The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) secured an impressive 80-run victory over the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at Eden Gardens on Thursday.
The match marked SRH’s worst-ever defeat, as they were bowled out for just 120 runs in 16.4 overs while chasing KKR’s total of 200/6. The victory highlights KKR’s dominance on a challenging and slow pitch.
KKR’s pace duo, Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora, set the tone early by swiftly dismantling SRH’s top order, leaving them at 9 for 3 within the first three overs. Big names like Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, and Ishan Kishan fell cheaply, unable to adapt to the conditions. Following this, spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine tightened their grip, allowing just 49 runs in seven overs.
First win at home 💜 pic.twitter.com/jyW4zmWchx
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 3, 2025KKR’s Batting and Fielding Shine
KKR’s innings had its heroes. After early losses of Sunil Narine and Quinton de Kock, Ajinkya Rahane (38 off 27) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi built an 81-run stand. Late fireworks from Venkatesh Iyer (60 off 29) and Rinku Singh (32* off 17) pushed KKR to 200/6. Sharp fielding, despite one drop by Andre Russell, sealed their edge.
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 3, 2025
SRH’s usually explosive batting flopped. A brief 27 from Kamindu Mendis couldn’t stem the tide. Poor fielding earlier let KKR pile on runs, and SRH’s bowlers struggled too. This collapse hands KKR a morale boost after a loss to Mumbai, while SRH must regroup before facing Lucknow Super Giants on April 8.
