HIGHLIGHTS KKR vs CSK IPL 2025 Match 57 - Result, Scorecard

We are all set for CSK's reply to commence. The two umpires and players have made their way out to the centre. Harshit Rana comes on as Kolkata's impact sub, replacing Manish Pandey. A new opening pair for Chennai as Ayush Mhatre walks out to open the innings alongside Devon Conway. Vaibhav Arora will open the attack for the home side. Let's play...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Right then, the game is finely balanced with both sides backing themselves at this stage. On a surface that has offered grip and turn, KKR will rely on their quality spin attack, with 12 overs of spin available unless they opt for a fourth option. For CSK, the key will be to capitalise on the Powerplay, the phase where batting looked most comfortable when KKR were batting.

Manish Pandey is in for a chat. He says that maybe he could have got 10 runs more from his side, but reckons that Russell and Rinku did well to get the boundaries, and they do have the bowlers to defend it. Adds that his idea was to just stay there till the end. Mentions that the pacers are doing well and the spinners are doing the job in the middle phase as well, and hopefully, it will be a good game.

After choosing to bat first, the Knight Riders lost Rahmanullah Gurbaz early, but brisk knocks from Sunil Narine and Ajinkya Rahane helped them post 67 runs in the Powerplay. However, the middle overs saw CSK’s spin trio take control, exploiting the conditions well to stem the flow of runs and build pressure. Rahane, dropped on 15, couldn’t capitalise on the chance and fell soon after. Andre Russell provided a much-needed injection of impetus, especially with Manish Pandey struggling for fluency. Pandey managed to find a few boundaries late in the innings, helping KKR reach a competitive 179.

Excellent final over from CSK to close out an innings that ebbed and flowed throughout. The Powerplay belonged to KKR before CSK clawed their way back during the middle overs through spin. KKR then upped the ante with 64 runs in the five overs leading up to the final over, but with just 6 coming off the last, CSK managed to limit them under 180.

Matheesha Pathirana to Manish Pandey, What an over! Just six singles off it and KKR fail to reach the 180-run mark! Full and straight now, quicker too, Manish Pandey hangs back and makes room to power it away but can't get under it. The ball goes straight to mid off and it will be just a single. KKR finish with 179/6 on the board!

Matheesha Pathirana to Ramandeep Singh, A loopy full toss now, on middle and leg, around the hips but dips as well. Ramandeep can only flic it down to fine leg for a single.

Matheesha Pathirana to Manish Pandey, Full toss on the pads, a bit slower and deceiving the batter. Pandey helps it down to fine leg for one more. Matheesha Pathirana finishing off strongly here for CSK.

Matheesha Pathirana to Ramandeep Singh, Can we call that a dropped catch? Very, very difficult to snaffle that one. An inswinging yorker on leg stump, at almost 148 clicks, Ramandeep Singh gets inside the line and flicks it off the leading edge and wide of the keeper. MS Dhoni springs to his left ad tts a bit of glove on it as the ball goes to fine leg for just one more.

Matheesha Pathirana to Manish Pandey, Another full and straight one, tailing into the leg pole, Pandey makes room but fails to get under it and drills it straight to mid off for only a run.

Matheesha Pathirana to Ramandeep Singh, Slingy delivery, bowled full and outside off, just tailing in, Ramandeep Singh goes way deep in his crease and hammers it along the turf to long on for a single.

Noor Ahmad to Manish Pandey, Fuller in length, sliding on from middle and leg, Pandey plays it back to the bowler.

Noor Ahmad to Manish Pandey, FOUR! Right in the gap! A bit too short from Noor, bowling it slightly outside off as well. Manish Pandey has enough room to free the arms and pull it in between long on and deep mid-wicket for a boundary.

Noor Ahmad to Manish Pandey, Wide! Quick and full, spilled well down the leg side for a wide.

Noor Ahmad to Ramandeep Singh, Dragged length on middle, turning away, Ramandeep Singh waits and taps it to point for a single.

Ramandeep Singh is in next.

Noor Ahmad to Rinku Singh, OUT! CAUGHT! Excellent judgment in the deep from the youngster! A long hop from Noor Ahmad, on middle and leg, there to be put away. Rinku Singh hangs back and then pulls it flat towards deep backward square leg. Ayush Mhatre over there takes the catch to his right but it nearly pops out before Ayush manages to regain his composure and snatch it on the second attempt, all whilst keeping his balance to stay inside the ropes as well.

