In a nail-biting match on Tuesday, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) came up just short, losing to the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by four runs in the IPL 2025. The game took place at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata, where LSG set a daunting target by scoring a staggering 238 runs for 3. Their innings was driven by impressive half-centuries from Nicholas Pooran, who scored 87 not out, and Mitchell Marsh, who chipped in with 81.
KKR’s chase was exciting, especially thanks to their captain Ajinkya Rahane, who put on a show with a flashy 61 runs off just 35 balls. The crowd was buzzing as he led the charge, but on the flip side, there was concern about the strategy with Rinku Singh batting down at number 8. He eventually came in to bat late in the game and managed to score 38 runs without getting out, but it wasn’t enough to turn the tide in KKR’s favor. With KKR needing nearly twelve runs per over in the final ten overs, some were left scratching their heads as to why they had their star players, like Andre Russell, batting so low in the order. Former Indian cricketer Mohammed Kaif wasn’t shy about voicing his thoughts on this, pointing out on social media that with such a high target, it was too late for the heavy hitters to come in when the team was already under pressure.
In this match, LSG’s fast bowlers, Akash Deep and Shardul Thakur, played crucial roles. Each of them took two wickets at pivotal moments, causing a collapse in KKR’s middle order. They dismissed Rahane and also caught Russell for just seven runs, while Deep had Venkatesh Iyer walking back to the pavilion after scoring 45. Sunil Narine kicked off KKR’s innings with a quickfire 30 runs off just 13 balls, which pumped some energy into the team, but once he left, it seemed like KKR lost their rhythm as they struggled to maintain their strong start.
After this match, LSG celebrated their third win out of five games this season, while KKR, who had lifted the IPL trophy last year, found themselves with three losses out of their five matches. It was definitely a game that would keep fans talking long after the last ball was bowled!