Kolkata Knight Riders Dominate Sunrisers Hyderabad with 80-Run Victory in IPL 2025

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Thu, 03 Apr 2025 22:56:37 IST
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The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) delivered a dominant performance against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), securing a comprehensive 80-run victory. The match, held at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata, witnessed KKR posting a formidable total of 200/6 in their 20 overs, which proved too steep for SRH to chase down. The visitors were bundled out for just 120 in 16.4 overs, marking KKR's third win of the season.



KKR’s Commanding Batting Display


KKR’s innings was built around a strong partnership and explosive late-overs hitting. After losing openers Quinton de Kock (1 off 6) and Sunil Narine (7 off 7) early, skipper Ajinkya Rahane (38 off 27) and youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi (50 off 32) steadied the ship with a crucial 81-run stand. Raghuvanshi’s aggressive fifty, which included five fours and two sixes, set the tone for KKR’s middle order.
The real fireworks came from Venkatesh Iyer , who smashed a blistering 60 off just 29 balls, including seven fours and three sixes. His 91-run partnership with Rinku Singh (32 off 17) in just 41 balls propelled KKR past the 200-run mark. Rinku played the perfect supporting role, ensuring the scoring rate didn’t dip even after Raghuvanshi’s dismissal.


SRH’s Bowlers Struggle to Contain


SRH’s bowling attack, led by Pat Cummins and Mohammad Shami, failed to stem the flow of runs. While Shami (1/29) and Kamindu Mendis (1/4) were economical, others like Cummins (1/44) and Harshal Patel (1/43) were taken to the cleaners. KKR’s batters capitalized on the slightest inaccuracies, maintaining a run rate of 10 throughout the innings.


KKR’s Bowling Dominance


Chasing 201, SRH never got going, losing wickets at regular intervals. Vaibhav Arora, who was introduced as a substitute for Raghuvanshi, made an immediate impact by picking up three crucial wickets, including that of Travis Head (4 off 2) in the first over. SRH’s top order crumbled under pressure, with Abhishek Sharma (2 off 6), Ishan Kishan (2 off 5), and Nitish Kumar Reddy (19 off 15) failing to make significant contributions.

Heinrich Klaasen (33 off 21) and Kamindu Mendis (27 off 20) tried to resurrect the innings, but their efforts were in vain as KKR’s bowlers maintained a tight grip on the game. Varun Chakaravarthy was the pick of the bowlers, claiming three wickets for just 22 runs in his four overs. Andre Russell and Sunil Narine also chipped in with two wickets apiece, ensuring SRH’s innings never gained momentum.


Key Moments of the Match



  • Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s maiden IPL fifty provided KKR with the foundation they needed after losing early wickets.

  • Venkatesh Iyer’s explosive 60 off 29 balls, including seven fours and three sixes, turned the game decisively in KKR’s favor.

  • Vaibhav Arora’s triple strike in the powerplay dismantled SRH’s top order and set the tone for KKR’s dominant bowling performance.

  • Varun Chakaravarthy’s economical spell of 3/22 ensured SRH had no chance of a comeback.


Result and Implications


KKR’s 80-run win not only boosted their net run rate but also sent a strong message to the other teams in the tournament. SRH, on the other hand, will need to regroup quickly and address their batting frailties if they are to stay in contention for the playoffs. With this victory, KKR has firmly established themselves as one of the teams to beat in IPL 2025 .