Taken on the second attempt by Ayush Mhatre! Has he managed to keep his foot away from the fence? Yes, the replays confirm that he has successfully done so.

Noor Ahmad to Rinku Singh, Close but not close enough! On a dragged length, turning across the left-hander as well. Rinku Singh with another attempt at the reverse sweep but he misses. The ball goes off the pads to the leg side and Manish Pandey is already halfway down the track. Rinku sends him back as the throw comes in at the bowler's end and the bails are whipped off. Pandey makes it back though.

Noor Ahmad to Rinku Singh, FOUR! Top shot! Floated up around off and angling in, Rinku Singh sets up for the reverse sweep early and nails it over short third for a boundary.

Matheesha Pathirana to Rinku Singh, Oh, that's slipped out of the hand, but the batter is taken by surprise as well. Slower one, looking for the yorker, but turns out to be a chest height full toss that dips on the batter. Rinku Singh just dabs it through backward point for a single.

Matheesha Pathirana to Rinku Singh, A wide yorker now, flirting with the tramline and Rinku leaves it alone. No wide called, but Rinku does review it. The third umpire is called in and replays show that some part of the ball is within the guideline and it will be a dot ball.

Matheesha Pathirana to Rinku Singh, FOUR! Streaky! Full toss on off, slanting across, Rinku Singh does open the face of the blade but ends up gliding it more off the outside edge and past the keeper into the third man fence.

Matheesha Pathirana to Manish Pandey, Full and wide outside off, there to be hit, Pandey creams the drive straight to extra cover though. Just a single.

Matheesha Pathirana to Manish Pandey, SIX! Dismissive from Pandey! Pre-empts the yorker and clears the front leg, does Pandey and gets it where he wants it, right on the leg stump. Pandey then whacks it high and over cow corner for a biggie.

Matheesha Pathirana to Manish Pandey, Banged into the deck, Pandey makes room and hits it flat over the bowler's head for a couple of runs.

Rinku Singh walks out to bat.

Noor Ahmad to Andre Russell, OUT! CAUGHT! Noor Ahmad gets the last laugh and sends Andre Russell packing. A bit of a half tracker this from Noor, sitting up around off. Russell looks to climb into the bounce and hammer it flat over long off but doesn't get the required timing. Dewald Brevis sprints in from the deep and dives forward to take an excellent catch as Russell departs for a fiery knock of 38 off just 21 balls.

Noor Ahmad to Andre Russell, SIX! BANG! Bowled flatter and on off, a bit fuller too, Andre Russell manages to swing across the line and swats it over deep mid-wicket for a biggie. He is on a roll here!

Noor Ahmad to Andre Russell, Top delivery! Good length on off and middle, this one, darts across Russell gets squared up and beaten past the outside edge.

Noor Ahmad to Andre Russell, FOUR! Uh, oh! Devon Conway has been completely undone by the spin there. Full and around off, Russell stays deep and slices it away and over wide long off. The ball pitches and curves away from the incoming fielder who gets bamboozled and concedes a boundary.

Noor Ahmad to Andre Russell, BEATEN! Nagging length, on off, sliding across the right-hander, Russell looks to block but is well beaten.

Noor Ahmad to Manish Pandey, Looped-up delivery, tossed up around leg, Manish Pandey looks to shovel it fine but gets it off the pads and for just a leg bye.

Matheesha Pathirana to Manish Pandey, Gets it full enough this time, outside off, Pandey can only dig it out in front of point for a single. A couple of productive overs for KKR after the break!

Matheesha Pathirana to Manish Pandey, Full and straight, not quite in the blockhole, Manish Pandey clears the front leg and drills it straight back past the bowler. The fielder from long on tidies up to his left and keeps it down to two runs.

Matheesha Pathirana to Andre Russell, Goes full and tries to attack the pads but ends up bowling a dipping full toss. Russell is taken aback and can't get it away. The ball hits the pads and rolls down to fine leg for a leg bye.

Matheesha Pathirana to Andre Russell, FOUR! Gets a hold of that one as well! Slower one, bowled a bit short and well outside off. Russell tries to make room but adjusts well to reach and power the ball over covers for a boundary.

