In an electrifying showdown at Eden Gardens, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) clinched a resounding 80-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL 2025 season. The match, held on Thursday, saw KKR propelled to a dominant position thanks to a spectacular innings by Venkatesh Iyer, who smashed a breathtaking 60 runs off just 29 balls.
Sent in to bat first, KKR amassed a challenging total of 200/6 in their 20 overs. The innings got off to a solid start with Ajinkya Rahane contributing a vital 38 and the young Angkrish Raghuvanshi scoring an impressive 50, stitching together an 81-run partnership. Iyer then unleashed his fury, forming a crucial 91-run stand with Rinku Singh, who remained unbeaten on 32. Iyer’s knock was punctuated with seven fours and three sixes, including a devastating 21-run over off SRH’s captain Pat Cummins.
In response, SRH’s batting lineup crumbled, managing only 120 runs before being bowled out in 16.4 overs. KKR’s bowlers, led by Vaibhav Arora and Varun Chakravarthy, were relentless. Arora claimed 3/29 while Chakravarthy scalped 3/22, dismantling the SRH batting order early and reducing them to a precarious 9/3. Despite a valiant effort from Heinrich Klaasen (33) and Kamindu Mendis (27), SRH could not mount a comeback.
This victory propelled KKR from the bottom of the IPL 2025 standings to a commendable fifth place, injecting much-needed momentum into their campaign. Conversely, SRH found themselves languishing at the bottom of the table, facing the challenge of regrouping after another disappointing outing.
Brief Scores:
KKR: 200/6 in 20 overs (Venkatesh Iyer 60, Angkrish Raghuvanshi 50; Mohammed Shami 1/29, Kamindu Mendis 1/4).
SRH: 120 all out in 16.4 overs (Heinrich Klaasen 33; Vaibhav Arora 3/29, Varun Chakravarthy 3/22).