On Tuesday, April 29, Axar Patel’s Delhi Capitals (DC) and Ajinkya Rahane’s Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) faced off in the 48th IPL 2025 match encounter.
In the IPL 2025 encounter at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) defeated the Delhi Capitals (DC) by a margin of 14 runs.
Not bad. On his wounded finger, Ajinkya Rahane remarked, “I’ll be alright.”
Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Ajinkya Rahane all put up strong batting efforts as the Kolkata Knight Riders scored 204/9 after being asked to bat first in the game.
Defending the total, Sunil Narine (3), Varun Chakravarthy (2), Andre Russell (1), Vaibhav Arora (1), and Ankul Roy (1) chipped in with wickets and restricted Delhi Capitals to 190/9.
When asked about the hand/finger injury he sustained in the second innings during the post-match award ceremony, KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane said he was OK and nothing was serious. “Not bad,” he said, referring to his damaged hand. I’ll be all right. I’ll be all right. (game-changing moment)
Those two overs from Sunil came after 13 overs. For us, the game was over when he took those wickets. To be honest, I thought we were 15 runs short, even though 204 on that wicket was good. Russell one over at a time, with Anukul and Varun providing solid support.”
Ajinkya Rahane praises Sunil Narine, saying, “He has been a champion bowler for this franchise.”
Anukul Roy has been improving his game, according to Ajinkya Rahane, who was discussing adding the spinner to the starting lineup. Ajinkya Rahane stated, “(about Anukul) Left-arm spinners have historically performed well at this ground; he has been putting in a lot of effort, but we don’t want to look too far ahead. One game at a time.” When we weren’t performing well, that was always the topic of conversation. Proceed with confidence after this game.
Ultimately, Ajinkya Rahane praised Sunil Narine profusely and called him a bowling champion. He went on to explain, “(On Narine) He has performed well on numerous occasions and has been a champion bowler for our team. Having him and Varun is great because I know I can turn to them in an emergency.
Arriving early for practice, bowling for hours on end in the nets, and honing his batting technique. Dre has been bowling fantastic yorkers in the nets and is also putting a lot of effort into his bowling technique. Together, we can support him. He has been outstanding. He has taken wickets every time he has bowled this season.
What was KKR’s performance versus DC in the last IPL match?
In their previous IPL match at Eden Gardens on April 29, 2024, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) defeated Delhi Capitals (DC) by seven wickets thanks to a strong effort.
The KKR bowlers made early progress after DC decided to bat, as Mitchell Starc and Vaibhav Arora removed both DC openers in the first four overs.
Then, when Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine destroyed DC’s middle order, spinners grabbed control. With two wickets, pacer Harshit Rana also contributed well as KKR held DC to a pitiful 153/9.
Phil Salt and Sunil Narine, KKR’s openers, played an aggressive style of cricket right away to establish a strong opening partnership of 79 runs while chasing a modest total of 154.
Particularly dominating was Phil Salt, who hammered 68 off 33 balls, followed by Sunil Narine, who added 15 off 10 balls. Then, in rapid succession, KKR lost both openers and Rinku Singh, but they had no issue pursuing the target.
Together, Shreyas Iyer (33*) and Venkatesh Iyer (26*) batted brilliantly to end the run chase in 16.3 overs with 21 balls remaining.
KKR Performance in IPL 2025 Matches (Till Date):
In the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have had difficulty winning games. Even after nine games, the club has failed to place in the top six. They received one point for their previous match against Punjab Kings (PBKS), which was called off. The reigning champions are still in the running, though.
Only three of the nine games that have been played have been won by KKR, and one of those games ended in a draw. They are now above the Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Rajasthan Royals in seventh place in the points standings. Their NRR is +0.212 and they have 7 points.
Kolkata Knight Riders have 5 matches left in the league stage
April 29: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals (Delhi) {Won by KKR}
May 4: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals (Kolkata)
May 7: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings (Kolkata)
May 10: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (Hyderabad)
May 17: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders (Bengaluru)
Qualification Scenario
According to the IPL 2025 history, a team is eligible for the playoffs if it scores 16 points. Depending on the net run rate (NRR), a team’s chances of finishing in the top four can be greatly increased even if they only manage to score 14 points. With five games left, the Kolkata Knight Riders may earn up to 17 points.
If the remaining games are won by the Kolkata Knight Riders
If KKR wins all five of their next games, they will have 17 points. Their chances of making it to the playoffs will rise as a result.
If four games are won by the Kolkata Knight Riders
If KKR wins four games, they will have 15 points. The net run rate and the outcomes of other teams would determine their qualification in this case. They will, however, be ahead of the teams that finish with 14 points.
Remarkably, with 14 points from the previous season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) earned a spot in the playoffs. But since the league switched to a 10-team format in 2022, they are the only team to qualify with the allotted points.
If three or fewer games are won by the Kolkata Knight Riders
Losing more than two games will drastically reduce KKR’s chances. Because, with 12 points and a few games left, certain teams are already in a strong position on the points table. For them to have any chance of qualifying, the other teams would need to perform well.
Considerations for Net Run Rate
Winning games is insufficient given the Kolkata Knight Riders’ current state. Many teams end with the same number of points after the league stage. In order to increase their NRR, KKR must look for massive margin wins.
Catch up on today’s IPL match: CSK vs. PBKS.
