In the 21st match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) beat Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by four runs at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
KKR won the toss and decided to field, allowing LSG to set the tone for the match. The visitors took most of the opportunity, delivering an impressive batting performance at Eden Gardens. The innings got off to a flying start, with Aiden Markram (47) leading the way, followed by Mitchell Marsh (81). They put on an amazing 99-run partnership for the first wicket. Marsh, who began cautiously, quickly found his stride and unleashed an array of boundaries, including six fours and five sixes. His strike rate of 168.86 demonstrated his powerful hitting. Nicholas Pooran (87) followed suit with a savage exhibition of power, scoring his half-century in just 21 balls. The pitch provided ample opportunities for batsmen, and one side boundary was particularly short, creating a great scenario for the batters. In the end, LSG achieved a formidable total of 238/3, which they would undoubtedly have been pleased with after losing the toss.
To chase down the huge target, there was only one way forward: everyone had to go big and knock the ball out of the park. Quinton de Kock (15) and Sunil Narine (30) approached the powerplay with the same attacking intent, scoring some early boundaries. However, de Kock was shortly dismissed, leaving Narine to team up with captain Ajinkya Rahane (61). During the powerplay, the pair went full throttle, scoring 90 runs. Venkatesh Iyer (45) also contributed to the chase, scoring six fours and one six. Despite their best efforts, KKR faced a few setbacks as they lost crucial wickets, disrupting their momentum. Rinku Singh (38*) carried a great deal of responsibility as the work became more tough. The young hitter performed admirably under pressure, but KKR fell four runs short of their target.
While defending, all LSG bowlers had their names in the wickets column. While Akash Deep and Shardul Thakur got two wickets each, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Rathi and Ravi Bishnoi scalped one wicket each.
With the ball for KKR, Harshit Rana grabbed two wickets, while Andre Russell also picked one wicket. Notably, Rana also gave away 50-plus runs in his four overs.
With this win, LSG are now fourth on the points table with six points.
Scorecard:
Lucknow Super Giants: 238/3, Overs 20, Nicholas Pooran 87*, Harshit Rana 2/51
Kolkata Knight Riders: 234/7, Overs 20, Ajinkya Rahane 61, Shardul Thakur 2/52