Matheesha Pathirana to Andre Russell, SIX! As flat as it can get! Another slower one, a bit into the pitch and over middle, Russell picks it up, waits well and pulls it flat in front of square leg for a biggie.

Matheesha Pathirana to Andre Russell, Well bowled! Sees the batter backing away and Pathirana brings out a slower bumper, over middle and gets it around head height. Russell leaves it in hopes of a wide which is not given.

STRATEGIC BREAK! CSK have done well to pull things back after being put under pressure in the Powerplay. Led largely by their spin trio, the last 9 overs have gone for just 57 runs. KKR will hope to build on the momentum from the previous 15-run over and finish strong on a surface that has offered grip and turn. MS Dhoni still has the option of turning to three overs of spin from the final five, should he choose to use them.

Ravindra Jadeja to Manish Pandey, An arm ball now, around off and darting back in, Pandey hops back and jams it out behind point.

Ravindra Jadeja to Andre Russell, On the fuller side and straighter too, flicked away through mid-wicket for a single.

Ravindra Jadeja to Andre Russell, SIX! Oh, Russell has shifted gears and how! Length ball at the stumps, Russell sets up deep in the crease and wallops it away high and handsome over long on for a biggie. That was nowhere close to the middle of the bat.

Ravindra Jadeja to Andre Russell, FOUR! A valiant effort in the deep from Noor Ahmad but it will be a boundary. This is bowled a bit short and angled into the batter, Russell hangs back and manages to swing it away through the leg side. Noor runs around to his right from deep mid-wicket and dives in but the replays show that his hand was in contact with the ropes when he pulled the ball back in.

Ravindra Jadeja to Andre Russell, FOUR! Edged away! Another flat delivery, around off and middle, Andre Russell swings hard across the line but gets an outside edge over the slip fielder and the ball rolls away into the deep third fence.

Ravindra Jadeja to Andre Russell, Quicker one, darted in towards the off stump line, Russell blocks it off.

Matheesha Pathirana to Andre Russell, Another yorker on middle leg, Andre Russell clears his front leg and drills this one down the ground to long on for a single.

Matheesha Pathirana to Manish Pandey, Slower yorker on middle, Manish Pandey pushes it past the bowler to mid on region, for a single.

Matheesha Pathirana to Andre Russell, Another yorker on leg, Andre Russell somehow manages to bring his bat down in time. The ball goes into the leg side and batters run a single.

Matheesha Pathirana to Manish Pandey, Pinpoint yorker on leg, Manish Pandey manages to dig it out as he flicks it deep mid-wicket for a single.

Matheesha Pathirana to Andre Russell, Length ball on leg, Andre Russell whips it to the left of deep fine leg for a single.

Matheesha Pathirana to Manish Pandey, Length ball on middle, Manish Pandey pushes it off the back foot, past the bowler and takes a single.

Ravindra Jadeja to Andre Russell, Short and turning away, from the right hander, outside off, in the channel of uncertainty, Andre Russell pokes at it and gets beaten on the outside edge.

Ravindra Jadeja to Andre Russell, Quicker one, perhaps the arm ball, shorter in length on leg, Andre Russell pushes it to the right of the bowler. Dot ball.

Ravindra Jadeja to Andre Russell, A touch slower and shorter, turning away, outside off, Andre Russell pokes at it as the ball goes past his outside edge.

Ravindra Jadeja to Andre Russell, Full on middle, Andre Russell blocks it back to the bowler.

Andre Russell is in next.

Ravindra Jadeja to Ajinkya Rahane, OUT! CAUGHT! Quicker and fuller on middle leg, Ajinkya Rahane goes for the reverse sweep but doesn't middle it whatsoever as he gives a simple catch to Devon Conway at point. Ravindra Jadeja has his first of the game. Jadeja overtakes Dwayne Bravo for most wickets for CSK in IPL with 141 wickets.

Ravindra Jadeja to Ajinkya Rahane, Quicker and a touch fuller on leg, Ajinkya Rahane pushes it to the right of the bowler and sets off for a quick single. Ravindra Jadeja is quick to run across the turf as he cuts it off and fires a throw at the bowler's end, but misses the stumps. The batters run one more on the overthrow. Lucky for Ajinkya Rahane, as he took on the quick arm of Ravindra Jadeja.

Ravichandran Ashwin to Manish Pandey, Just short! Overpitched, on middle, Manish Pandey goes for the lofted drive but doesn't get it off the middle of the bat as the ball lands just short of Ayush Mhatre at long on, who dived in front but couldn't get there. Two runs taken.

