IPL 2025: Kolkata Keeps Playoff Hopes Alive with Big Win

Kolkata Knight Riders kept their playoff hopes alive in IPL 2025 with a thrilling 14-run win over Delhi Capitals. Sunil Narine starred with the ball, while Kolkata’s strong team effort helped defend a big total of 204 runs.

Kolkata Wins Big Game Against Table-Leaders Delhi

IPL 2025 KKR Defeats Table-Toppers Delhi in a High

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) stayed in the hunt for the IPL 2025 playoffs with a thrilling 14-run win over the top-ranked Delhi Capitals. It was a high-scoring game where both teams fought hard, but Kolkata’s balanced performance with both bat and ball made the difference.

This victory was Kolkata’s fourth win in 10 matches, bringing them to 9 points, including one match that was washed out. They are currently 7th on the table. Meanwhile, Delhi, who have now lost four straight matches, sit at 4th place with 12 points. (More Sports News)

IPL 2025 Delhi Falls Short in Big Chase

IPL 2025 Narine and Chakravarthy Lead KKR’s Bowling

Delhi was chasing a big total of 205 runs. Their innings ended at 190/9 in 20 overs—just 14 runs short.

Faf du Plessis scored a steady 62 runs off 45 balls, keeping Delhi in the game during the middle overs.
Axar Patel added quick runs with 43 off 23 balls.
Near the end, Bheepraj Nigam played a fast and exciting innings, hitting 38 runs off 19 balls to give Delhi a fighting chance.

Unfortunately, no other Delhi batsman could score more than 20 runs, which made it hard to reach the target.

Narine and Chakravarthy Lead KKR’s Bowling

IPL 2025 Kolkata’s bowlers kept things tight under pressure:

Sunil Narine was the star, taking 3 wickets for 29 runs.
Varun Chakravarthy supported well with 2 wickets for 39 runs.
The rest of the bowlers kept the pressure on, picking up wickets at key times.

“Gurbaz and Narine Give KKR a Fast Start”

IPL 2025 Fast Start from Gurbaz and Narine
Batting first, Kolkata made 204 runs for 9 wickets—a strong total even without any player scoring a half-century. The innings began with a bang:

Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sunil Narine gave KKR a fast start, scoring 48 runs in just 3 overs.
Gurbaz was out for 26 off 12 balls, dismissed by Mitchell Starc.
Narine continued briefly, scoring 27 off 16 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes before getting out LBW.
Captain Ajinkya Rahane also contributed quickly with 26 off 14 balls, but he too was dismissed LBW.

At the end of the powerplay, Kolkata was in a strong position at 79/1 after 6 overs.

“Raghuvanshi and Rinku Build Key Partnership for Kolkata”

After losing quick wickets, Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Rinku Singh built a solid partnership of 61 runs from 46 balls:

Raghuvanshi scored 44 off 32 balls, hitting smart shots around the ground.
Rinku added 36 runs off 25 balls, playing with calm and control.

Both batters fell in quick succession, but they laid a good foundation for the final push.

Russell Finishes Strong

At the end of the innings, Andre Russell played a short but impactful knock:

He made 17 off 9 balls*, including 2 fours and a six.
His quick runs helped Kolkata reach over 200 runs, giving them a strong total to defend.

For Delhi, Mitchell Starc was the best bowler, taking 3 wickets for 43 runs in 4 overs. Axar Patel and Bheepraj Nigam took 2 wickets each.

What’s Next?

With this win, Kolkata Knight Riders remain alive in the playoff race. Their confidence will be high after defeating a strong team like Delhi Capitals. If they can continue this momentum in their remaining matches, they still have a chance to make it to the top four.

Delhi Capitals, on the other hand, need to bounce back quickly. They have now lost four matches in a row, and their playoff spot is no longer secure.