Kolkata Knight Riders find rhythm in victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) won by a convincing margin over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their recent IPL 2025 match, gaining rhythm at the correct moment in the competition. The game, which was being held at Eden Gardens, witnessed KKR dominating across all sections, winning a vital match and strengthening their playoff prospects.

Sunrisers Hyderabad batted first and could not gain any momentum as KKR’s tight bowling outfit put them on their toes from the beginning. SRH’s opening batsmen, their main men, could not deliver, with wickets falling early to leave them tottering at 45/3 during the powerplay. Heinrich Klaasen and Aiden Markram tried to steady the ship with a gritty middle-order alliance, but the spinners of KKR, spearheaded by Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, kept mounting pressure. SRH could only muster a sub-par score of 152/8 in 20 overs, with Markram making a battling 48 off 35 balls.

Chasing 153, KKR began on an attacking note, with openers Phil Salt and Venkatesh Iyer going after SRH’s bowlers in the early stages. Salt made a smooth 42 off 27 balls, and that set the tone for the chase. While KKR lost a couple of early wickets in the middle overs, skipperShreyas Iyer held the innings together with an unbeaten 55 off 39 balls. Andre Russell gave the finishing touches with a scorching 20 off just 8 deliveries, clinching the victory in the 18th over with six wickets in hand.

KKR’s bowling attack was the actual game-changer, as Narine, Chakravarthy, and Mitchell Starc kept SRH’s batting order in check. The win not only placed KKR high in the points table but also instilled much-needed confidence ahead of the matches to come. Sunrisers, however, will need to rethink their strategy and improve on their batting depth in order to come back into the tournament. As the race for the IPL 2025 hots up, KKR’s revival at this juncture may become vital in their quest for a title.