KKR defeated SRH by 80 runs, ending their losing streak, boosting their NRR, and handing Hyderabad their third straight loss.
Kolkata Knight Riders secured a dominant 80-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad, bouncing back to winning ways. The defending champions extended their strong record against Hyderabad, who suffered their third straight defeat. The big margin also boosted Kolkata’s net run rate, which could be crucial in the tournament.
Batting first, Kolkata recovered from early setbacks to post a challenging total. Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi steadied the innings after a shaky start. Raghuvanshi’s half-century set the platform, but the real shift came when Venkatesh Iyer unleashed a brutal 60 off 29 balls. Rinku Singh’s late cameo ensured Kolkata finished at 200. For Hyderabad, Mohammad Shami, Zeeshan Ansari, and Kamindu Mendis bowled well, but the attack crumbled in the death overs.
Chasing a big target, Hyderabad collapsed early. Vaibhav Arora and Harshit Rana struck in the Powerplay, reducing them to three down quickly. Andre Russell provided a key breakthrough despite being expensive. Spinners Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy kept tight control in the middle overs. Rahane’s decision to bring Arora back proved decisive as Heinrich Klaasen fell, sealing Hyderabad’s fate.
Hyderabad’s batters failed to make an impact, struggling against disciplined bowling. Kamindu Mendis and Heinrich Klaasen showed resistance, but the required run rate kept rising. With no substantial partnerships, Hyderabad fell short by a massive margin of 80- runs.
SRH after first game.. #KKRvSRH #IPL2025 pic.twitter.com/pIStGu9Oom
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) April 3, 2025
KKR just handed out a free masterclass in destruction. Varun turned into a magician and made SRH’s batting order disappear. Time for SRH to stop playing musical chairs and actually fix that lineup if they want to stop losing like it’s a hobby.#KKRvsSRH
— Kris Srikkanth (@KrisSrikkanth) April 3, 2025
SRH facing typically second season pressure. Spotlight was on them to repeat last season’s batting aggression. But with teams ready with their plan to tackle Head and Abhishek, it was always going to be difficult. Let’s see if they have it in them to shine again.
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) April 3, 2025
Brillaint batting from Kkr as a unit , last 4 overs were a treat to watch! Superb batting from Venky and team still fell this is not a 200 wicket will be really tough for srh on this wicket #KKRvsSRH
— Kris Srikkanth (@KrisSrikkanth) April 3, 2025
