KKR Vs SRH, IPL 2025 Match Highlights: Kolkata Knight Riders Outplay Sunrisers Hyderabad By 80 Runs

The KKR skipper was called out in the middle soon too as Quinton de Kock found the field in the deep of the SHR captain’s bowling. de Kock’s partner Sunil Narine had sounded out a warning shot before handing a regulation catch to the keeper off Mohammed Shami.

As Angkrish Raghuvanshi looked unsure at the crease, Rahane took charge with two massive maximums to Cummins and Shami. The counterattack prompted Simarjeet Singh to be introduced before the powerplay ended. Rahane’s response: two sixes.

Despite Zeeshan Ansari’s spin and Harshal Patel’s change of pace, the duo of Raghuvanshi and Rahane kept the scorecard ticking along punctuated with some strokes to and over the boundary ropes, taking the total to a respectable 84 at the halfway stage.

Rahane fell to the guile of Zeeshan as he looked to up the ante, gloving behind to Heinrich Klaasen for a 27-ball 38. On the very next ball, Raghuvanshi got a life as Nitish Kumar Reddy dropped a rather simple-looking catch.

The youngster got to his fifty in the next over, getting to the 50-run mark in 30 balls with five fours and two sixes. Two balls later a brilliant piece of fielding from Harshal, who took a stunning catch in the deep, sent Raghuvanshi back to the dugout. Ambidextrous Kamindu Mendis had his breakthrough on IPL debut.

The two quick wickets brought out Venkatesh Iyer and Rinku Singh to the middle. KKR set themselves up for a grandstand finish as the duo started their onslaught in the last five overs. Iyer and Rinku’s power-hitting helped bring up their 50-run stand in just 30 balls.

Venkatesh smashed Cummins for three fours and one six to race to his fifty in 25 balls. The KKR star continued his attack as Harshal came in to bowl the last over but after a six and four, skied it and was caught by Aniket Verma at long-on.

Andre Russell came in and tried to whack a few but was run out on the last ball but KKR managed to score 78 runs from the last five overs to reach 200/6 from their 20.

At the innings break, about 34,000 spectators light up the Eden Gardens with their phone’s torchlights.

With the restart, KKR’s Vaibhav Arora shined bright, sending back the dangerous Travis Head as Harshita Rana completed a smart catch. Harshit was in on the action too, getting Abhishek Sharma to edge it behind to Venkatesh in the slips.

Vaibhav was not done and dismissed Ishan Kishan on the first ball of his second over as Rahane took a stunning catch in the covers. He could have had a second wicket on the last ball, but Russell could not hold on at mid-on.

SRH was shaken, reduced to 9/3 at the end of three overs. Nitish and Kamindu held the fort and took the score to 33/3 at the end of the powerplay.

Russell was welcomed with a six and four by Kamindu but the West Indian superstar managed to send back Nitish as Narine completed the catch at long on. Kamindu was not done in the over as he pulled the last ball for a maximum to bring up the fifty for SRH. The ball too had to be changed after being lost in between the stands after the six.

Rahane called on Varun Chakaravarthy and Narine to bowl in tandem and further tighten the screw on the chase. Kamindu, who had been enjoying the pace, failed to read Narine’s turn and ended up finding substitute fielder Anukul Roy in the deep. It was Narine’s 200th wicket for KKR in IPL and the now-defunct Champions League combined.

Klassen and youngster Aniket had a job to do as SRH still needed 129 more runs at the always stage.

Rahane persisted with Varun for his third straight over and the KKR skipper’s faith paid off as Aniket failed to clear the ropes and found Venkatesh in the deep.

Harshit returned in the 13th over with fire and Cummins bore the brunt of the ire. Klassen had seen enough as he launched two massive sixes as Narine came in to finish his spell.

The star bowler foxed the batter on the third bowler as his opening partner gathered a sharp spinner behind the stumps. Quinton went up in celebration immediately, but the umpire was unmoved, and the players returned to their marks. Replays soon after showed a Klassen had indeed tickled the ball in behind as Rahane could only force a wry smile for the bid screen.

Vaibhav came back into the attack for his fourth over and he managed to land the knockout blow for SRH. Klassen could not get hold of the slower bouncer and skied it straight to Moeen Ali.

With 87 runs needed from the last five overs, Varun too came back to complete his quota of overs ans struck with his first delivery as Cummins found Hashit at long-on. On his second ball, he clean bowled Simarjeet for a first-ball duck. Shami survived the hat-trick ball.

SRH’s resistance did not last long as Harshal hit it straight back for Russell to complete a caught and bowled to seal the commanding win for KKR.