KKR vs LSG Highlights: Rinku, Rahane’s knocks in vain as KKR lose a high-scoring thriller by 4 runs

"A really tight match. No complaints, in the end we fought hard but just four runs short. The intent and how everyone played was amazing," the KKR captain says. 

Have to ask though -- the toss decision and also to hold back DreRuss and Rinku that late, not great tactical calls. How much will KKR rue those decisions? 

With the result, LSG moved up to 4th in the table with their third win of the season while 2024 champions slid down to sixth to remain on four points. That might still change today with Punjab Kings hosting Chennai Super Kings in Mullanpur.

Follow that live blog here: PBKS vs CSK, IPL 2025 LIVE Cricket Score Online

Sometimes conceding a four is also a smart move. Bishnoi does the smart thing to stay out of Rinku's hitting arc, that means he can only hit a four at best. And that seals the match for LSG. 

Rinku hits another four off the penultimate ball and finishes the match with a six. A 15-ball 38 from him and KKR fall just one shot short!

LSG win a thriller by 4 runs... SMALL MARGINS.

24 off 6 needed. Harshit on strike, will he take a single? No goes down the ground and square cuts one for four. Not bad, but Rinku off strike still. 

20 off 5... and it is a dot ball. That was the problem with Rinku not being on strike for the last over. 

20 off 4... and now Harshit gets off strike. Rinku on strike with 19 off 3 needed. 

Now, that's how you respond as a bowler! One of the things Ricky Ponting said in the Idea Exchange with us recently was that bowlers should still execute yorkers as much as possible. Avesh comes back with three dot balls, three well executed deliveries.

The last ball goes for four and while that makes it a 16-run over, it keeps Rinku off strike. So not the worst cases for LSG. 

24 needed off the last over. 

RINKU SINGH STARTS THE 19th OVER WITH SIX AND SIX! 

Wow, he has pulled off some heists in the past. But this would be something else. Avesh with the 19th over, first smashed over deep midwicket. The 2nd ball is just an extraordinary shot from Rinku, nearly digs one out of the block hole for a six over long off. 28 off 10, doesn't look improbable. 

The Delhi spinner continues to be very impressive. One expensive over today but finishes with figures of 4-0-33-1. A reverse hit four for Rinku in that over. Digvesh keeps growing in stature. And he'd have particularly enjoyed that the one wicket he did get was the guy who has inspired his action. 

Rinku keeps strike after that over. KKR need 38 off 12 balls. 

A misfield off the last ball Shardul's over goes for four but what that does is keep Rinku off strike for the next over and Pant smartly brings on Digvesh who earns a couple of cheap dot balls. Little moments. 

SHARDUL THAKUR, TAKE A BOW! What an evening for him. 100th match, emotional scenes before the match, tough challenge in the middle after bowling 5 consecutive wides at the start of an over... but he looked unflustered through it all, he knew he was following a plan. And then ends up taking Rahane's wicket off a full toss.. NOW DRE RUSS ALSO GOES OFF A FULL TOSS! Miller with a great catch at long off.

Andre Russell c David Miller b Shardul Thakur 7 (4 balls)

DreRuss and Rinku reunited in the middle, but both are on 0 off 0 balls as the latter comes out to bat. Too much to do? 

DreRuss smashes his 2nd ball for a six... and there is hope again. In his slot and it is a 87m six. Poor delivery from Akash. 

It's a big collapse now alright! KKR simply had to find a way to switch the momentum but they have inflicted further damage. Akash Deep into the attack after the timeout and he induces the leading edge from Venky Iyer that has all the height but no distance. The over started with good intent from Venky for a four but next ball, he finds the fielder at long on. 

Venkatesh Iyer c Aiden Markram b Akash Deep 45 (29 balls)

Here's the final stretch. And finally DreRuss has come out to bat, joining Venky Iyer in the middle. 

Required rate: 13.20 • Need 66 from 30 balls.

Three quick wickets! That one Shardul full toss has triggered a KKR collapse here. This time Avesh Khan strikes. After being hit for a four through the offside, Angkrish gets too adventurous and tries to play the ramp over the wicketkeeper but ends up spooning it to Rishabh. 

Super turnaround for LSG! In these big run-chases, usually 1-2 good overs can be turn the game in your favour. 

Angkrish Raghuvanshi c Rishabh Pant b Avesh Khan 5 (4 balls)

In the middle of the 15th over: Last 15 balls, 14 runs and 2 wickets. 

Even if Rinku Singh is being kept out of the middle because Venky (a leftie) is in the middle, DreRuss should have walked in now surely? But it is the young Raghuvanshi. KKR are losing steam here. 

