Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders are virtually out of the IPL 2025 playoff race after suffering a heartbreaking two-wicket defeat to Chennai Super Kings at Eden Gardens on Wednesday. In a match full of momentum shifts, CSK held their nerve in a tense chase to seal their third win of the season and dent KKR’s fading hopes of qualification.
Chasing 180, CSK were rocked early, losing both openers for ducks. But debutant Urvil Patel brought the chase back to life with a dazzling 31 off just 11 balls, displaying fearlessness against the new ball. However, his dismissal triggered another collapse as CSK stumbled to 60/5.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Just when it seemed KKR were on course to defend the total, Dewald Brevis flipped the script with a blistering 52 off 25 balls. The South African took apart Vaibhav Arora for 30 runs in a single over, drastically tilting the momentum in CSK’s favour.
Shivam Dube held the innings together with a calm and composed 45 off 40 balls. And with the ever-reliable MS Dhoni at the other end, CSK ensured there would be no panic. Even two wickets in the penultimate over didn’t rattle Dhoni, who delivered a trademark six in the final over. Anshul Kamboj hit the winning runs, taking CSK over the line with just a ball to spare.
Earlier, KKR opted to bat first and rode on a solid foundation laid by skipper Ajinkya Rahane, who scored 48 off 33 balls. Sunil Narine contributed with a brisk start, while Andre Russell chipped in with a powerful 38 (21). Manish Pandey provided support through the middle overs with an unbeaten 33.
But the innings belonged to CSK’s young Afghan spinner Noor Ahmad, who picked up a stunning 4/31. He triggered a mid-innings collapse by dismissing Narine, Raghuvanshi, Russell, and Rinku, ensuring KKR were restricted to 179/6 — a total that looked competitive but proved just short.
KKR, now on 11 points from 12 matches, have just two games left and are heavily reliant on other results and net run rate , to have any chance of sneaking into the top four. For CSK, already out of playoff contention, the win was a morale boost and a reminder that pride still matters.
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