KKR vs LSG Highlights, IPL 2025: Lucknow Super Giants beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 4-runs in high-scoring contest

Lucknow skipper Rishabh Pant: "I think when we batted we realised it will get this close but after the powerplay we did. After the first timeout we went to the bowlers and told them to stick to the plans, not try too many things and do the basics right. That was very conscious, when the game is going down at that pace you need to do something, it works sometimes and sometimes it does not work. We wanted to keep the right-left combination going. The back is fine now."

Aiden Markram: "It was a good one (pitch). We've got some freaks in our team - Mitch and Nicky hit to all parts, it's great to watch them do their thing and get some big runs on the board. It was a little bit slow to start off and then got better as the game went on. In the powerplay, I was looking to take the game on, sometimes it works. I played with a positive intent and it paid off. (On his partnership with Marsh) In the middle and off the park as well, he's a great man, enjoying the company. We've got a really good crew, this team, really good people. Off the park, it's been really good. Exciting to get some momentum on the field. Two really big wins against two really quality teams, so chuffed."

KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane: "A really tight one (game). As I said at the toss, the wicket remained good throughout the 40 overs. We gave our best, it was a great game, in the end we were just 4 runs short. When you are chasing 230-plus, you will lose wickets in the chase. This was one of the best wickets to bat on. Batters had to take a little time to get in. The bowling attack we have, we control our middle-overs really well. Sunil (Narine) was struggling with the ball. Sunil and Varun usually dominate the middle overs, but it was tough for the bowlers today."

Lucknow Super Giants beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 4-runs at Eden Gardens for their third win of the #IPL2025 season

LSG 238/3 beat KKR 234/7 by 4-runs

Four, four and six to finish the match off by Rinku Singh but that is not enough. 19 runs from the final Ravi Bishnoi over and KKR post 234/7 from 20 overs

19 needed from 3 balls. KKR need some luck to go their way or three sixes to force a Super Over.

FOUR! Outside off, plenty of width for Rinku to make the most of, and that should be enough unless there's an error now. Four more on the second-last ball.

24 needed from the final over. Ravi Bishnoi has the ball.

First ball, Harshit Rana on strike, gets down the strike to the short delivery and slashes at it to clear the off-side field.

Four, six, dot, dot, dot and FOUR! Pitched up by Avesh, outside off, Rinku gets low and opens the blade just a touch to almost steer the ball. And it has gone racing to the rope. 14 from the over - not bad considering the start

Almost another maximum but this has one has landed just shy of the boundary rope. Avesh misses the yorker, Rinku gets underneath it and lofts it over extra cover. One bounce, four!

The ask might be too big but Rinku Singh is not one to give up easily. Full delivery around leg stump by Avesh Khan, Rinku clears his front leg and smashes it into the deep mid-wicket stand

KKR go from 162/2 to 185/7 - five wickets in 23 runs - and it is advantage LSG now

KKR need 38 from 12 balls

Two boundaries in the 17th over off Shardul Thakur, who finishes with 2/52. Rinku Singh and Harshit Rana both pocketing boundaries here.

45 needed from 18 balls

Shardul Thakur picks another wicket from a full-toss! That may well be wicket and match! Dre Russ is unable to get underneath the juicy full-toss, only ends up finding Miller with a miscue

Russell c Miller b Thakur 7 (4)

Andre Russell and Rinku Singh in the middle now. These two have the knack to do some late damage and Russell shows that to a missed length by Akash Deep. Russell clears his front leg and launches it for a maximum

54 needed from 24 balls

Once again, a boundary is followed by a wicket. Venkatesh Iyer gets a leading edge and the balls has looped up for Markram to come underneath for the catch at long-on. Neatly done once again

Iyer c Markram b Akash Deep 45 (29)

Kolkata Knight Riders are losing the plot here. Having already seen the back of Ajinkya Rahane and Ramandeep Singh, it is the turn of Angkrish Raghuvanshi. Had picked a boundary just a ball prior, but got too clever for his own good. Tries a fancy shot against the full-toss, gets it high on the bat, the ball lobs up and is lapped up by Pant

Raghuvanshi c Pant b Avesh 5 (4)

KKR 173/5, need 66 from 30 balls

Ravi Bishnoi with a fantastic over and that could well have changed the game around in favour of LSG. Not only does he get rid of Ramandeep Singh on the last ball, he concedes just four.

