IPL 2025: Iyer's explosive finish and Raghuvanshi's fifty lead KKR to 200/6 against SRH

Synopsis

In IPL 2025, Kolkata Knight Riders posted a formidable score of 200/6 against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens. Venkatesh Iyer's explosive 60 and Angkrish Raghuvanshi's mature 50 anchored the innings, particularly in the death overs, showcasing their resilience despite early setbacks.

Key Takeaways

KKR scored 200/6 in 20 overs.
Venkatesh Iyer led the late innings with 60 runs.
Angkrish Raghuvanshi contributed significantly with 50 runs.
The team recovered well from an early collapse.
The last seven overs saw KKR score 91 runs.

Kolkata, April 3 (NationPress) The reigning champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have set a formidable total against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Match 15 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the Eden Gardens, thanks to an impressive late-innings surge led by Venkatesh Iyer and Rinku Singh.

KKR concluded their innings at 200/6 in 20 overs, bouncing back from early challenges with a dynamic middle-order partnership.

The opening pair for KKR, which had struggled to find rhythm in previous matches, faced another disappointing start. Sunil Narine and Quinton de Kock could not deliver the explosive beginning the team needed.

After a subdued first over, de Kock misplayed a pull shot off Pat Cummins and was caught in the deep for just one run (6 balls). Narine followed shortly, edging an over-pitched delivery from Mohammed Shami to the keeper for seven runs (7 balls). KKR found themselves in a precarious position at 17/2 within three overs, prompting captain Ajinkya Rahane and young Angkrish Raghuvanshi to step in.

With the team in a difficult spot, Rahane and Raghuvanshi steadied the innings with calculated aggression. They capitalized on short deliveries, keeping the scoreboard moving with well-placed boundaries and swift running between the wickets. Rahane hit three sixes and played fluently before departing for 38 runs off 27 balls while attempting a reverse sweep against Zeeshan Ansari.

Raghuvanshi, showcasing maturity beyond his years, reached his second IPL fifty off just 30 balls. However, his notable innings of 50 runs (32 balls, five fours, two sixes) ended when he sliced Kamindu Mendis’ off-spin to deep backward point. At 109/4 in 13.2 overs, KKR had lost both well-set batsmen, shifting the onus to their middle-order.

As the innings reached a critical point, Venkatesh Iyer (60 off 29 balls) and Rinku Singh (not out 32 off 17) took charge. Initially cautious, the pair unleashed a barrage of attacking shots in the final overs. Iyer found his rhythm with powerful strokes against Simarjeet and Shami, while Rinku sparked KKR's momentum with three consecutive fours off Harshal Patel in the 17th over.

The turning point came in the 19th over bowled by Cummins, as Rinku hammered 4,6,4,4,2,1, reaching his fifty in just 25 balls. The final partnership produced 91 runs off merely 41 balls, at an astonishing run rate of 11.25.

KKR’s late flourish allowed them to amass 91 runs in the last seven overs, elevating their total to 200 in 20 overs. The innings was characterized by Venkatesh Iyer’s anchoring role and Rinku Singh’s audacious hitting, putting pressure back on SRH’s bowling lineup.

Brief scores:

Kolkata Knight Riders 200/6 in 20 overs (Venkatesh Iyer 60, Angkrish Raghuvanshi 50; Mohammed Shami 1-29, Zeeshan Ansari 1-25) against Sunrisers Hyderabad