Kolkata secure first IPL 2025 win as De Kock stars with unbeaten 97 – Eastern Eye

After electing to field in Guwahati, Kolkata’s spinners Moeen Ali and Varun Chakravarthy restricted Rajasthan to 151-9. De Kock then guided the chase with a 61-ball innings, ensuring Kolkata reached the target with 15 balls remaining.
De Kock, who has retired from Test and ODI cricket for South Africa, played his first game of the season and showed no signs of struggle.

QUINTON de Kock's unbeaten 97 led Kolkata Knight Riders to their first victory of the IPL season, as they defeated Rajasthan Royals by eight wickets on Wednesday.
After electing to field in Guwahati, Kolkata’s spinners Moeen Ali and Varun Chakravarthy restricted Rajasthan to 151-9.
De Kock then guided the chase with a 61-ball innings that included eight fours and six sixes, ensuring Kolkata reached the target with 15 balls remaining.
De Kock, who has retired from Test and ODI cricket for South Africa, played his first game of the season and showed no signs of struggle.
"To be fair, haven't felt any challenges yet," De Kock said. "Have had three months off which felt nice. Had about a 10-day build-up to this season. Only my second game here, just taking it as I see it."
Signed by Kolkata in November after being released by Lucknow Super Giants, De Kock gave his team a quick start with two early boundaries but lost opening partner Moeen Ali, who was run out for five.
Skipper Ajinkya Rahane fell for 18, but De Kock held firm, building an unbeaten 83-run stand with impact substitute Angkrish Raghuvanshi (22) to take Kolkata home.
He sealed the win with a six off Jofra Archer, as Kolkata bounced back from their opening defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Rajasthan suffered their second consecutive loss.
Earlier, Kolkata's fast bowler Vaibhav Arora dismissed Sanju Samson for 13, before Chakravarthy and Moeen took two wickets each. Samson, Rajasthan’s regular captain, has played only as a batter in the first three matches due to an injury.
Chakravarthy, part of India’s recent Champions Trophy-winning squad, dismissed stand-in skipper Riyan Parag for 25. Moeen, replacing Sunil Narine who was unwell, removed Yashasvi Jaiswal for 29 as Rajasthan slipped to 82-5 in 11 overs.
Despite Dhruv Jurel’s 33 and Archer’s 16, Rajasthan finished below par.
"I think 170 was a reasonable score but we fell short by 20 runs," Parag said. "The plan was to get Quinny out early but he didn't, so we shifted to containing them in the middle overs."
Arora and Harshit Rana also took two wickets each.
Kolkata, who won their third IPL title last year under Shreyas Iyer, are now looking to build momentum in the season.
(With inputs from AFP)
Lucknow Super Giants and Sunrisers Hyderabad have faced each other four times in the IPL so far
The seventh match of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season will see Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) take on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
The much-anticipated clash is set to be held at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on March 27, with the action beginning at 7:30 PM IST.
Both teams come into this match with different fortunes and will look to make an impact as they progress in the tournament.
Sunrisers Hyderabad have started their IPL 2025 campaign on a strong note. They dominated Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their opening match, claiming a commanding 44-run victory. In that match, SRH put up an astonishing total of 286/6, just short of breaking the record for the highest team total in IPL history. Their batting unit was in exceptional form, with Ishan Kishan leading the charge with a blistering century. The team’s top-order, including Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen, also contributed significantly to the monumental total. SRH’s batting depth has made them one of the most feared line-ups in the tournament.
With the kind of form they’ve displayed, SRH will look to continue their aggressive approach with the bat against Lucknow Super Giants. A win in this game could further cement their position at the top of the points table and boost their net run rate, which is already the best in the league.
On the other hand, Lucknow Super Giants have had a rough start to their campaign. They faced a heartbreaking defeat in their first match against Delhi Capitals, losing by just one wicket in a nail-biting finish. After posting a strong total of 209 runs, LSG had Delhi Capitals reeling at 65/5. However, they failed to close out the game, allowing Delhi to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, thanks to a late effort by Vipraj Nigam and Ashutosh Sharma.
