IPL 2025: Sunil Narine's Outstanding Performance Propels KKR to Victory Over CSK by Eight Wickets

Chennai, April 11 (NationPress) Sunil Narine delivered an exceptional all-round performance, capturing 3-13 in his four overs and then scoring a thrilling 44, leading the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to a commanding victory over the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by eight wickets in a lopsided Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 encounter at the MA Chidambaram Stadium here on Friday.

On a pitch that favored spinners right from the start, Narine, alongside Varun Chakaravarthy and Moeen Ali, collectively took six wickets, as CSK's batting faltered, managing a disappointing 103/9, marking their lowest IPL score at Chepauk.

In response, Narine's explosive batting, coupled with the CSK bowlers over-pitching their deliveries, allowed KKR to chase down the modest total with 59 balls to spare, elevating them to third place in the points table.

This defeat signifies CSK's largest loss in IPL history in terms of balls remaining, as they now face their first five-game losing streak in the franchise's history.

After losing the toss, CSK, led by MS Dhoni, aimed to bat first but failed to capitalize due to the disciplined bowling from KKR, succumbing to a mix of pressure and poor shot choices.

It was Shivam Dube’s unbeaten 31 off 29 balls that spared CSK from being all out for their lowest-ever IPL score of 79. Devon Conway started with two boundaries off pacer Vaibhav Arora before getting trapped lbw for 12 while attempting a reverse-sweep off Moeen.

In the next over, CSK faced another setback as Rachin Ravindra was caught at cover while trying to slog Harshit Rana. Vijay Shankar was nearly dismissed when Moeen dropped him at mid-off with no runs on the board, but he went on to hit boundaries off Chakaravarthy and Moeen, before eventually falling for 29 after mistiming a sweep.

Ravichandran Ashwin's promotion proved ineffective as he was caught off Rana, while Ravindra Jadeja was dismissed for a duck by Narine, and impact player Deepak Hooda chipped one to short mid-wicket off Chakaravarthy. CSK's hopes for big runs from MS Dhoni ended when he was trapped lbw by Narine for just one run.

From the other end, Dube finally broke the boundary drought, hitting Rana for a four, but injured his leg while attempting a second run. Nonetheless, he managed to push CSK past the 100-mark with a boundary on the final ball of the innings.

KKR began their chase aggressively as Narine and Quinton de Kock hit sixes off Khaleel Ahmed and Anshul Kamboj. Remarkably, while CSK managed just one six in their entire innings, KKR hit two sixes within the first seven balls of the chase. De Kock continued the assault, striking two sixes off Khaleel.

Ravichandran Ashwin's introduction did not change the momentum, as Narine struck a four and then launched a carrom ball over deep square leg for six. De Kock eventually fell for 23, bowled by Kamboj while trying to clear the leg side.

Ajinkya Rahane showcased his elegance with a drive down the ground and a flick over square-leg for six, while Narine continued his scoring spree with a four and a six off Khaleel.

Despite being dismissed for 44 by Noor Ahmad, Rahane and Rinku Singh quickly completed the chase, providing the reigning champions a significant win and boosting their NRR, while CSK's disappointing season continues in IPL 2025.

Brief scores:

Chennai Super Kings 103/9 in 20 overs (Shivam Dube 31 not out, Vijay Shankar 29; Sunil Narine 3-13, Harshit Rana 2-16) lost to Kolkata Knight Riders 107/2 in 10.1 overs (Sunil Narine 44, Quinton de Kock 23; Noor Ahmad 1-8, Anshul Kamboj 1-19) by eight wickets.