KKR Vs RR Highlights, IPL 2025: Kolkata Knight Riders Beat Rajasthan Royals By One Run To Stay Alive In Playoff Race

Kolkata Knight Riders: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (w), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Rovman Powell, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Manish Pandey, Mayank Markande, Ramandeep Singh, Luvnith Sisodia, Chetan Sakariya, Anrich Nortje, Quinton de Kock, Moeen Ali, Spencer Johnson

Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag (c), Dhruv Jurel (w), Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Wanindu Hasaranga, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Tushar Deshpande, Kunal Singh Rathore, Kwena Maphaka, Ashok Sharma

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) have clashed 31 times in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). KKR hold a slight edge with 15 victories, while RR won 14 matches. Two of these encounters have ended without a result.

A partly cloudy afternoon is expected, with minimal chances of rain early on. However, scattered thunderstorms are forecast for the evening, around 6:00 PM, with a 35% chance of precipitation, 75% humidity, and winds blowing at 10 km/h.

KKR have won the toss and decided to bat first.

Read our full toss report here.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (w), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Moeen Ali, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora

Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Riyan Parag (c), Kunal Singh Rathore, Dhruv Jurel (w), Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Akash Madhwal

Kolkata Knight Riders: Manish Pandey, Harshit Rana, Anukul Roy, Rovman Powell, Luvnith Sisodia

Rajasthan Royals: Kumar Kartikeya, Shubham Dubey, Tushar Deshpande, Kwena Maphaka, Ashok Sharma

Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sunil Narine will open the batting for Kolkata Kngiht Riders, while Jofra Archer has the new ball for Rajasthan Royals. Gurbaz with the strike.

KKR: 0/0 (0)

After a tight opening over from Jofra Archer, KKR target Yudhvir Singh, with Sunil Narine hitting the pacer for a boundary and a six down the leg side. Yudhvir sticks to his guns, bowling it on good length but getting the ball to grip the pitch for a second longer. Narine swings and misses, and it clips the bail, just about.

Sunil Narine 11(9) b Yudhvir

KKR: 13/1 (2)

Despite the early setback of Narine, KKR are still hitting at a rate of nearly 9, with Gurbaz and Ajinkya Rahane going after Yudhvir and Theekshana. 26 runs off the last two overs, and KKKR are posed to cross the 50 mark in the powerplay.

KKR: 43/1 (5)

A good partnership comes to an end, as Gurbaz tries to slog it away towards deep midwicket, but fails to get the elevation and finds Shimron Hetmyer. The West Indies takes a routine catch, and a 56-run partnership is broken.

Ramhanullah Gurbaz 35(25) c Hetmyer b Theekshana

KKR: 72/2 (8)

Rajasthan Royals bowlers are piling on the pressure on KKR batters, and Raghuvanshi finally hits a boundary -- helped by some poor fielding at the deep -- and it was the first one in three overs, which yielded just 19 runs.

KKR: 86/2 (10)

The pressure finally pays dividends for Rajasthan Royals. Rahane tries to hit it big with a sweep shot, but gets the slighest of edges and the wicketkeeper takes it.

Ajinkya Rahane 30(24) c Jurel b Parag

What a terrific couple of overs from Parag and Theekshana. Just six runs and one wicket. KKR's run rate has fallen down to seven, with six overs to go. Andre Russell is unusually defensive at the moment, with just one run in six balls.

KKR: 113/3 (14)

After a stunningly slow start for Andre Russell, the West Indian goes after Akash Madhwal, hitting two fours and one six. 15 runs off the over.

The pace and length of the bowler is perfect for Russelll to hit all over the park, and these are crucial runs for KKR after getting significantly slowed down in recent overs.

KKR: 136/3 (16)

Andre Russell is firing on all cylinders, targetting pace and spin alike and hitting them all over the Eden Gardens park. After hitting six and four off Acher, and Theekshana is also hit for one four and then three consecutive sixes.

36 runs off the last two overs.

KKR: 172/3 (18)

Raghuvanshi also tries to get in on the big hitting, but he fails to clear the square leg boundary and finds Ashok Sharma.

Angkrish Raghuvanshi 44(31) c Ashok b Archer

Andre Russell completed his first fifty of the season with a bang! Rinku Singh replaced Raghuvanshi at the crease. Akash Madhwal came to bowl the final over and started with a hat-trick of wide balls. Then Rinku targeted him and hit a four and a couple of sixes to finish his final over.