Rishabh Pant, the new LSG captain, will be keen to bounce back from this narrow loss and guide his team to their first win of the season. The Lucknow outfit boasts a talented squad, with Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, and David Miller in their ranks. However, they will need to sharpen their bowling plans to counter SRH’s powerful batting line-up, especially given the high-scoring nature of the Hyderabad pitch.
The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad has earned a reputation for being one of the flattest pitches in the IPL. Batsmen from both teams will be licking their lips at the prospect of playing on this surface, which offers little assistance to bowlers. While there might be some early movement for the seamers and a bit of turn for the spinners in the middle overs, the majority of the match is expected to favour the batters.
Given the batting-friendly conditions, another high-scoring encounter could be on the cards. Teams might prefer to chase on this ground, as the pitch tends to get even better for batting as the match progresses. Dew is unlikely to play a significant role at this stage of the tournament.
In their previous meetings, LSG and SRH have faced each other four times in the IPL. LSG dominated the initial matchups, winning the first three encounters. However, SRH avenged those losses with a comprehensive 10-wicket victory in their most recent meeting in 2024. Both teams will be eager to add to their win tally in this ongoing rivalry.
Sunrisers Hyderabad:
Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen, Abhinav Manohar, Aniket Verma, Pat Cummins (C), Harshal Patel, Mohammed Shami, Adam Zampa.
Impact Substitute: Simarjeet Singh
Lucknow Super Giants:
Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran (WK), Rishabh Pant (C & WK), David Miller, Ayush Badoni, Shahbaz Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Manimaran Siddharth, Digvesh Singh.
Impact Substitute: Prince Yadav
The upcoming match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants promises to be an exciting encounter, with both teams boasting some of the best talents in world cricket. SRH will aim to continue their dominant run, while LSG will be desperate to secure their first win of the season. With the batting-friendly conditions at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, fans can expect plenty of runs and an entertaining contest.
Who do you think will win the SRH vs LSG match?

Iyer reached his half-century in 27 balls and later struck three sixes and a four in a 24-run over against Prasidh Krishna.
SHREYAS IYER's unbeaten 97 powered Punjab Kings to an 11-run win over Gujarat Titans in a high-scoring IPL match on Tuesday.
Batting first at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Punjab posted 243-5, with Iyer anchoring the innings with his 42-ball knock. Gujarat, despite a strong start led by Sai Sudharsan’s 74 off 41 balls, finished at 232-5.
The match saw both teams hit 16 sixes each, adding to the spectacle on the fourth day of the tournament.
Iyer, who led Kolkata Knight Riders to the title last year, was Punjab’s big-money signing at $3.17 million in the November auction.
"Ecstatic, to be honest," said Iyer. "Getting 97 not out in the first match is always the icing on the cake. No better feeling, to be honest."
Iyer began with a boundary off Kagiso Rabada and followed up with a six three balls later.
"It was important for me to go ahead and adapt. I got four off the first ball, and that gave an immense boost. That flicked six off Rabada — I think the momentum changed."
Young left-hander Priyansh Arya provided early momentum with a 23-ball 47 before falling to Rashid Khan. Sai Kishore struck twice in two balls, dismissing Glenn Maxwell for a first-ball duck, but Marcus Stoinis avoided the hat-trick.
Maxwell did not take a review, but replays showed the ball would have gone over the stumps. Punjab coach Ricky Ponting looked visibly upset.
Iyer continued attacking with sixes and fours, supported by Stoinis, who made 20 off 15 balls before becoming Kishore's third wicket.
Iyer reached his half-century in 27 balls and later struck three sixes and a four in a 24-run over against Prasidh Krishna. He went past his previous IPL best of 96 but fell short of a century as Shashank Singh dominated the final overs, scoring 44 off 16 balls.
Iyer and Shashank added 81 runs off 28 balls to push Punjab past 240.
‘Got Our Chances’
Gujarat’s chase started well, with Sudharsan and captain Shubman Gill adding quick runs. Gill made 33 off 14 balls, but the required run rate kept climbing.