Just four runs off the 14th over! In this situation, that could be gold dust. But more importantly, it ends with a wicket for Bishnoi, as Ramandeep's promotion doesn't pay off. He finds the fielder at long off. There was a long pause in that over when Venky Iyer decided to review a wide not given (and nearly got himself stumped) but did that break break the momentum? 

Ramandeep Singh c Aiden Markram b Ravi Bishnoi 1 (2 balls)

11 - Tushar Deshpande (CSK v LSG, 2023)
11 - Mohammed Siraj (RCB v MI, 2023)

Shardul has equalled the longest IPL over, informs Lalith Kalidas. 

In typical Shardul style, in an over where he started off bowling five straight wides, he strikes with a full toss! Rahane can't quite believe it, he has hit this high full toss straight to the fielder at cover. Not high enough for a no ball, so there is no review. What an eventful over. And a fine knock too from Rahane. 

Ajinkya Rahane c Nicholas Pooran b Shardul Thakur 61 (35 balls)

A hat-trick of wides... actually make that FOUR WIDES IN A ROW. Shardul Thakur is trying to bowl the wide line to keep Rahane to the longer side, Oh boy, make it FIVE WIDES IN A ROW. And as Rahane takes a single off the next ball, it is effectively a six off one ball! But taking the scenic route there. One of those wides was harsh perhaps but Pant not taking the review because they have only one left.

Pant then has another half chance as Thakur induces the false shot from Rahane, but the edge flies over the captain's head.

Digvesh has been economical so far but that over goes for 13 runs! Two fours for Venky Iyer, first a reverse sweep that clears the two fielders inside the ring on the offside. Then a cover drive that should have been cut off by the onrushing long off fielder but not to be. There was one delivery that really gripped and bounced past Venky in that over, but there hasn't too much on terms of assistance for the bowlers. 

BREAK IN PLAY: Pant getting some treatment on his back. 

As he started the season off, Rahane scores another lovely half century. Gets there with a superbly placed sweep off Avesh Khan.A 26-ball half century for the KKR captain, who is batting like a man on a mission. Earlier in the Avesh over, Venky took a painful blow on his foot from a yorker. 

Rahane with a classy cut for four but the shot of that over was the free-flowing bat-swing of Venky Iyer taking the ball high into the night sky and over long on for a six. KKR haven't taken the foot off the pedal, scoring at 12.9 an over and need 11s an over in the backhalf of the run-chase. Pressure all on LSG. 

Oh, it was shaping into yet over without a boundary conceded by Digvesh. But off the last ball, a hard slash from Venky takes the outside edge and Pant can't hold on. Perhaps a tough chance, never easy these ones. And the edge trickles past short third for four.  

Shocking fielding from Akash Deep and Ravi Bishnoi is not a happy bowler. A cut shot from Venky Iyer, but it bounced and turned awkwardly for Akash at short third. No excuse though, didn't have his body behind the ball and it is a gift. Venky finishes the over with a crunching pull shot between long on and midwicket. That raced to the fence! 

The required rate is 11 and KKR got 11 in that over. 

Lucknow Super Giants recorded their second-highest total of the Indian Premier League during the away match against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Tuesday. It is also the second-highest total at this venue.

Once again this IPL, a wicket soon after a timeout. Digvesh gets his idol with the first ball he has bowled to him. Expected wrong'un that is taking the ball away fron Narine, and the attempted lofted drive is only toe-ended. Digvesh does the write off celebration again, this time onto the pitch. Another (silly) fine coming in?

Sunil Narine c Aiden Markram b Digvesh Rathi 30 (13 balls)

Digvesh Rathi will get a chance to bowl to his idol, whom he has modelled his action on. 

KKR have put the power in Powerplay! That is some serious ball-striking. Two stunning sixes from Rahane in that over off Avesh Khan, the sound off the bat so sweet as he picked up two length balls on the stumps, and deposited them over square leg. A four too in that over and the scoring rate is back to 15 for KKR 

Surprsingly, LSG keep Akash Deep on for a third over in the powerplay. It's not a great idea on a flat pitch because the batters can line up a bowler who bowls three in a row, it is something Shane Watson has said often in the past. He never allowed a bowler to settle if he is facing him for a third over. Rahane starts the over with two overs and Narine finishes the over with another, over mid off. 

A one-handed six from Narine... quite literally, threw his hands at a length ball from Shardul, but the timing is good enough to clear the fence over extra cover. Shardul trying to keep the angle well outside off to stay from Narine's hitting arc, but bowls a couple of wides. One more wide follows, Shardul overdoing the outsideoff ploy. Last ball, Narine moves across, predictable from the bowler, and the batter smashes it for four. 

