Right then, that is it from this one-sided affair where Kolkata Knight Riders brushed aside Chennai Super Kings with ease. It is now time for a Double-header Saturday in the IPL 2025 on 12th April. First, it will be the Lucknow Super Giants hosting the Gujarat Giants at 3.30 pm IST (10 am GMT). Then, there is a clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings at 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT). But as you know, you can always join us early for all the build-up to both games. Until then, cheers and goodbye!

Sunil Narine is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his all-round brilliance. He says that it has been almost a near-perfect game for him and jokingly says that he will definitely try to hold the catch next time. Adds that he tries to focus on his strength and tries to execute that as nowadays the batters have been brilliant and hitting extensively, but he doesn’t think much about matchups, data, and stats. Mentions that he tries to adapt to the conditions and situations to bowl, no matter whether he comes in Powerplay or in the middle overs. States that his role is just to try to give KKR a good fiery start at the top, and he will try to replicate that in the next game as well.

Ajinkya Rahane, the victorious skipper of Kolkata Knight Riders, says that they had their plans in place, especially with him and Moeen Ali, and Dwayne Bravo have already played at this venue, so they knew what to expect and planned accordingly. Mentions that the wicket seemed like a good one and 170 runs looked on the cards, but the way the bowlers bowled was exceptional, with Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy bowling beautifully in the middle overs, while Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora did well too. Says he is enjoying his batting, keeps it very simple and stays in the present. States they had no plans of improving the Net Run Rate initially, but after 6 overs, they went after it. Concludes that the preparations are going well and all the boys are looking in a positive mind frame.

MS Dhoni, the captain of Chennai Super Kings, says they were challenged, but they should have accepted it and looked for a way to counter, but they just couldn't do it. Adds that the ball was stopping a bit in the first inning, but losing a couple of wickets early makes it tough, and they needed a few better contributions to stand a chance. Mentions that the batters should back their strengths and play accordingly and not become too desperate to chase quick runs. Further says when the top order misses out, it's the responsibility of the middle order to step up.

Presention Time...

Moeen Ali of Kolkata Knight Riders is up for a quick chat. He says that it was nice to bowl in the Powerplay as two left-handers were batting, and he just tried to bowl tighter lines and got a wicket there. Adds that he doesn’t try to bowl quicker in Powerplay and tries to give the ball some flight to tempt the batters to go for it, and in the process, they perish. Mentions that Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine have been amazing spinners for KKR, and Narine has too much experience, and he is quite hard to hit against. States that the wicket was a bit tacky, and he tried to use the fingers more to generate spin early on, and it was nice to contribute to the team.

Not much went right for CSK. Their bowlers were never really in the game - though, in fairness, they didn’t have much of a total to defend. Up against a batting lineup stacked with firepower, it was always going to be an uphill battle. Noor Ahmad and Anshul Kamboj did manage to take one wicket each, but it was far from enough to prevent what turned out to be their third consecutive home defeat - a first in the franchise's storied history.

Earlier in the game, Chennai Super Kings stumbled their way to their lowest-ever total at Chepauk, with only Shivam Dube and Vijay Shankar offering any real resistance. The rest of the batting lineup simply failed to show up. KKR’s bowlers were spot-on from ball one, with Sunil Narine leading the charge, picking up three crucial wickets. Harshit Rana and Varun Chakaravarthy backed him up with a couple apiece, while Moeen Ali and Vaibhav Arora chipped in with one each to wrap up a dominant bowling display and keep the hosts in check.

Chasing a modest target, Kolkata Knight Riders came out firing in the Powerplay, with Sunil Narine setting the tone and Quinton de Kock chipping in fluently. The pair racked up 71 runs in that phase, effectively sealing the game early. They combined for 8 sixes, with Narine blazing his way to a quickfire 44 off just 18 deliveries, taking KKR to the brink. From there, Ajinkya Rahane’s class and a handy contribution from Rinku Singh saw them cruise home with almost half the overs to spare.

What a statement! The defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, have completely outplayed the five-time title holders, Chennai Super Kings, right in their own den. The Men in Yellow never really found their footing, and it's clear they've got some tough conversations ahead. Also, as KKR have chased down this target in under 11 overs, they move to third place in the table, improving their NRR massively.

Strategic Break! KKR have stormed towards the target in dominant fashion and are now just 12 runs away from sealing a crushing victory. It has been a clinical chase, with the batters showing no mercy and ensuring a massive boost to their net run rate. For CSK, this has been a game to forget, much like their season so far, where very little has gone their way. The bowlers have tried, but defending such a low total was always going to be an uphill task. With the match all but wrapped up, KKR will be looking to finish things off in style, while CSK will start thinking of how they can turn their season around going forward.