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KKR wins in a nail-biting finish to keep their hopes of making the top four alive
KKR wins in a nail-biting finish to keep their hopes of making the top four alive
IPL 2025: Kolkata Knight Riders win a last-ball thriller against Rajasthan Royals at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata to keep their IPL 2025 playoff hopes alive.
In one of the most thrilling matches of IPL 2025, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) narrowly edged out Rajasthan Royals (RR) by just one run in a high-stakes game that kept fans on the edge of their seats till the last ball. As RR needed 22 runs off the final over, and Shubham Dubey almost pulled off a miracle. He smashed Vaibhav Arora for two boundaries and a six, bringing it down to 3 runs needed from the final ball. He drilled a yorker to long-off and tried to run two with Jofra Archer at the other end. But Rinku Singh’s direct throw caught Archer short of his crease, sealing the win for KKR.
Russell’s Late Blitz Sets the Tone
KKR’s innings had ups and downs. After a hard middle phase, Andre Russell turned the game on its head. Coming in during the 13th over, he was slow to start (just 2 off 9 balls) but exploded at the death. In just 25 balls, he scored 57 runs, including four sixes and six fours, leading KKR to pile on 85 runs in the last five overs. This late charge was key to KKR posting a strong total.
Early KKR Struggles Against Spin
The innings started with Sunil Narine and Rahmanullah Gurbaz looking aggressive, but the spin bowlers from RR – Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Riyan Parag – made it tough to score runs. Parag bowled three overs and got Ajinkya Rahane out with a smart slow ball. There was a moment when KKR seemed to be losing momentum, but Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Russell worked together to strengthen the innings.
Parag’s Power Push in RR's Chase
RR’s chase got off to a rocky start. They were needing 136 runs off 73 balls at one stage, and it looked nearly impossible. But Riyan Parag had other ideas. He smashed six sixes in six balls, including a 32-run over off Moeen Ali and another six off Varun Chakravarthy, reigniting hope for RR.
Parag’s counterattack brought the required rate back under control, but once he fell trying to go big again, the pressure returned. His dismissal came off a wide, slower ball from Harshit Rana, and his disappointment was evident.
RR’s Middle-Order Battle
Shimron Hetmyer tried to anchor the innings but played too cautiously, and his dismissal stalled momentum again. Despite a few late hits from Dubey, RR just couldn’t get across the finish line.
KKR’s Bowling – Pressure Under Control
Moeen Ali and Varun Chakravarthy were instrumental in putting pressure during the middle overs. Chakravarthy, in particular, bowled tight lines and got key wickets. Harshit Rana bounced back after a poor first spell and bowled a critical over late in the match.
Vaibhav Arora, despite being hit for runs in the last over, kept his nerves and executed a perfect yorker when it mattered the most.
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