Powerplay (1 - 6 Overs) :
CSK - 31/2 (5.16 rpo, 4x4, 0x6)  ll  KKR - 71/1 (11.83 rpo, 3x4, 7x6)

Middle Overs (7 - 15 Overs) :
CSK - 43/5 (4.77 rpo, 1x4, 1x6)  ll  KKR - 36/1 in 4.1 overs (8.64 rpo, 1x4, 3x6)

Death Overs (16 - 20 Overs) :
CSK - 29/2 (5.80 rpo, 3x4, 0x6)
 

Kolkata Knight Riders produced a clinical performance to register a dominant 8-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings in Match 25 of IPL 2025 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. After winning the toss and opting to bowl first, KKR’s spinners completely dismantled CSK’s batting unit on a sluggish surface.

CSK were restricted to just 103/9 in their 20 overs — a total that never truly challenged the visitors. Shivam Dube top-scored with 31 off 29, while Vijay Shankar chipped in with 29 runs. The rest of the batting faltered badly against disciplined spells from Sunil Narine (3/13), Varun Chakaravarthy (2/22), and Harshit Rana (2/16). The hosts collapsed in clusters, losing wickets at regular intervals and failing to find any rhythm throughout the innings.

In reply, KKR made short work of the modest target, chasing it down in just 10.1 overs. Sunil Narine smashed a blistering 44 off 18 balls, setting the tone with his fearless hitting. Quinton de Kock (23) and Ajinkya Rahane (20*) provided support, while Rinku Singh (15* off 12) finished it off in style.


 

MS Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings Captain):
"Some nights just don’t roll in your favour, and this was another one of those. We’ve got to return to the basics, reassess where we’re faltering, and accept the challenge head-on. The truth is—we just didn’t have enough on the board today.

The ball was holding up again, like it has in a few games where we bowled first. But if you keep losing wickets in clusters, it doesn’t matter what the pitch is doing—it becomes a tough game. We never really stitched together a partnership and that put a lot of pressure on the incoming batters.

That said, it’s not all doom and gloom. We’ve played some solid cricket earlier this season. What’s crucial is that we stay true to our strengths. Our openers are quality players—they don’t need to slog, they need support and time to build. We can’t afford to be chasing the scoreboard too early. If we’re losing three or four in the powerplay, we’re only making it harder for the middle order. It’s about being smart, trusting the process, and building partnerships that win you games."
 

Ajinkya Rahane (Kolkata Knight Riders Captain):
"We came in with a clear mindset, a lot of thought went into our plans. Having spent a couple of years here in Chennai, both Moeen and Bravo had their say as well. We expected the surface to play a touch better, but it turned out a bit more sluggish than anticipated. That said, our plans came through beautifully tonight.

When it comes to what we had in store for CSK, I’ll keep that under wraps—still a long road in the tournament, and cards need to be kept close to the chest.

Swapping Johnson for Moeen? On a night like this, it felt like the right move. Moeen showed great maturity, especially considering he's been in and out of the XI. He stuck to his strengths and delivered under pressure. Varun and Sunny were outstanding—they completely owned the middle overs. Vaibhav and Harshit at the top were clinical. It was a total team effort.

On a personal note, I’ve been keeping things simple. Been grinding hard over the last two years, especially in this format, and now it’s all coming together.

We didn’t talk about net run rate at the start, but once we got a foothold in the game, we saw the opportunity. We pushed for a quick finish to give that NRR a healthy bump. It’s all about momentum from here—no more alternate wins, we want to string them together."
 

Sunil Narine (Player of the Match):
"That felt close to a complete performance. Just a small regret—I should’ve held on to that catch, Harshit was in for something special there.

For me, it’s always about sticking to my strengths. The moment you start reacting too much to what the batter is doing, you lose your edge. I keep things simple and back what I do best.

Conditions are part of the puzzle. You get used to how things behave with time—feel out the pitch early, assess the powerplay, and then go about executing the plans accordingly.

With the bat, my job is straightforward—give the team a flying start. It won’t come off every time, but the intent is always there. I’ll look to bring the same approach into the next game and keep contributing where I can."