Ravichandran Ashwin to Manish Pandey, Full on middle, Manish Pandey blocks it off the front foot, back to the bowler.

Ravichandran Ashwin to Ajinkya Rahane, Full on middle, Ajinkya Rahane goes for the sweep as the ball hits his front pad and goes towards short fine leg. Batters sneak in a leg bye.

Ravichandran Ashwin to Ajinkya Rahane, Slower through the air, on off, turning away, carrom ball again. Ajinkya Rahane looks to play the ramp but can't get any bat as the ball hits his body.

Ravichandran Ashwin to Manish Pandey, Short length carrom ball on middle, Manish Pandey pushes it into the leg side and takes a quick single as MS Dhoni cuts it off.

Ravichandran Ashwin to Manish Pandey, Short on off, Manish Pandey pushes it back to the bowler. That was the carrom ball from Ravichandran Ashwin!

Ravindra Jadeja to Manish Pandey, Full on off, Manish Pandey taps it off the front foot to point and sets off for a quick single.

Ravindra Jadeja to Ajinkya Rahane, Short on off, Ajinkya Rahane stays back and pats it to point for a single.

Ravindra Jadeja to Ajinkya Rahane, Spin for Ravindra Jadeja as Ajinkya Rahane is beaten all ends up on that one! A touch full, turning away on off, Ajinkya Rahane looks to play the flick as the ball turns sharply and goes past his outside edge.

Ravindra Jadeja to Manish Pandey, Full on off, Manish Pandey drives this off the front foot to long off for a single.

Ravindra Jadeja to Ajinkya Rahane, Overpitched on middle, Ajinkya Rahane flicks it along the ground to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Ravindra Jadeja to Ajinkya Rahane, SIX! Clean as a whistle! Slower through the air, a touch fuller, on middle, Ajinkya Rahane makes some room and goes inside out as he lofts this one over covers for a six.

Noor Ahmad to Ajinkya Rahane, Short and just outside off, Ajinkya Rahane cuts it in front of square to deep extra cover. Single taken.

Noor Ahmad to Manish Pandey, Full on middle, Manish Pandey plays the lofted shot which goes on the bounce to long on. Single taken.

Noor Ahmad to Manish Pandey, Overpitched on middle, Manish Pandey plays the flick shot to the left of short fine leg. The deep square leg fielder runs to his right and cuts it off. Two runs taken.

Noor Ahmad to Ajinkya Rahane, Full on middle, Ajinkya Rahane flicks it to long on for a single.

Noor Ahmad to Manish Pandey, A touch shorter length googly, just outside off, Manish Pandey stays back and cuts it towards deep extra cover for a single.

Noor Ahmad to Ajinkya Rahane, Short length googly on off, Ajinkya Rahane pushes it to the right of the bowler and takes a quick single.

Strategic Break! Pretty even-stevens after the first 9 overs, one would reckon. However, KKR did get off to a fine start, losing just one wicket in the Powerplay and they scored close to 70 runs as well. That one over from Noor Ahmad has halted KKR's progress and now the CSK spinners will look to pounce and suffocate the KKR batters. A lot rides on Ajinkya Rahane if KKR are to navigate through this phase and be in a position of promise. Let's see how the next few overs play out.

Ravindra Jadeja to Ajinkya Rahane, Short on middle, Ajinkya Rahane works it off the back foot towards deep square leg for a single to keep the strike.

Ravindra Jadeja to Manish Pandey, Quicker, fuller, on off, Manish Pandey pushes it off the front foot to the left of short cover for a single.

Ravindra Jadeja to Ajinkya Rahane, Slower through the air, fuller on off, Ajinkya Rahane just pushes the ball into the leg side and sets off for a quick single.

Ravindra Jadeja to Manish Pandey, Short on leg stump, Manish Pandey works it behind square to deep backward square leg for a single.

Ravindra Jadeja to Manish Pandey, A touch short on off, Manish Pandey is quick to shift his weight on the back foot and play the cut shot, which goes to the left of deep extra cover. Two runs taken.

Ravindra Jadeja to Ajinkya Rahane, Full on off, Ajinkya Rahane drives this off the front foot to deep extra cover for a single.