Sudharsan and Jos Buttler (54) put on an 84-run stand for the second wicket before Arshdeep Singh dismissed Sudharsan. Buttler reached his fifty but was bowled by Marco Jansen.
West Indies' Sherfane Rutherford fought back with a 28-ball 46, but his dismissal in the final over sealed Punjab’s victory.
"We got our chances when we were bowling and batting," said Gill. "Too many runs we conceded in the back end of the innings."
(With inputs from agencies)
Ashutosh Sharma hit the winning six with six runs needed off the final over. (Photo: Getty Images)
ASHUTOSH SHARMA played a match-winning knock of 66* as Delhi Capitals secured a one-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL on Monday.
Coming in as an impact substitute on debut, Ashutosh rescued Delhi from 65-5, helping his team chase down 210 with three balls remaining in Visakhapatnam. He hit the winning six with six runs needed off the final over.
Delhi were struggling at 7-3 in the second over and later at 65-5 when Faf du Plessis, playing his first match for the franchise, was dismissed for 29. New captain Axar Patel made 22 off 14 balls, while Tristan Stubbs added 34 to keep the chase alive.
"Be prepared for it now," Axar said after the match. "It's going to be like this only under my captaincy. Things will be up and down a little."
Stubbs was bowled by Manimaran Siddharth the ball after hitting two consecutive sixes, leaving Delhi at 113-6 with 97 runs needed from 7.3 overs.
Ashutosh and IPL debutant Vipraj Nigam, who struck 39 off 15 balls, revived the chase with a quick 55-run partnership off 22 balls.
Nigam fell in the 17th over, and Delhi lost two more wickets, but Ashutosh held firm. Mentor Kevin Pietersen had predicted at the innings break that Ashutosh would produce something special.
After scoring 20 off his first 20 deliveries, Ashutosh accelerated, smashing 46 off the final 11 balls he faced.
With six required off the final over, number 11 Mohit Sharma survived a stumping chance when the ball brushed his pad, and Lucknow captain Rishabh Pant failed to collect it cleanly.
A single off the next delivery allowed Ashutosh to finish the chase with a six off Shahbaz Ahmed.
Lucknow falter after strong start
Lucknow Super Giants posted 209-8 after a strong 87-run stand between Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran, but lost momentum in the middle overs.
Playing as a specialist batter after recovering from a back injury, Marsh hit 72 off 36 balls, striking six fours and six sixes. He lost opening partner Aiden Markram early but built a strong stand with Pooran, who scored 75 off 30 balls.
Pant, playing his first match for Lucknow against his former team Delhi, was dismissed for a six-ball duck by Kuldeep Yadav.
Lucknow had signed Pant for a record $3.21 million in the November auction after he parted ways with Delhi.
Mitchell Starc bowled Pooran, triggering a collapse. "I think our top-order batters played really well, and I think it was a pretty good score on this wicket," Pant said. "As a team, we are looking to take positives from every match and learn from it."
Starc, who missed the Champions Trophy for personal reasons, finished with three wickets, while Kuldeep took 2-20 in four overs.
(With inputs from AFP)
Ishan Kishan scored his first IPL century, guiding Hyderabad to 286-6 and a 44-run win over Rajasthan Royals. (Photo: Getty Images)
ISHAN KISHAN's unbeaten 106 and Rachin Ravindra’s composed chase helped Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings begin their Indian Premier League campaigns with wins on Sunday.
Kishan scored his first IPL century, guiding Hyderabad to 286-6 and a 44-run win over Rajasthan Royals in the first match of the day.
In the second game, New Zealand's Ravindra remained unbeaten on 65 as Chennai defeated Mumbai Indians by four wickets at Chepauk Stadium.
Hyderabad’s total was the second-highest in IPL history, falling just one run short of their own record of 287.
Kishan reached his century in 45 balls, dominating Rajasthan’s bowling attack after Travis Head smashed 67 off 31 deliveries.