In the previous over, Rahane got off the mark with a streaky outside for four. KKR are going at 15-an-over.

OH WOW! One ball after a nightmare review, Rishabh Pant and LSG get this right. Pant could have easily decided not to go for this review after what just happened the previous ball but this looked close for LBW against QdK. The big thing usually for a LBW to be given for a right-arm pacer to a left-hand batter from over the wicket is the ball pitching within the line of stumps... and it is! 

THREE REDS ON DRS AND LSG GET THEIR MAN! 

Quinton de Kock lbw b Akash Deep 15 (9 balls)

What is Rishabh Pant thinking there? QdK is beaten on the outside edge and there is an appeal for caught behind. No one else seems interested but Pant takes the punt... and there is daylight between bat and ball! Oh geez. 

QdK welcomes Shardul Thakur – playing his 100th IPL match – with a casual checked on-drive over midwicket for a six. And annoyingly for LSG, Narine scores a couple of streaky boundaries at the end of the over, two outside edges either side of the fielder at short third.

What a start for KKR. Getting ahead of the chase early. 31/0 after 2 overs. 

KKR have 5 runs on board even before a ball is bowled as Akash Deep starts off with a wide that goes for four. Oh boy, nearly another 5 wides later in the over but Pant does superbly to cut one off. Narine then smashes a six over long on. It's just the start KKR wanted. About the required rate right away. Reminder, LSG's bowling is not their strong suit and KKR have depth in the batting lineup. 

As expected, Mitch Marsh has been subbed out, Ravi Bishnoi comes in. 

Akash Deep will start things off for LSG. QdK and Narine in the middle, no right-left combination in case KKR might have been tempted to tinker. 

Lalith Kalidas: Wise call today, but the LSG innings tells pretty much where Rishabh Pant the white-ball batter currently stands. Guessing the Indian managements are also to be blamed for picking him consistently and not have him refine his game over the last five years.

Join us shortly for the run-chase. 

All said and done, not a bad last over from Vaibhav Arora but plenty of damage done already by LSG. The final over starts with a four for Pooran, finding the gap between cover and mid off. He gets off strike though and Miller is unable to do too much damage, frustrated after missing out a full toss on the offside. Pooran finishes unbeaten on 36-ball 87. LSG storm to 237/3. 

80s for Marsh and Pooran, the two in-form batters delivering for LSG once again. Rishabh Pant didn't come out to bat, but LSG had plenty of firepower on display today. Rahane's decision to bowl first looks more and more iffy. 

Another four in that over for Nicky P, and he keeps strike for the last over too. He is on 81... a century surely on the cards. 

Samad's promotion doesn't quite work out but understandably, he is dismissed trying to play a big shot. Harshit strikes timber. Another good slower delivery. The batter did manage a four the previous delivery. 

Still no Rishabh Pant, wow. His form must be worrying LSG more than they are letting on. David Miller comes in. 

Abdul Samad b Harshit Rana 6 (4 balls)

DreRuss troubles Pooran with a bouncer, but Pooran's attempted pull takes the top edge and goes for four. If Harshit had done better at third man, maybe Pooran could have been kept off strike? 

But no not to be! MASSIVE OVER FOR LSG. Pooran smashes DreRuss for 4, 6, 4, 6. The first three over square leg and then the last one over long off. DreRuss tried the off-pace shorter balls, but Pooran not missing any. STUNNING BATTING. Pooran has reached 76 off 30, LSG on 217.

NICKY P! Two stunning sixes to start the 17th over. Harshit Rana stays leg side to Pooran, sound plan on paper, but when it is in the hitting arc for Pooran it doesn't matter much there is a longer side at the venue. A 21-ball half century for the red-hot West Indies superstar. LSG have reached 193, with 3 overs to go. 

Oh what a shot. A Nataraja shot, if you will. On his pads, whipped over square leg for a six. Nearly falls over and gets dismissed next ball though.

Interestingly, it is Samad in at No 4 and Rishabh Pant stays in the dugout. LSG keeping the right-left combo to keep the shorter side accessible.

DreRuss comes in, DreRuss strikes. Feeding to Marsh on the offside and forcing him to access the longer side of the field. The Aussie big man goes for a square cut and can't find the distance. Rinku makes no mistake at deep point. 

Mitchell Marsh c Rinku Singh b Andre Russell 81 (48 balls)

DreRuss brought on. LSG on 170 after 15 overs. If they score 60-65 more in the last 5 overs, KKR are looking at a 230+ target. 