Noor Ahmad to Ajinkya Rahane, Slower through the air, fuller, googly, on middle, Ajinkya Rahane flicks it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Noor Ahmad to Manish Pandey, Full and outside off, Manish Pandey leans into the cover drive and as the ball takes the outside edge and rolls towards short third man. Single taken.

Manish Pandey walks in to bat at number 5.

Noor Ahmad to Angkrish Raghuvanshi, OUT! CAUGHT! Noor Ahmad is on a roll! Full tossed up googly turning away from the right hander, Angkrish Raghuvanshi leans forward as he pokes at it off the front foot. The ball takes the outside edge and MS Dhoni, the wicket-keeper, takes the catch. It is a healthy deflection and the ball sticks in the webbing.

Noor Ahmad to Ajinkya Rahane, Short length googly well outside off, Ajinkya Rahane cuts it off the back foot to deep extra cover for a single.

Noor Ahmad to Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Full on middle. Angkrish Raghuvanshi plays the paddle sweep to the right of short fine leg for a single.

Angkrish Raghuvanshi is the new batter in.

Noor Ahmad to Sunil Narine, OUT! STUMPED! Narine has committed a bit of a brain fade here. Full ball on middle from Noor Ahmad. Sunil Narine skips down the track to go big over long on. The ball beats his bat, hits his back leg and rolls behind him close to the stumps. MS Dhoni is aware of it, as he quickly collects the ball with Narine well out of the crease and effects the stumping.

Noor Ahmad to have a bowl now.

Ravichandran Ashwin to Ajinkya Rahane, Full on off, Ajinkya Rahane plays the push drive to point. Dot ball. Just two runs of that over!

Ravichandran Ashwin to Sunil Narine, Very full, at the toes, clipped through mid-wicket for a single.

Ravichandran Ashwin to Sunil Narine, Pushed across the left-hander, on a nagging length, Sunil Narine lets it be thinking it is a wide but the umpire is happy with it.

Ravichandran Ashwin to Sunil Narine, Pushed through, on the shorter side, Sunil Narine backs away to whip it away but misses and the ball goes through his legs. Nicely collected by MSD.

Ravichandran Ashwin to Ajinkya Rahane, On middle and leg, a bit quicker, Ajinkya Rahane glances it towards deep fine leg for one.

Ravichandran Ashwin to Ajinkya Rahane, Beaten! This keeps straight and does not turn, around off, on a nagging length, Ajinkya Rahane defends inside the line and gets beaten on the outside edge.

Anshul Kamboj to Ajinkya Rahane, Another well-executed yorker, on off, Ajinkya Rahane digs it out in front of cover for a run. 17 runs off the final over of the Powerplay. At the end of 6 overs, KKR are 67/1.

Anshul Kamboj to Sunil Narine, Nails the yorker, on middle, Sunil Narine jams it out on the off side and crosses over.

Anshul Kamboj to Sunil Narine, FOUR! Easy pickings! 15 runs off the over already. On the pads, too straight from Anshul Kamboj, Sunil Narine just helps it off the pads towards deep fine leg for four more.

Anshul Kamboj to Ajinkya Rahane, On a length, on off, knocked towards mid on for a single.

Anshul Kamboj to Ajinkya Rahane, FOUR! Good use of the feet! At the stumps, on a length, Ajinkya Rahane skips down the track and gets to the pitch of the ball. Goes over cover with a high elbow for a boundary.

Anshul Kamboj to Ajinkya Rahane, SIX! Innovative and mighty effective! On a length, outside off, Ajinkya Rahane walks across his stumps and executes the scoop to perfection. Clears the deep fine leg fence for a six.

Anshul Kamboj to continue...

Ravichandran Ashwin to Sunil Narine, And again! Ravichandran Ashwin keeps it short and slows it down, around off, Sunil Narine waits back to hit it with the spin on the off side but misses.

Ravichandran Ashwin to Sunil Narine, Turn for Ashwin! Short and turning away from the left-hander, Sunil Narine backs away for the cut but gets beaten all ends up.

Ravichandran Ashwin to Sunil Narine, SIX! Not quite from the middle but enough to sail over the fence! On a short of a length, outside off, Sunil Narine just waits back and pumps it over mid off for a six.

Ravichandran Ashwin to Sunil Narine, Short and on off, Sunil Narine slaps it towards cover where Devon Conway almost overruns the ball but recovers well to make the stop.

