New Delhi: Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders produced a matured performance on way to a thumping 80-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in an IPL 2025 game on Thursday.
KKR had beaten SRH in the final of last year for their third IPL title and a new day in a new year in a fresh edition of the edition didn’t make much of a difference as KKR won with ease for their second win in four matches.
SRH slumped to their third loss in four games despite winning the toss and opting to bowl at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. KKR lost Quinton de Kock (1) and Sunil Narine (7) to be reduced to in 2.3 overs,
But title holders KKR recovered through an 81-run stand between skipper Ajinkya Rahane (38) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (50), after which Venkatesh Iyer (60) and Rinku Singh 32 not out, on his 50th IPL game, turned on the afterburners.
Their late hitting propelled KKR to 200/6, after which KKR bowlers were all over the formidable SRH batting line-up. Travis Head (4), Abhishek Sharma (2) and Ishan Kishan (2) all departed in a hurry to leave SRH in a puddle at 9/3 in 2.1 overs.
It was too much of a shock even for the powerful SRH batting line-up as Viabhav Arora (3/29) made inroads with the new ball after which Varun Chakaravarthy (3/22) and Andre Russell (2/21) polished off the rest.
Heinrich Klaasen was SRH’s top scorer with 33.
Middle-order lifts KKR
in their first three matches, KKR’s middle order failed to deliver as they went down in two of those games. But on Thursday, they were up to the task as Venkatesh Iyer slammed a 25-ball fifty and Angkrish Raghuvanshi struck a fine half-century to power KKR to a healthy 200/6.
Their new opening pairing of de Kock (1) and Narine (7) couldn’t get going after KKR were asked to bat. But then skipper Ajinkya Rahane’s 81-run partnership with Raghuvanshi laid the platform for a healthy total.
Rahane scored 38 from 27 balls with the help of a boundary and four sixes while Raghuvanshi struck 50 off 32 balls that included five fours and two sixes.
In the middle overs, 26-year-old debutant Sri Lankan Kamindu Mendis, who bowled with both his hands in the same over, dismissed Raghuvanshi to snap the partnership.
But Iyer took charge of the situation through a 29-ball 60. With seven boundaries and three sixes, Iyer and Rinku Singh (32 not out from 17 balls; 4×4, 1×6) took the innings towards the 200-run mark.
Kolkata Knight Riders beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 80 runs in an IPL 2025 game at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