"To be very honest, the nervousness was there," said Kishan, who was named player of the match.
"The environment (in the team) is so calm and composed, you know you just have to go in and believe in yourself like what's supposed to be done at that point of time."
Rajasthan finished on 242-6, with Sanju Samson and Dhruv Jurel scoring half-centuries, while Shimron Hetmyer made 42 off 23 balls.
Batting first, Hyderabad’s Head gave the team a strong start alongside Abhishek Sharma. The Australian opener attacked fast bowler Jofra Archer, taking 23 runs off one over.
Archer conceded 76 runs in four overs, the most expensive spell in IPL history.
Head and Kishan added 85 runs off 39 balls for the second wicket, setting up a big total. Hyderabad’s innings featured 34 fours and 12 sixes.
Last season, Hyderabad posted the highest-ever IPL total of 287-3 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Rajasthan ended their innings on 242-6 in 20 overs.
'X-Factor' Noor
Chennai secured victory with five balls remaining as Ravindra finished the chase with a six.
Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad took 4-18 to help Chennai restrict Mumbai to 155-9.
Ravindra guided the chase after skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad's quick 53 off 26 deliveries.
Former India captain M.S. Dhoni, playing in his 18th IPL season at age 43, came out to bat in the final moments.
Chennai and Mumbai share a long-standing rivalry, with both teams having won five IPL titles since the league began in 2008.
After opting to field, Chennai's bowlers backed Gaikwad’s decision. Seamer Khaleel Ahmed struck early, dismissing former Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma for a duck in the first over.
Khaleel then bowled South Africa’s Ryan Rickelton for 13 as he under-edged the ball onto his stumps.
Ahmad took over from Khaleel and applied pressure with his wrist spin, dismissing Mumbai captain Suryakumar Yadav for 29.
Dhoni stumped him in seconds, showing flashes of his sharp glovework.
"Noor is an X-factor and good to have him in the team," Gaikwad said.
On Dhoni, he added: "He is still the same, he's fitter this year and hitting more sixes in the nets this year."
(With inputs from AFP)
Rahmanullah Gurbaz of Kolkata Knight Riders plays a shot during the 2024 IPL Final match between the Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad at MA Chidambaram Stadium on May 26, 2024 in Chennai. (Photo: Getty Images)
TEAMS in the Indian Premier League (IPL) will begin their 2025 campaign on Saturday with an eye on the 300-run mark, as high scores continue to rise in the tournament.
The league has lifted the saliva ban on shining the ball, but batters are expected to dominate with the continuation of the Impact Player rule, which allows teams to field an extra batter in place of a bowler.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) 263-5 against Pune Warriors was the highest total in the league for a decade before it was surpassed four times last season. Sunrisers Hyderabad set a new record with 287-3 against Bengaluru.
Nathan Leamon, strategy consultant for defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders, believes a 300-run total is possible.
"We have already seen a huge escalation in scores over the last two years," Leamon told ESPNcricinfo. "It would be naive to think that we have got to the fullest extent of that – of teams learning how to take advantage of the new laws.
"You have seen several games where 260 has been scored, which never used to happen. You have seen several games where teams score 100 in the powerplay … So something has changed."
RCB will take on Kolkata Knight Riders in Saturday’s opening match at Eden Gardens. With Bengaluru’s traditionally flat pitch and short boundaries, RCB is seen as one of the teams likely to be involved when the 300-mark is breached.
This season sees five new captains. RCB's Rajat Patidar takes charge, while Ajinkya Rahane leads Kolkata after Shreyas Iyer’s departure to Punjab Kings.
Axar Patel will captain Delhi Capitals following the exit of Rishabh Pant, who now leads Lucknow Super Giants.
Sunday’s double-header will feature Mumbai Indians against Chennai Super Kings, both five-time IPL champions.
While no team is an overwhelming favourite, former South Africa cricketer AB de Villiers backed RCB to win their first title.
"It's an incredibly good, balanced team," de Villiers said. "I do feel this squad has got what it takes to go all the way."

(With inputs from Reuters)

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