Ravichandran Ashwin to Sunil Narine, FOUR! Two in two for Sunil Narine! Fractionally short, enough for Sunil Narine though as he waits on the back foot and pulls it over square leg for four more.

Ravichandran Ashwin to Sunil Narine, FOUR! Ravichandran Ashwin is greeted with a boundary! Full and on the pads, Sunil Narine clears his front leg quickly and whips it through mid-wicket for a boundary.

Anshul Kamboj to Ajinkya Rahane, DROPPED! Matheesha Pathirana shells a steepler! Anshul Kamboj hurls it on a length, on middle, Ajinkya Rahane plays the pick-up shot and skies it up towards deep backward square leg where Pathirana never really managed to settle under it. Puts in a dive ahead but fails to cling on as the ball brushes his fingertips and drops on the ground. Two runs taken.

Anshul Kamboj to Ajinkya Rahane, An agricultural heave from Ajinkya Rahane, something you do not associate with the KKR skipper but he gets away with it. Near the tramline on off, on a short of a good length, Rahane swings and looks to drag it away on the leg side but misses.

Anshul Kamboj to Sunil Narine, Gets the yorker in at the base of the middle stump, Sunil Narine just about manages to get his bat down in time. It gets squeezed off an inside edge behind on the leg side for one.

Anshul Kamboj to Ajinkya Rahane, On off, on a nagging length, nudged away to deep square leg for a single by Ajinkya.

Anshul Kamboj to Sunil Narine, Kamboj goes full this time, on middle and leg, Sunil Narine gets his front leg out of the way and tries to access the leg side. Gets an inside edge onto the pads and Sunil gets called through by Rahane for a quick single as the ball rolls away on the off side.

Anshul Kamboj to Sunil Narine, FOUR! Streaky but they all count! Anshul Kamboj bashes the hard length, over middle, Sunil Narine lifts his front leg and swivels a bit for the pull. Gets a top edge that flies over the keeper for a boundary.

Khaleel Ahmed to Ajinkya Rahane, FOUR! More height than distance but Ajinkya Rahane does enough to find the fence! On a length, on middle, Ajinkya Rahane plays the pick-up shot with no one in the deep square of the wicket on the leg side. The ball lands in the vacant deep square leg region and trickles into the fence.

Khaleel Ahmed to Ajinkya Rahane, Takes pace off slightly and makes the batter reach for it. Ajinkya Rahane cuts it straight to backward point.

Khaleel Ahmed to Ajinkya Rahane, FOUR! Up and over! Khaleel Ahmed switches to over the wicket and delivers it a bit too full, on middle and leg, Ajinkya Rahane just extends his hands into the shot and whips it over wide mid on for a boundary.

Khaleel Ahmed to Ajinkya Rahane, On off, on a length, pushed off the front foot to cover.

Khaleel Ahmed to Sunil Narine, A loud shout for LBW but turned down! Seemed to have pitched outside the line on this around-the-wicket angle. Ahmed goes full and attacks the stumps, Sunil Narine clears his front leg to swat it away. The ball sneaks under the bat to hit him on the back leg. A leg bye is taken as the ball rolls away on the off side.

Khaleel Ahmed to Sunil Narine, On middle and leg, on a length, Sunil Narine clears his front leg and swings to get it away on the leg side. Gets it off the toe end towards mid on.

Khaleel Ahmed to Sunil Narine, Wide! Sprayed down leg from around the wicket, on the fuller side, Sunil Narine misses the tickle.

Anshul Kamboj to Ajinkya Rahane, At the hips, on a short of a length, Ajinkya Rahane helps it down towards deep fine leg where Matheesha Pathirana sprints and slides to his right to cut it off. Two runs taken.

Anshul Kamboj to Ajinkya Rahane, On a back of a length, on off, Ajinkya Rahane rides the bounce and stabs it down the deck.

Anshul Kamboj to Ajinkya Rahane, FOUR! Edged away! Seaming away, on a good length, around off, Ajinkya Rahane plants his front foot ahed and tries to cover the line by presenting a straight bat. Gets an outside edge that races past first slip to his right for a boundary.

KKR skipper, Ajinkya Rahane, walks out to bat. Talking about skippers, big news is coming in from the Indian national team as Rohit Sharma, the current Indian Test captain, has announced his retirement from Test cricket!