KKR - 206/4 (20)

Brief Score: KKR - 206/4 (20)

Andre Russell - 57* (25), Angkrish Raghuvanshi - 44 (31) | Riyan Parag: (3-0-21-1)

Vaibhav Arora came to bowl the first over for Kolkata Knight Riders and Vaibhav Suryavanshi opened the batting for Rajasthan Royals with Yashasvi Jaiswal. He got rid of Suryavanshi in his first over to strike early.

RR - 5/1 (1)

Kunal Singh Rathore gave his wicket after surviving a close LBW call. Moeen Ali came to bowl the second over and he trapped Rathore in his spin web. The debutant went back to pavilion after making no run and wasting five balls. Riyan Parag is the new batter at the crease.

RR - 22/2 (3)

Harshit Rana was introduced into the attack in the fourth over. He leaked 15 runs in his first over. Varun Chakravarthy was welcomed with a couple of fours in the next over. Rana came to bowl again and leaked 13 runs including three boundaries. Moeen Ali was called back again and he dismissed the set batter Yashasvi Jaiswal on the last delivery of the over.

RR - 66/3 (7)

Varun Chakravarthy was called to bowl his second over and he got rid of Dhruv Jurel and Wanindu Hasaranga in the same over. He bowled both batters to make RR five wickets down.

RR - 75/5 (9)

Riyan Parag hit a couple of fours in Vaibhav Arora's over to reach closer to his half-century. He targeted Moeen Ali in the next over and hit five sixes to collect 32 runs from the over. He also completed his half-century. Shimron Hetmyer and Parag are at the crease with RR still needing 73 runs in the last seven overs.

RR - 134/5 (13)

Riyan Parag completed his six sixes in a row when he hit, Varun Chakravarthy's first ball he faced, for a six. Then Hetmyer also shifted gears and take the game deep with a couple of boundaries. Parag hit Rana for a boundary in the 16th over, but Rana dismissed Hetmyer to break the partnership.

RR - 164/6 (16)

Riyan Parag failed to reach his IPL hundred when Harshit Rana dismissed him in the 18th over. With Jofra Archer and impact player Shubham Dubey at the crease, the Royals need 33 more runs to win in the last two overs.

RR - 174/7 (18)

Shubham Dubey shifted gears in the final over and hit a couple of sixes and a four to take the equation - three runs on the final balls. Dubey managed just one run and lost the match by a close margin. KKR won the match by one run.

RR - 205/8 (20)

I was planning to stay till the last 2 overs, but unfortunately I got out in the 18th over. It was a miscalculation from my side. I think we could have found better options in the last 6 overs. Maybe other bowling options. No one to complain but ourselves, we should have finished it. We could have done something else in hindsight. He (Russell) was 2 off 10 balls and the way he accelerated after that, it was great to watch. It's a ground where sixes are hit. The wicket was a little tricky, so I had to pick my battles. I think I did it pretty well, until the time I got out. I have been telling that to myself, feels off to give an interview (as the losing captain.) We weren't clinical on the field and the consequences are here.

It was really close but really happy, when you win by one or two runs it gives you a lot of satisafaction. Gurbaz and Angkrish played well and that finish from Russell was really good. The plan was to go hard in the powerplay and then stabilise things till the 12th over. It was not easy for a new batter so me and Angkrish were talking to take it deep. (On the importance of fielding well) It's really important, if you can save 10-12 runs on the field it's great. If you can take a couple of good catches and effect a run-out, it makes all the difference.

We all know the importance of this game, we had four games to go and it was like four finals, happy with our performance and the win. I had time to go, so I was not worried about the dot balls that I faced. It was a difficult wicket to go out and start hitting, happy that I was able to hit boundaries at the end and Rinku also got a few away at the end. The scoreboard is the best indication, you have to evaluate the situations, which bowlers you can see off, which bowlers you can target. When I look at the scorecard and I see five overs, I see 30 balls and think if I can face 15 off those balls, I can get 40 runs with my power.

RR are already out of the tournament, but after this win, KKR have 11 points in 11 matches and are currently standing in sixth place in the points table.

KR will host Chennai Super Kings next at Eden Gardens on Wednesday, 7 May 2025, whereas RR will also take on CSK in Chennai on Monday, 12 May.

That's all from our side. Thanks for joining. Goodbye and take care!