In an exciting Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings battle at Eden Gardens, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) beat defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 3 wickets in Match 57 of the Indian Premier League 2025, virtually putting an end to KKR’s playoff hopes.
Even though CSK were already out of the tournament, they played spoilers in a heart-stopping conclusion where they chased down 179 with only two balls left.
KKR’s Playoff Hopes Thrashed in Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings
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With this loss, Kolkata Knight Riders’ playoff hopes have suffered a huge setback. KKR is now at 11 points from 12 games, and even if they win both their remaining games, they can attain no more than 15 points, short of the probable qualifying mark of 16. Although mathematically not out, KKR’s chances of entering the top four are now very slender.
KKR Posts a Target of 179 Following Rahane, Russell’s Efforts
After winning the toss, KKR opted to bat first in front of their home fans at Eden Gardens. Captain Ajinkya Rahane led the way with an impressive 48 off 33 deliveries, hitting four boundaries and two sixes.
Andre Russell provided much-needed fireworks down the stretch with a quick-fire 38 off 21 deliveries, while Manish Pandey chipped in with an unbeaten 36 off 28 deliveries. Despite the good contributions, KKR fell slightly short of creating a match-winning total with their batting performance.
Noor Ahmad Weaves Web Around KKR Batters
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The key bowler for Chennai Super Kings with the ball was Afghan spinner Noor Ahmad, who made the most of the spin-friendly surface. He came back with breathtaking figures of 4 for 31 off 4 overs, curbing KKR’s middle-order growth. Ravindra Jadeja and Anshul Kamboj also bagged one wicket each, assisting CSK in restricting KKR to a chaseable total.
Brevis Smashes 52; Dhoni Signs Off in Style
With 179 runs in pursuit, Dewald Brevis gave CSK’s chase a scorching start with 52 off 25 balls, which included an outrageous assault of 30 runs in one over against KKR bowler Vaibhav Arora, which swung the game squarely towards CSK. After he was dismissed, Shivam Dube stabilized the innings only to later fall to Arora as well.
At this point, the match was in the balance, and MS Dhoni took control towards the end, taking CSK home with 2 balls to spare and reminding everyone of his classic finishing abilities.
CSK’s Victory a Moral One Despite Playoffs Exit
While the Chennai Super Kings are mathematically out of the IPL 2025 playoffs, this is their third victory and a strong display of intent over the reigning champions. For KKR, what a disappointing way to end a season that never challenged the heights of their title-winning season of 2024.
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