
I'm running out of words... it was scorching hot to field and keep seeing bowlers getting hit. In my mind, I was just saying we just have to score one more run and see to it that we become victorious.
Shreyas Iyer, PBKS Captain
Rahul's knock included reaching his century in just 47 balls. However, it also earned him a bittersweet record: the highest T20 score ever to end on the losing side.
Punjab didn't view 265 as a mountain; they viewed it as a sprint. Openers Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh treated the DC attack with utter disdain, posting 116 runs in the first six overs.
Prabhsimran: He brought up a 50 in just 18 balls and became only the third batter in IPL history to hit six fours in a single over (off Mukesh Kumar).
Arya foundation: Arya swung cleanly from the first ball, hitting 10 sixes within the first 3.5 overs of the team innings, the fastest a team has ever reached that mark.
Probability flip: Before the chase, DC had an 85% win probability. By the end of the Powerplay, the scales had flipped to 65% in favor of PBKS.
Although PBKS lost three quick wickets during the middle overs, captain Shreyas Iyer kept his composure and avoided any sense of panic. Battling the intense Delhi heat, he crafted a controlled yet explosive half-century from just 26 deliveries. He went after two of the league’s top spinners, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, smashing 23 runs in a single over from Kuldeep and dragging the required run rate below 10.
New world record: 265 is now the highest successful chase in all T20 cricket, surpassing PBKS's own record of 262 set in 2024.
Boundary king: 82 boundaries were hit across both innings, the most in any T20 game ever.
Invincibility streak: PBKS remain unbeaten in IPL 2026, having already chased 200+ totals with ease multiple times.
Bowler's graveyard: 10 different bowlers conceded 40+ runs in this match, matching a record set in the Big Bash League.
The subdued celebrations at the end of the match were telling. Even as the cricketing world continues to digest a 265-run chase finished with eight balls remaining, this PBKS team seems to have already absorbed the shock. Under Ricky Ponting’s leadership, they have fostered a culture of unwavering self-belief in which no target is considered out of reach.
