Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) made a significant leap in the IPL 2025 standings, rising from the bottom to fifth place after a resounding 80-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at Eden Gardens on Thursday, April 3, 2025. The win gives KKR four points from four matches, while SRH now finds themselves at the bottom of the table with just one win from four games.
Sent in to bat first, KKR posted a commanding total of 200/6, thanks to blistering half-centuries from Venkatesh Iyer and Angkrish Raghuvanshi. Iyer, who faced just 29 balls, scored a match-winning 60 runs, while Raghuvanshi contributed a classy 50 off 32 deliveries. The duo's partnership laid a solid foundation for KKR, which was further bolstered by Rinku Singh, who added an explosive 32 not out off just 17 balls.
Despite losing early wickets, KKR's middle order showcased their strength, with Iyer and Raghuvanshi building a crucial 81-run stand. This partnership proved vital as KKR aimed to defend their total against a struggling SRH side.
In reply, SRH's chase faltered from the outset. KKR's seamer Vaibhav Arora set the tone by dismissing the dangerous Travis Head for just 4 runs and Ishan Kishan for 2 runs in successive overs. Harshit Rana then dismissed Abhishek Sharma for a mere 2 runs, leaving SRH reeling at 9/3 within just 2.1 overs. The pressure mounted as Andre Russell and Sunil Narine each took a wicket, further crippling SRH's batting lineup, which collapsed to 120 all out in just 16.4 overs.
Varun Chakravarthy was particularly effective with the ball, taking 3 wickets for just 22 runs in his four overs, while Arora finished with impressive figures of 3 for 29. The combined efforts of KKR's bowlers ensured that SRH's explosive batting lineup could not get going, leading to their heavy defeat.
This victory marked KKR's second win of the season, allowing them to climb the points table after a shaky start where they lost two of their first three matches. They now sit level on points with the top teams, including Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, all of whom have four points but boast better net run rates.
As for SRH, this loss marks their third consecutive defeat in the tournament, leaving them firmly at the bottom of the table with only two points. Their struggles continue, and they will need to regroup quickly to turn their season around. They are set to face Gujarat Titans on Sunday, April 6, 2025, in hopes of breaking their losing streak.
Looking at the overall IPL 2025 points table, Punjab Kings lead the standings with a perfect record of two wins from two matches, followed closely by Delhi Capitals, who also remain unbeaten. Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans round out the top four, while KKR's strong performance has seen them rise to fifth place, improving their net run rate to -0.346.
In the race for individual accolades, Nicholas Pooran of Lucknow Super Giants continues to hold the Orange Cap as the highest run-scorer with 189 runs. On the bowling front, Chennai Super Kings' Noor Ahmad leads the Purple Cap standings with nine wickets, followed by Mitchell Starc of Delhi Capitals.
As the tournament progresses, the competition intensifies, and KKR's solid performance against SRH has injected new life into their campaign. Fans will be eagerly looking forward to their next match against Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, while SRH will aim to bounce back against Gujarat Titans.
