KKR Crush SRH by 80 Runs to Climb IPL 2025 Points Table: Kolkata Knight Riders produced a commanding all-round performance to thrash Sunrisers Hyderabad by 80 runs in their IPL 2025 encounter at Eden Gardens on Thursday. The comprehensive victory propelled KKR to the fifth position in the standings while leaving SRH languishing at the bottom after their third straight defeat.
Opting to bat first, KKR posted an imposing 200/6, their highest total of the season. The innings was built on crucial contributions throughout the order. Youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi announced himself with a stylish 50 off just 32 balls, sharing an 81-run stand with skipper Ajinkya Rahane (38 off 27). However, it was Venkatesh Iyer who stole the show with a scintillating 60 off just 29 deliveries, answering his critics in emphatic fashion. Iyer combined with the ever-dangerous Rinku Singh (32* off 17) in a devastating 91-run partnership that came in just 41 balls, tearing apart the SRH bowling attack in the death overs.
The SRH chase never gained momentum as KKR’s bowlers produced a clinical performance. Vaibhav Arora set the tone with two early strikes, removing the dangerous Travis Head (4) and Ishan Kishan (2) in his opening spell to finish with excellent figures of 3/29. Harshit Rana compounded SRH’s misery by dismissing Abhishek Sharma (2), leaving the visitors reeling at 9/3 inside three overs. The middle order failed to mount any meaningful resistance as Andre Russell and Sunil Narine chipped in with a wicket each. Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy then cleaned up the tail with two wickets in two balls during his 3/22 spell, bundling out SRH for a paltry 120 in just 16.4 overs.
The victory marked an important turnaround for KKR after losing two of their first three matches. They will look to continue this momentum when they face Lucknow Super Giants in their next encounter. Meanwhile, SRH’s dismal start to their title defense continues, and they will hope to regroup when they return home to face Gujarat Titans.
With Nicholas Pooran currently leading the Orange Cap race (189 runs) and CSK’s Noor Ahmed holding the Purple Cap (9 wickets), the individual honors remain keenly contested even as KKR’s comprehensive team performance stole the spotlight in this match.