Last ball, Ramandeep tries to clear the fielder at long-off but there's not enough on it to go all the way. Angkrish had been brought in as the Impact Sub but didn't get the shout out right now.

Either way, he's the next player in. Is the game beyond KKR's reach now?

That is one way to finish the over having bowled five wides and gone for a boundary, you pick the in-form player! And how? A full toss! Rahane is unable to make the most of the freebie, chips it straight to Pooran at extra cover. But is that job done for KKR? 13 runs from the over

Rahane c Pooran b Thakur 61 (35)

KKR are 162/3 after 13 overs

Shardul Thakur pleads with Rishabh Pant to review after the fourth wide but the LSG captain reminds him there is only one review left. Five wides later, Shardul gets one legal delivery out and that's a single.

Two balls later, Rahane swings to a short ball, outside off, gets a top edge and flies over a leaping Pant. FOUR!

Shardul Thakur had struggled with his line earlier and he's started poorly once again. Two deliveries well outside off. Make that three in a row. Zaheer Khan looks on with concern. Yikes. Four in a row. This is amateur stuff from Shardul

After 26-ball fifty for Rahane, there is a 50-run stand between the KKR skipper and Venkatesh Iyer. The 12th over concludes with a boundary as Bishnoi is unable to cut off the drive near the practice pitches

Slight hold up in play as the physio helps Pant with some back issue

KKR are 149/2 after 12 overs; need 90 from 48 balls

Venkatesh Iyer with a reverse sweep attempt once again. This time he connects and the ball runs to the boundary after couple of bounces. That is also the 50-run stand between Rahane and Iyer

FIFTY! Second fifty of IPL 2025 for Ajinkya Rahane and he gets there with a smartly played boundary. 26-ball half century for Jinks. Walks across to a wide yorker by Avesh, gets low and steers it fine of short fine leg for a boundary

Physio has been forced to come out to tend to Venkatesh Iyer. The leftie tried to back away to a yorker-length delivery, got an inside edge which struck him on the thigh. Quick checks and on we continue

MAXIMUM! HUGE! That has gone many a miles into the Kolkata sky! 93.9kmph from Bishnoi, full delivery for Venkatesh Iyer, and it has been demolished despite striking the bottom part of the bat

Ajinkya Rahane has been in fantastic touch today and it continues. Waits for the Bishnoi delivery until the last moment, cuts it away to the right of backward point. Lovely way to start an over

After Ravi Bishnoi went for 11 runs in the eighth over, Digvesh once again keeps the flow of runs in check, despite conceding a four on the last ball which came about with an edge that struck Pant's pad and ran off to third man. 9 off the over.

KKR are 116/2 after 9 overs, need 123 from 66 balls

Digvesh Rathi gets rid of his idol Sunil Narine and celebrates by signing into the grass. You have to got the applaud the wit!

Pant's go-to man this season gets the breakthrough they wanted. Googly on full length outside off, Narine throws his bat at it, Markram moves to his right and takes a sliding catch at long-off.

Best part? The celebrations. Having copped two fines already for his send-offs, Rathi this time signs into the grass! Fantastic!

Narine c Markram b Rathi 30 (13)

KKR are 91/2

At the end of the powerplay overs, KKR are 90/1 with Rahane on 35 (15) and Narine on 30 (12)

After the strategic timeout, Digvesh Rathi comes into the attack and immediately brings in the dividends

Another poor delivery from Avesh Khan. Mid-length, not enough pace on the surface and that sits up nicely for Rahane to relax his arms for a maximum.

Next ball, overpitched, outside off, Rahane drives with the bent leg and finds the gap. Makes the most of the pace of the ball

Avesh Khan comes into the attack and is immediately welcomed with the cracking sound of the willow, the roar of the crowd as the ball goes sailing over deep square leg. Loose delivery and gets the treatment it deserved

Sunil Narine backs away, creates room for himself to free his arms and clears the infield to the short ball. No stopping that! 13 runs from the over and KKR have moved to 73/1 after 5 overs

Akash Deep continues and Rahane is on strike. First up, a length ball, Rahane glances it for a boundary. Next ball, using the pace on it and the width to steer the ball for a boundary. The ball runs along to the boundary

15 runs from the Shardul Thakur as he goes for four on the last ball. Three wides in there. A wicket as well. All happening right now - something you'd not expect from an experienced head like Shardul Thakur

KKR are 60/1 after 4 overs

Sunil Narine launches into it, loses one hand off the bat, has enough on it to clear the boundary rope. The ball boy stationed at wide long-off is a safe pair of hands to clutch on.