Anshul Kamboj to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, OUT! TAKEN! Anshul Kamboj wins the battle against Rahmanullah Gurbaz! A soft dismissal to be really honest. Slanting into the pads, on a length, Gurbaz looks to work it away on the leg side off his pads and ends up hitting it straight into the hands of mid-wicket. Noor Ahmad is there on the edge of the ring and takes it around his neck.

Anshul Kamboj to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, In the channel on off, on a good length, Rahmanullah Gurbaz skips down the track and flashes at the delivery but misses.

Anshul Kamboj to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, SIX! BANG! That has gone many a mile! Anshul Kamboj starts with a length delivery, on off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz gets it in his arc and swings across the line. Deposits it way back into the stands over deep mid-wicket for a biggie.

Who will bowl from the other end? It will be Anshul Kamboj.

Khaleel Ahmed to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, On a hard length, on off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz gets on top of the bounce and punches it to the left of extra cover for a single.

Khaleel Ahmed to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Trifecta of plays and misses! On a back of a length, angling across the batter, Gurbaz pokes at the delivery and sees the ball zip past the outside edge.

Khaleel Ahmed to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Top nut! Pitched up, leaving the right-hander, Rahmanullah Gurbaz is rooted to the crease and tries to play it down the ground with a straight bat. Gets beaten on the outside edge.

Khaleel Ahmed to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Big swing and a miss! Going across the right-hander, on a good length, Rahmanullah Gurbaz puts the dancing shoes on and swings for the hills but connects with thin air.

Khaleel Ahmed to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Drags the length back and tightens the line, does Khaleel, on a short of a length, on off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz hangs back to defend. Ekes out an inside edge onto the pads.

Khaleel Ahmed to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, FOUR! Rahmanullah Gurbaz and KKR are on their way! Khaleel Ahmed steams in from over the wicket and serves it at 133.8 kph, on off, a hint of shape back in, on a length, Gurbaz presses forward and times the drive through covers for a boundary.

Done and dusted with the pre-match proceedings and it is now time to play. The bell is rung by the KKR co-owner Juhi Chawla and Dwayne Bravo as the umpires and the players of CSK make their way out to the middle. It will be the pairing of Sunil Narine and Rahmanullah Gurbaz to open the innings for KKR. Khaleel Ahmed has the new ball in hand and is raring to go. Let's play...

Just a few minutes to go before the match begins. However, the Indian National Anthem will be played first and the two teams line up around the boundary ropes.

Impact subs nominated by CSK - Shivam Dube, Deepak Hooda, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Ramakrishna Ghosh.

Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI) - Ayush Mhatre, Devon Conway (In for Sam Curran), Urvil Patel (In for Shaik Rasheed), Ravindra Jadeja, Dewald Brevis, MS Dhoni (C/WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana.

Impact subs nominated by KKR - Anrich Nortje, Mayank Markande, Harshit Rana, Anukul Roy and Luvnith Sisodia.

Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI) - Sunil Narine, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ajinkya Rahane (C), Manish Pandey (In for Venkatesh Iyer), Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Moeen Ali, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy.

The captain of the Chennai Super Kings, MS Dhoni, says he has played a lot of cricket here, ranging from U-16, U-19, club-level cricket, as well as many zonal games and hence it really feels like a home to him. States that they are looking to prepare for the next season and are trying to find answers rather than just trying to win the rest of the games. Mentions that they are looking to find the right combinations in terms of batting positions and trying to work out bowling solutions, keeping the future in mind. States that the opportunity to try new players comes in either when the team has qualified with four games to go or at times when the team is out of the competition with four games to go. He says they have a couple of changes as Shaik Rasheed and Sam Curran miss out for Urvil Patel and Devon Conway.

Ajinkya Rahane, the skipper of Kolkata Knight Riders, says that they will bat first. Adds that it looks like a very good wicket, and they have won batting first in the last two games as well. Mentions that it is all about taking one game at a time and giving their best, and the guys are looking forward to this game. On losing close games, Rahane says that it happens in this format, and they managed to win a close game last time around. Informs that they have one change with Venkatesh Iyer missing out as he has stitches on his hand, and Manish Pandey comes in for him.

TOSS - Kolkata Knight Riders win the flip of the coin and they will BAT first.