It was actually shaping into a good over from Narine... but then Pooran goes big over square off the 4th ball, a slog sweep that actually came off the toe of the bat. Nothing mistimed about the next six off the last ball of the over, lofted elegantly over long off. 

ANOTHER 16-RUN OVER. GEEZ, that toss decision by Rahane is looking increasingly shocking. 

Varun's done with his 4 overs, so off he goes. Angkrish Raghuvanshi comes in as the Impact Sub. And right away, a superb effort on the field to prevent a boundary at the start of the Sunil Narine over. Pretty sure Varun wouldn't have gotten there. 

Oh wow. The message from the timeout seems to have been clear. Keep going, mates! Pooran welcomes Varun with a sensational cover drive for six. Then Marsh smashes one down the ground. And this is off the best KKR bowler so far. Varun was so good till now but concedes 16 in his last over. 

The 50-run partnership is up in quick time between these two Orange Cap frontrunners. 

They are already looking good for a big sore and have plenty of firepower still left. 

Varun to bowl out right after the timeout. 

Oh boy! Marsh with another massive six, picking up one of the pads from Vaibhav and sending it over square leg. The pacer is rattled after that first-ball six, bowls a couple of wayward wides, then another wide one down the leg is glanced for four. Marsh was going under run-a-ball towards the end of the powerplay, his strike rate is now nearly 170. 

16 from that Vaibhav over and it's time for the 2nd timeout. KKR could really use some spark. 

SPENCER GOING FOR PLENTY. It's not been a good return to the XI for the left-arm pacer. Three boundaries in that over! One by Marsh and two by Pooran, both cut smartly behind point. The second one, really poor fielding. This is looking ominous for KKR. 

Penny for Rahane's thoughts... was it the right call at the toss? 

FOUR HALF CENTURIES IN FIVE MATCHES! Mitch Marsh is lighting up IPL 2025. It's not been the most fluent knock of the tournament so far, but Mitch Marsh of the old might not have lasted through a tough phase at the start. He has dug it out today and can still make this very big. Gets to the half century with a four over cover. 

Oh and perhaps a fine coming for him too, heh. Not new for him. He gives a pointing-to-the-dressing-room kinda sendoff after bowling a lovely off-cutter that beats Markram. Brilliant delivery that. Markram had hit the previous ball for four. A fine knock from Markram, though. Made it look easier than it was 

Aiden Markram b Harshit Rana 47 (28 balls)

Really good stuff from Varun. Started off with a short and wide one to Marsh that the big man muscled through cover once more, just brute force. But Varun comes back superbly to concede just 7 runs in that over. 3-0-16-0 are his figures at the moment. Changed line in that over too, round the wicket to work the angle and force the batters to access the off side. 

Marsh with a powerful cut in front of the fielder at deep point, top notch placement, muscled it through. It's a 10-run over from Narine, as LSG openers continue to keep things ticking. Both the players are in the 40s and Marsh has overtaken Markram (albeit having faced a few more deliveries). 

No boundaries in that over, as Varun keeps things tight to both Markram and Marsh. The field has been pushed back and Varun has a solid understanding of the lengths he needs to bowl. Once again, there is enough evidence that this is not a batting belter, so LSG are doing alright so far. Narine will continue from the other end. 

Quite often in this IPL so far, we have seen a wicket fall right after a break in play. Can KKR find their breakthrough? Varun to continue after the strategic timeout. 

Welcome Sunil Narine! A monster 97m six from Mitch Marsh over midwicket, picked up the line and length quickly and slog swept with power. Follows that up with a four. Mitch Marsh has definitely found his range here, maybe the time to took he settle in is coming in handy. KKR need a break through here quite desperately now, another big over. 

Big finish to the powerplay for LSG! Harshit Rana comes on to bowl the 6th over of the match and Markram makes room to cut one over the gully region for six. That actually was an outside edge more than a cut but played to the field. And struggling for timing up until now, Marsh deposits a slower over into the sightscreen down the ground! Maybe that will free him up. Early signs are that the pitch is not the easiest to bat on, so 59/0 after the powerplay is pretty good start. 

Here's a look at the skewed boundary conditions that we spoke about earlier, as pointed out on the broadcast. This will come into play a lot today. Meanwhile, Marsh is continue to struggle with his timing. It's a complete 180-degree from what we saw for LSG vs MI where Marsh was on fire in the powerplay and Markram played 2nd fiddle. Very good first over from Varun, using the big side to the leg side to his advantage,