In a thrilling encounter at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) emerged victorious over Delhi Capitals (DC) by 14 runs in the 48th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on April 29. This win marked KKR's first victory at this venue in eight years, with their last triumph dating back to the 2017 season.
The match began with Delhi winning the toss and opting to field first. KKR set a challenging target, scoring 204 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. This was the 28th time KKR managed to post a total of over 200 runs in an IPL match, showcasing their batting prowess.
In response, Delhi Capitals struggled to chase down the target, finishing their innings at 190 runs for 9 wickets. Faf du Plessis led the charge for Delhi with a commendable 62 runs, supported by Axar Patel's 43 and Vipraj Nigam's 38. However, their efforts fell short as they could not capitalize on the momentum built during the chase.
KKR's innings was highlighted by strong contributions from Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who scored 44 runs, and Rinku Singh, who added 36 runs to the total. Sunil Narine also chipped in with a quickfire 27 runs. The KKR innings was punctuated by a late collapse, losing three wickets in the final over, with Mitchell Stark taking two wickets in consecutive deliveries, dismissing Rovman Powell and Anukul Roy.
For KKR, Sunil Narine was the standout bowler, claiming 3 wickets and also executing a brilliant run-out of KL Rahul, who was dismissed for just 9 runs after a direct hit. Varun Chakravarti supported Narine with 2 wickets, while Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, and Andre Russell took one wicket each.
In the powerplay, KKR started strongly, amassing 79 runs, but lost their first wicket in the third over when Rahmanullah Gurbaz was caught out for 26 runs. The scoring momentum continued, with KKR reaching the 100-run mark by the ninth over, thanks to aggressive batting.
Delhi Capitals faced early setbacks in their chase, losing their opener, Abhishek Porel, in the first over. KL Rahul's dismissal added to their woes, as he was run out attempting a quick single. The pressure mounted as wickets continued to fall at regular intervals, with Delhi struggling at 60 runs for 3 wickets in the sixth over.
Despite the early challenges, Faf du Plessis and Axar Patel formed a solid partnership, temporarily stabilizing the innings. Du Plessis completed his half-century in 31 balls, but his departure in the 16th over, caught by Rinku Singh off Narine's bowling, left Delhi in a precarious position.
As the innings progressed, Delhi found themselves needing a daunting 60 runs from the last four overs, with the required run rate climbing steadily. The team managed to reach 150 runs in the 17th over, but the required runs proved too much as KKR's bowlers tightened their grip.
With the defeat, Delhi Capitals remain in third place in the IPL standings, holding 12 points from 9 matches. They are set to face Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 2, looking to bounce back from this loss. On the other hand, KKR, now with 9 points from 10 matches, will face Mumbai Indians on May 1, hoping to build on this momentum.
Overall, the match was a showcase of competitive cricket, with KKR demonstrating resilience and strategic bowling to clinch the victory. As the IPL 2025 season progresses, both teams will be eager to refine their strategies and secure crucial points in the race for the playoffs.