PITCH REPORT - Deep Dasgupta is near the deck. He notes that it's a slightly muggy yet breezy evening. Informs that the centre wicket will be used for this game, and as a result, there is not much of a bias when it comes to the square boundaries, with one side being 62 metres and the other being 64 metres. Adds that it is 75 metres down the ground. Deep describes the surface as a bit tacky. Aaron Finch points out a few loose, barren patches that could lead to inconsistent pace. He expects the pitch to assist spinners later on. Finch adds that the Powerplay will be crucial for scoring. Deep also highlights that four of the five completed games at this venue this season have been won by teams batting first. Finch believes this trend might lead to the captain winning the toss to opt for batting. Deep concludes by noting that dew hasn't been a major factor this season at this venue, which further strengthens the case for batting first.

Earlier in the season, when these two sides met in Chennai, KKR registered a thumping win over the Men in Yellow. So, will the home side stay afloat in the battle of the top-4, or will the Super Kings spoil the party for the defending champions? We shall find out!

For CSK, their batting has been the biggest issue, and a season-ending injury to their captain and ace batter Ruturaj Gaikwad in a way was the final nail in the coffin for their already poor season. One good thing they have been doing of late is that they are adding young batters to their squad and are giving them chances, which in a way is a preparation for the next season. Ayush Mhatre and Dewald Brevis' introduction has been refreshing for the batting lineup, as both of them made an immediate impact in their initial games. Their bowling hasn’t really been the problem, as Noor Ahmad and Khaleel Ahmed have been among the wickets. Matheesha Pathirana, too, seemed to have found some of his old rhythm back in the last game.

For KKR, in the batting department, the introduction of Rahmanullah Gurbaz has added a bit of freshness to the lineup, as he has provided good starts in the last two games. Andre Russell’s return to form is something KKR will be glad about, as the big man produced a vital fifty in the last game. Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi have been consistently amongst the runs. Their bowling department has been doing a fairly good job, with their spinners leading from the front.

Hello and welcome to match number 57 of the 2025 IPL season. It will be the Kolkata Knight Riders taking on the Chennai Super Kings at the Eden Gardens in the city of joy, Kolkata. It’s a battle between two teams playing for different objectives. On one hand, KKR are still in the playoffs race and are in a situation where every game is a kind of must-win for them. On the other hand, the five-time champions CSK are already out of the playoffs contention, as things haven’t gone to plan for them.

... MATCH DAY ...

Eden Gardens is set to host its final league-stage fixture of the 2025 Indian Premier League as the Kolkata Knight Riders take on the Chennai Super Kings. We have reached the business end, where every match carries significant weight. Ideally, this clash would have had high stakes for both teams, but that’s not the case this time, with the Super Kings already out of playoff contention. The Knight Riders, sitting on 11 points from 11 games, still have an outside chance of making the playoffs. Even if they win all three of their remaining matches, qualification is not guaranteed. Ajinkya Rahane has led from the front with the bat, while Angkrish Raghuvanshi has chipped in with a few impactful innings. KKR will be hoping for more from Sunil Narine, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Venkatesh Iyer at this crucial stage. Andre Russell’s quickfire 57 in their last win against the Royals came at just the right time and gave KKR a much-needed lift. The Jamaican all-rounder has also contributed with the ball, continuing to be a vital cog in their setup. Their bowling effort has been a collective one, with Indian pacers Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora stepping up, well supported by the spin duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy. As for the Super Kings, it has been a disappointing campaign. With three games left, their focus will be on salvaging pride and potentially spoiling the playoff aspirations of others. They are currently on a four-game losing streak, though their batting showed signs of revival in their last outing against RCB. Ayush Mhatre led a spirited chase and offered a glimpse of his talent. However, CSK’s batting has lacked cohesion throughout the season, and their struggles during the Powerplay have been particularly costly. In a fresh blow, promising wicketkeeper-batter Vansh Bedi, who was expected to be given a chance in the remaining games, has been ruled out due to a ligament tear. Urvil Patel has been named as his replacement. On the bowling front, Matheesha Pathirana delivered a more controlled performance against RCB and will aim to build on that. Khaleel Ahmed had a forgettable outing in the same game, while Noor Ahmad, who started the season well, has tailed off and will be looking to end on a high. Earlier in the season, when these two sides clashed in Chennai, Kolkata emerged victorious in convincing fashion. Can Chennai return the favour and deal a blow to the Knight Riders' slim playoff hopes? We shall find out.