Kolkata Knight Riders registered a thrilling one-run win over Rajasthan Royals in their IPL 2025 encounter on Sunday. With 22 runs to win from the final over, RR found themselves in a brilliant position with two sixes and one four in the first five balls. However, with 3 runs needed in the final ball, KKR clinched the win by a run-out. It was a huge win for KKR as it kept them in the race for the IPL 2025 playoffs but it was unfortunate for Riyan Parag whose 95-run knock went in vain.
Here’s how the final over unfolded –
19.1 – 2 runs. Jofra Archer slammed Vaibhav Arora but Rinku Singh pulled off a brilliant save to prevent a sure-shot boundary.
19.2 – 1 run. A yorker from Vaibhav and Jofra could only block the ball and take a single.
19.3 – 6 runs. A slower short ball from Vaibhav and Shubham Dubey was in the perfect position to slam it for a mammoth six over deep backward square leg.
19.4 – 4 runs. A pace-on delivery this time and Shubham Dubey once again makes no mistake in slamming it through square leg for a four. Poor fielding effort from Andre Russell.
19.5 – 6 runs. Shubham Dubey transformed the ball from Vaibhav into a full-toss and it sailed over long-off for a six. At this point, RR needed 3 runs to win from the final delivery.
19.6 – Run Out – A yorker from Vaibhav and Dubey could not connect properly. The ball went to long-on where Rinku Singh picked it up and the throw was good enough for Vaibhav to complete the run-out.
Andre Russell roared back to form with a blistering unbeaten fifty as Kolkata Knight Riders resisted Riyan Parag’s stunning 95 to edge out Rajasthan Royals by one-run in an IPL thriller that kept the defending champions’ slim playoff hopes alive on Sunday.
Russell, who had been under scrutiny for his indifferent form this season, smashed a 25-ball 57 as KKR smashed 85 runs in the last five overs to post a commanding 206/4.
In reply, Rajasthan found themselves in tatters at 71/5 inside eight overs and they needed 105 runs from the last 48 balls, before stand-in skipper Parag kept their hopes alive through his knock off 45 balls (6×4, 8×6).
But smart bowling changes from skipper Ajinkya Rahane ensured that Parag got out five short of his maiden IPL century, before Vaibhav Arora held his nerves under pressure in the final over, keeping RR down to 205/8.
The Royals required 22 runs off the last over but Impact Shubham Dube launched Arora for two sixes and a four to bring the equation down to three runs off the final delivery.
But a smart field switch by Rahane placing Rinku Singh at long-off proved decisive as his sharp throw found Arora at non-striker’s end who ran out Jofra Archer to seal the thrilling win.
(With PTI inputs)
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