To add to Pant's frustration, Shardul bowls back-to-back wides. Freebies for KKR these as they go past the 50-run mark

Ajinkya Rahane starts off with back-to-back boundaries. First one is edged and evades first slip and short third man. Next one is what you would expect off Rahane - gets inside the line and flicks it fine of short fine leg

14 runs from the over and a wicket to go with it

Next ball, De Kock swings and misses again. Akash Deep thinks he has a case for leg before. Pant agrees. Umpire believes that's not out. Reviewed again! Three reds and De Kock has to walk back!

De Kock lbw Akash Deep 15 (9)

KKR 37/1 in 2.3 overs

After being smacked for a six, Akash Deep gets a cracking delivery to beat the outside edge. Pant thinks it got the edge. That's just him - no one else shares his enthusiasm. And that has beaten the bat completely. Review wasted

1st over: 16 runs
2nd over: 15 runs

WHAT A START FOR KKR! This is just what they needed to chase down 239 runs and they've made a cracking start to things

Quinton de Kock and Sunil Narine open the KKR innings with 239 to get. Akash Deep has the ball.

Ravi Bishnoi has come in as the Impact Sub for Marsh

Lucknow Super Giants post 238/3 after 20 overs with Nicholas Pooran remaining unbeaten on 87 runs and David Miller on 4. 11 runs from the final Vaibhav Arora over, not bad considering how well Pooran was striking the ball and how poor Arora's last over had been

Still, that was absolute carnage from Lucknow as they post their second biggest IPL total - behind the 257/5 they had posted vs Punjab Kings in IPL 2023. Mitchell Marsh with 81 runs at the top of the order.

Vaibhav Arora to bowl the final over. It has pierced the gap between extra cover and long-off. Russell tries to cut it off but it had more legs on it than he does. Pooran moves to 85.

Needs 15 for his fourth T20 century, will he get it?

David Miller is the new man in and does the smart thing of taking a single and bringing Pooran back into strike.

FOUR! 135.7kmph, back of a length, Pooran shuffles and swings across the line. Not the best contact but the ball has raced off to the boundary regardless

227/3 after 19 overs

Abdul Samad joins in the boundary-hitting act. Harshit Rana continues to bleed runs. Short of length, little pace on it, Samad waits for it and pulls over square leg. 50-run partnership!

WICKET! Next ball, Off-cutter, fuller length, Samad doesn't read it, goes for the full swing, misses completely and that's bowled.

Samad b Rana 6 (4)

LSG 221/3

Andre Russell had a sensational first over when he got rid of Mitchell Marsh. This one, not so much. He's been hammered for 24 runs with Nicholas Pooran sending the ball all around the park.

17.1: Top edge, Rana makes a mess at fine leg, FOUR!

17.3: Short, sent the right of deep square leg. FOUR!

17.4: On middle and leg, Pooran sends it 93m long! SIX!

17.5: Thumps the pull towards mid-wicket. FOUR!

17.6: Clears his leg, smashed over long off. SIX!

24 runs off the over!

Another six from Nicholas Pooran and it brings up his fifty from 21 balls. Smashing stuff! He blows a kiss to the dugout in celebration. LSG dugout is up in appreciation for what has been a sublime knock. In the slot by Rana, Pooran sends it over wide long-on. WOWZA!

Slower one by Harshit Rana, Nicholas Pooran picks it up early and swings freely, swings big and sends it well into the crowd. That is sensational hitting!

Andre Russell is brought on to try and curtail the flow of runs. He can do one better, he gets Mitchell Marsh on 81!

First over of the match for Russell and he gets the benefit on second ball. Short-ish, Marsh slashes at it, doesn't quite the contact he would have liked and it has been taken by Rinku with ease. That could be decisive in how LSG finish from hereon

Marsh c Rinku b Russell 81 (48)

LSG 170/2

Where do you go to hide when Pooran and Marsh are in such good touch?

14.4 overs: Pooran gets on one knee, gets to it and slog sweeps it into the deep square stand

14.6 overs: Pooran once again on strike. Close to off stump, Pooran lofts it through the line and sends it over the long-off boundary

16 runs from the over!