Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India]: Sunil Narine delivered a stellar all-round performance as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) cruised to a convincing eight-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) match held in Chennai on Friday. The victory brought KKR back to winning ways in style.
Game set and done in a thumping style ✅@KKRiders with a 𝙆𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 to remember as they secure a comprehensive 8️⃣-wicket victory 💜
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 11, 2025
Scorecard ▶ https://t.co/gPLIYGiUFV#TATAIPL | #CSKvKKR pic.twitter.com/dADGcgITPW
KKR opted to bowl first after stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane won the toss at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. Narine set the tone early with the ball, finishing with outstanding figures of 3/13. He dismantled CSK’s middle order, applying pressure and never allowing the batters to find momentum. His spell played a key role in restricting CSK to a modest 103/9.
Opening the innings alongside Quinton de Kock, Narine carried his form into the chase. The explosive West Indian batter wasted no time, hammering 44 off just 19 balls, which included two fours and five sixes. His opening stand of 46 runs with de Kock gave KKR the upper hand early in the innings.
Clinical with the ball, fiery with the bat 🫡 🔥
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 11, 2025
A superb all-round performance earns Sunil Narine the Player of the Match award 🔝
Scorecard ▶ https://t.co/gPLIYGimQn#TATAIPL | #CSKvKKR pic.twitter.com/ofafkXbOUO
De Kock was dismissed for 23 by debutant Anshul Kamboj, while Narine fell to Noor Ahmad on the first ball of his spell. However, with the chase well under control, Ajinkya Rahane (20*) steadied the innings and stitched together a 39-run partnership with Narine.
They hunted wickets as a pack 💜
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 11, 2025
5️⃣-star performance from #KKR bowlers that scripted their victory ⭐
Scorecard ▶ https://t.co/gPLIYGiUFV#TATAIPL | #CSKvKKR | @KKRiders pic.twitter.com/q3cz2anJ0A
Rinku Singh (15*) wrapped up the match with a towering six in the 11th over, sealing the win as KKR reached 107/2 in just 10.1 overs. The win not only marked KKR’s third victory of the season but also boosted their Net Run Rate significantly, propelling them to third place in the points table with three wins in six matches.
CSK, on the other hand, faced their fifth consecutive loss and continue to struggle, languishing at the ninth spot in the standings.
Apart from Narine’s heroics, Varun Chakravarthy (2/22) and Moeen Ali (1/20) also contributed with the ball to keep CSK in check.
CSK’s innings started with left-handed duo Rachin Ravindra (4) and Devon Conway (12), but they managed only 16 runs together. Conway fell in the fourth over to Moeen Ali. Rachin was dismissed by Harshit Rana (2/16) in the very next over.
Rahul Tripathi (16) and Vijay Shankar (29) managed to take CSK past 50 with a 43-run stand, but Chakravarthy’s breakthrough dismissed Shankar in the 10th over.
The rest of the batting line-up crumbled under pressure. Ravichandran Ashwin (1), Ravindra Jadeja (0), Deepak Hooda (0), and skipper MS Dhoni (1) failed to make any significant impact.
Shivam Dube (31* off 29) was the lone bright spot, pushing the total past 100. He remained unbeaten alongside Anshul Kamboj (3*). CSK ended at 103/9 after 20 overs.
For KKR, Narine led the bowling attack with three wickets, supported by Harshit Rana and Varun Chakravarthy with two each, while Vaibhav Arora and Moeen Ali claimed one apiece.
Brief Score:
Chennai Super Kings: 103/9 in 20 overs (Shivam Dube 31*, Vijay Shankar 29; Sunil Narine 3/13)
Kolkata Knight Riders: 107/2 in 10.1 overs (Sunil Narine 44, Quinton de Kock 23; Noor Ahmad 1/8)