In a thrilling encounter that went down to the wire, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) edged out the Rajasthan Royals (RR) by a solitary run in the 53rd match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Played under the lights sports at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata on May 4, 2025, this high-scoring contest saw KKR post a formidable total, only for the Royals to mount a valiant chase that fell just short. Andre Russell’s explosive unbeaten fifty earned him the Player of the Match award, while Rajasthan’s Riyan Parag’s sensational knock, though in a losing cause, was recognized as Cricinfo’s MVP.
Match Result
Kolkata Knight Riders Won by 1 Run
In a truly nail-biting finish at Eden Gardens, the Kolkata Knight Riders managed to defend their formidable total against a rampant Rajasthan Royals, securing a dramatic one-run victory. KKR, after winning the toss and electing to bat, posted a challenging 206/4 in their 20 overs, largely thanks to a blistering unbeaten 57 off just 25 balls from Andre Russell, who smashed 4 fours and 6 sixes. Valuable contributions also came from Angkrish Raghuvanshi (44 off 31) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (35 off 25). Rajasthan’s bowlers picked up wickets at crucial junctures, with Jofra Archer, Yudhvir Singh, Maheesh Theekshana, and Riyan Parag each bagging a wicket.
In response, Rajasthan Royals’ chase got off to a shaky start, losing early wickets. However, skipper Riyan Parag played an exceptional innings, almost single-handedly turning the tide. His sensational 95 off 45 balls, featuring 6 fours and 8 sixes (including five consecutive sixes in an over off Moeen Ali), brought the Royals back from the brink. Shimron Hetmyer (29 off 23) also provided crucial support. Despite Parag’s heroics and a late surge from Shubham Dubey (25* off 14), the Royals fell agonizingly short, finishing at 205/8 in their 20 overs.
The match came down to the wire, with Rajasthan needing 3 runs off the final delivery. However, Vaibhav Arora held his nerve, delivering a precise yorker, and a brilliant throw from Rinku Singh in the deep resulted in a run-out on the final ball, sealing a memorable one-run victory for the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Player of the Match: Andre Russell (KKR) for his unbeaten 57 runs.
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Kolkata Knight Riders inning
Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR | Dismissal |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rahmanullah Gurbaz β | 35 | 25 | 3 | 1 | 140.00 | c Hetmyer b Theekshana |
Sunil Narine | 11 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 122.22 | b Yudhvir Singh |
Ajinkya Rahane (c) | 30 | 24 | 1 | 2 | 125.00 | c β Jurel b Parag |
Angkrish Raghuvanshi | 44 | 31 | 5 | 0 | 141.93 | c sub (Ashok Sharma) b Archer |
Andre Russell | 57* | 25 | 4 | 6 | 228.00 | not out |
Rinku Singh | 19* | 6 | 1 | 2 | 316.66 | not out |
Extras | 10 | (b 1, lb 2, w 7) | ||||
Total | 206/4 | 20 Ov | (RR: 10.30) |
Did not bat: Venkatesh Iyer, Ramandeep Singh, Moeen Ali, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy
Fall of wickets: 1-13 (Sunil Narine, 1.6 ov), 2-69 (Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 7.3 ov), 3-111 (Ajinkya Rahane, 12.4 ov), 4-172 (Angkrish Raghuvanshi, 18.1 ov)
Rajasthan Royals Bowling
Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy | 0s | 4s | 6s | Wides | No Balls |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jofra Archer | 4.0 | 0 | 30 | 1 | 7.50 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Yudhvir Singh | 2.0 | 0 | 26 | 1 | 13.00 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Maheesh Theekshana | 4.0 | 0 | 41 | 1 | 10.25 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Akash Madhwal | 3.0 | 0 | 50 | 0 | 16.66 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
Wanindu Hasaranga | 4.0 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 8.75 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Riyan Parag | 3.0 | 0 | 21 | 1 | 7.00 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Rajasthan Royals Inning
Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | Minutes | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yashasvi Jaiswal | c Singh b Moeen Ali | 34 | 21 | 36 | 5 | 1 | 161.90 |
Vaibhav Suryavanshi | c Rahane b Vaibhav Arora | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 200.00 |
Kunal Singh Rathore | c Russell b Moeen Ali | 0 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Riyan Parag (c) | c Arora b Harshit Rana | 95 | 45 | 79 | 6 | 8 | 211.11 |
