KKR vs RR: Kolkata Defeat Rajasthan By 1 Run, Keep IPL 2025 Playoffs Hopes Alive
The Ajinkya Rahane-led KKR kept their IPL 2025 playoffs dreams alive with a win over Rajasthan Royals.
KKR vs RR: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) defeated Rajasthan Royals (RR) by one run in the 53rd match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on May 4 (Sunday) at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. It was a nail-biting last-over thriller, with both teams in contention until the final delivery, but KKR kept their composure and emerged victorious.
Chasing 223, RR needed 22 off the final over bowled by Vaibhav Arora. Shubham Dubey kept RR in the hunt with two sixes and a four, leaving them needing 3 off the final ball. However, a brilliant throw from Rinku Singh resulted in Jofra Archer being run out while attempting a second run, sealing a nail-biting win for KKR.
Hum ladenge, aakhiri ball tak ladenge ⚔️💪 pic.twitter.com/9Kr0usKWcE
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 4, 2025
After piling up 206 on the board, courtesy of key contributions from Rahmanullah Gurbaz (35), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (44), and a late unbeaten 57-run blitz by Andre Russell, KKR faced a fierce fightback from Riyan Parag. The RR batter nearly pulled off the chase with a breathtaking 95 off 45 balls, laced with 8 sixes and 6 fours. However, crucial breakthroughs — including a pivotal double-strike by Varun Chakravarthy that dismissed Dhruv Jurel and Wanindu Hasaranga for ducks — stalled Rajasthan’s charge at vital junctures.
Heading into the match, KKR needed to win all four of their remaining games to stay in contention for the playoffs. With this victory, they now require three more wins from their remaining three fixtures.
Here’s what the winning captain Ajinkya Rahane said after the match:
"It was really close but really happy, when you win by one or two runs it gives you a lot of satisfaction. 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."
Here's a look at the updated IPL 2025 points table after KKR's one-run win over RR:
IPL 2025 Updated Points Table
| Pos | Team | Mat | Won | Lost | Tied | NR | Pts | NRR |
| 1 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0.482 |
| 2 | Mumbai Indians | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1.274 |
| 3 | Gujarat Titans | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0.867 |
| 4 | Punjab Kings | 10 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 0.199 |
| 5 | Delhi Capitals | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0.362 |
| 6 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 11 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0.249 |
| 7 | Lucknow Super Giants | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | -0.325 |
| 8 | Rajasthan Royals (E) | 12 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 6 | -0.718 |
| 9 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6 | -1.192 |
| 10 | Chennai Super Kings (E) | 11 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -1.117 |
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