Chennai Super Kings Triumph Over Kolkata Knight Riders in Thrilling IPL Match

CSK Clinches Victory in a Nail-Biter Against KKR

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 8: The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) achieved their third victory of the IPL 2025 season with a thrilling two-wicket win against the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), at Eden Gardens on Wednesday.

Dewald Brevis and Shivam Dube played pivotal roles in CSK's successful chase, stabilizing the innings after a shaky start.

In pursuit of a modest target, CSK faced early setbacks, losing Ayush Mhatre and Devon Conway for ducks. Mhatre was dismissed by Vaibhav Arora on the second ball, while Conway was bowled by Moeen Ali shortly after. Despite the early chaos, debutant Urvil Patel made a significant impact with a quickfire 31 runs off just 11 balls, featuring one boundary and four sixes, before falling to Harshit Rana.

Veteran Ravichandran Ashwin, who was elevated in the batting order, managed only 8 runs before being dismissed by Rana. Ravindra Jadeja also struggled, scoring 19 runs before being bowled by Varun Chakravarthy, leaving CSK in a precarious position at 60/5.

It was then that Brevis and Dube joined forces to rescue the innings. Brevis, displaying confidence and aggression, scored his first IPL fifty, amassing 52 runs off 25 balls, including four boundaries and four sixes. His explosive performance included a remarkable over against Arora, where he scored 30 runs. The duo formed a crucial 67-run partnership before Brevis was dismissed by Chakravarthy.

Following Brevis's exit, MS Dhoni came to the crease, partnering with Dube to add a steady 43 runs, bringing CSK closer to victory. Dube played a crucial role, scoring 45 runs off 40 balls before being dismissed by Arora in the 18.4 over.

With eight runs needed from the final six balls, Dhoni, known for his composure, hit the first ball of the last over from Andre Russell for a massive six. With the momentum on their side, Anshul Kamboj hit the winning runs, sealing the exciting victory.

Dhoni finished unbeaten on 17 runs from 18 balls, demonstrating his trademark poise in high-pressure situations. Arora, despite taking 3 wickets for 48 runs, had a challenging outing after conceding 30 runs in one over to Brevis. Harshit Rana and Varun Chakravarthy each took two wickets, while Moeen Ali contributed one wicket.

Earlier, KKR opted to bat first after winning the toss. A solid 58-run partnership between captain Ajinkya Rahane (48 runs off 33 balls, including four boundaries and two sixes) and Sunil Narine (26 runs off 17 balls, with four boundaries and a six) set a strong foundation for KKR.

Contributions from Andre Russell (38 runs off 21 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes) and Manish Pandey (36* runs off 28 balls, including a four and a six) helped KKR finish their innings at 179/6 in 20 overs.

Noor Ahmed was the standout bowler for CSK, taking 4 wickets for 31 runs, while Anshul Kamboj and Ravindra Jadeja each claimed one wicket.

Brief score: Kolkata Knight Riders 179/6 in 20 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 48, Andre Russell 38; Noor Ahmad 4/31) vs. Chennai Super Kings 183/8 in 19.4 overs (Dewald Brevis 52, Shivam Dube 45; Vaibhav Arora 3/48).