Dhruv Jurel (β ) | b Varun Chakravarthy | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Wanindu Hasaranga | b Varun Chakravarthy | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Shimron Hetmyer | c Narine b Harshit Rana | 29 | 23 | 36 | 1 | 1 | 126.08 |
Shubham Dubey | not out | 25 | 14 | 25 | 1 | 2 | 178.57 |
Jofra Archer | run out (Singh/Arora) | 12 | 8 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 150.00 |
Maheesh Theekshana | did not bat | β | β | β | β | β | β |
Yudhvir Singh | did not bat | β | β | β | β | β | β |
Extras | (lb 1, nb 1, w 4) | 6 | β | β | β | β | β |
Total | 20 overs | 205/8 | 10.25 RR |
Did not bat: Maheesh Theekshana, Yudhvir Singh
Fall of wickets: 1-5 (Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 0.4 ov), 2-8 (Kunal Singh Rathore, 1.5 ov), 3-66 (Yashasvi Jaiswal, 6.6 ov), 4-71 (Dhruv Jurel, 7.3 ov), 5-71 (Wanindu Hasaranga, 7.5 ov), 6-163 (Shimron Hetmyer, 15.5 ov), 7-173 (Riyan Parag, 17.4 ov), 8-205 (Jofra Archer, 19.6 ov)
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Kolkata Knight Riders Bowling
Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy | 0s | 4s | 6s | Wides | No Balls |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vaibhav Arora | 4.0 | 0 | 50 | 1 | 12.50 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Moeen Ali | 3.0 | 0 | 43 | 2 | 14.33 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
Harshit Rana | 4.0 | 0 | 41 | 2 | 10.25 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Varun Chakravarthy | 4.0 | 0 | 32 | 2 | 8.00 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Sunil Narine | 4.0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 6.75 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Andre Russell | 1.0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 11.00 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Match Flow
π£ Kolkata Knight Riders Innings
- Toss: KKR won the toss and chose to bat first at Eden Gardens.
- KKR had a steady start with Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sunil Narine opening. Narine fell early in the 2nd over (13/1).
- Gurbaz and Rahane stitched a useful 50-run partnership before both departed within the next few overs.
- Youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi played an impressive knock of 44 off 31 balls, providing a middle-overs push.
- The real game-changer was Andre Russell, who exploded in the death overs, scoring an unbeaten 57 off 25 balls, hitting 4 fours and 6 massive sixes.
- Rinku Singh added the final fireworks with a cameo 19* off just 6 balls.
- KKR posted a massive total of 206/4 in their 20 overs.
π₯ Highlight: 200+ score powered by Russellβs late onslaught. KKR scored 93 runs in the final 6 overs.
π΅ Rajasthan Royals Innings
- RRβs chase started off aggressively, scoring 59 in the Powerplay but lost two quick wickets.
- The top order collapsed under pressure as Kunal Rathore, Dhruv Jurel, and Hasaranga fell cheaply.
- Captain Riyan Parag took charge with a sensational counter-attacking innings β 95 runs off 45 balls with 6 fours and 8 sixes.
- He was well supported by Hetmyer (29) and later by *Shubham Dubey (25)**.
- The match went down to the final over, with RR needing 13 runs. Jofra Archer was run out on the final ball attempting the second run to tie the match.
- Rajasthan Royals fell short by just 1 run, ending at 205/8.
β οΈ Turning Point: Riyan Paragβs dismissal in the 18th over changed the match momentum.
π Result
- Kolkata Knight Riders won by 1 run in a last-ball thriller.
- Player of the Match: Andre Russell (KKR) β 57* (25) and 1 over with the ball.
π Key Moments
- Powerplay (KKR): 56/1 | Powerplay (RR): 59/2
- Russell’s 50 off just 22 balls turned the game.
- Parag’s near match-winning 95 lifted RR from a middle-order collapse.
- KKR’s bowlers held their nerve despite leaking runs in the final overs.
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Match Details
Details | Information |
---|---|
Match | 53rd Match, IPL 2025 |
Date | May 04, 2025 (Day/Night) |
Venue | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
Teams | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals |
Toss | Kolkata Knight Riders won the toss and chose to bat |
Result | Kolkata Knight Riders won by 1 run |
Series | Indian Premier League 2025 |
Umpires | Anish Sahasrabudhe, Rohan Pandit |
TV Umpire | Adrian Holdstock (South Africa) |
Reserve Umpire | Amit Rana |
Match Referee | Amit Sharma |
Points Awarded | KKR: 2, RR: 0 |
Player of the Match | Andre Russell (KKR) β 57* (25) & 1 over |
Cricinfo MVP | Riyan Parag (RR) β 100.85 points |
Hours of Play (Local) | 1st Innings: 15:30 β 17:00Interval: 17:00 β 17:202nd Innings: 17:20 β 18:50 |