In a nail-biting finish, Kolkata Knight Riders held their nerve to beat Rajasthan Royals by just one run. It was a huge win for KKR, giving them two important points and keeping their playoff hopes very much alive.
Chasing a big target of 207, Rajasthan Royals almost pulled off a stunning win. They needed 22 runs from the final over and Shubham Dubey gave it everything hitting two sixes and a four to bring it down to just 3 runs needed off the last ball. But in a dramatic finish, Rinku Singh’s brilliant throw ran out Jofra Archer as he tried to sneak in a second run. That moment sealed a thrilling one-run win for KKR, even though Riyan Parag played a blinder with his 95 off 45 balls.
With this win, KKR climbed to sixth place on the points table with 11 points from 11 matches keeping their playoff hopes alive. On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals, already out of the race, stayed stuck in eighth place. Up next, KKR will take on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Eden Gardens on May 7. RR will also face CSK later, on May 12 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Earlier in the match, KKR put up a strong total of 206 for 4 against Rajasthan Royals. Andre Russell, who took some time to get going, eventually exploded with the bat, smashing an unbeaten 57 off just 25 balls including six massive sixes and four fours. He was well supported by young Angkrish, who played a classy knock of 44 from 31 balls, hitting five boundaries. Their 61-run stand for the fourth wicket gave KKR the late boost they needed to set a challenging target.
In the final overs, Rinku Singh added the finishing touch to KKR’s innings with a quick and impactful 19* off just 6 balls, including two sixes and a four. Earlier, Ajinkya Rahane (30 off 24) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (35 off 25) laid a solid platform with handy contributions at the top. For Rajasthan Royals, the bowlers shared the spoils Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Yudhvir Singh and stand-in skipper Riyan Parag each picked up a wicket to keep things in check during parts of the innings.
Riyan Parag’s Explosive Knock Almost Turns the Tide
Rajasthan Royals had a tough start to their chase and quickly found themselves in deep trouble at 71 for 5. Stand-in skipper Riyan Parag stepped up with a fighting knock, almost dragging his team back into the contest. His dismissal in the 18th over, while trying to ease the pressure after Shubham Dubey’s slow start, turned out to be the turning point. Though Dubey tried to make up for it with some big hits in the final over, it wasn’t enough, and RR narrowly missed what could’ve been a stunning win.
KKR spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Moeen Ali made things tough for Rajasthan Royals on a pitch that helped slower bowlers. But Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer fought back with a quick 92-run partnership off just 48 balls, giving RR a real chance. At one point, it looked like the game might end early, but Parag kept fighting with aggressive shots. He took on Moeen Ali, who had bowled really well early on and smashed him around to bring Rajasthan right back into the contest.
Riyan Parag lit up the match with a sensational display of power-hitting, smashing five sixes in a row in the 13th over and completely shifting the momentum in Rajasthan Royals’ favour. With that, he joined a special club of big hitters like Chris Gayle, Ravindra Jadeja and Rinku Singh who’ve pulled off the same stunning feat. And he wasn’t done he made it six sixes in six balls by reverse-sweeping Varun Chakravarthy in the next over. Parag’s timing and confidence against the spinners stood out as he played some fearless sweeps and slog-sweeps, especially against Moeen Ali, leaving the KKR bowlers under pressure.
𝙍𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙍𝙞𝙮𝙖𝙣 🔥
The #RR captain is in the mood tonight 😎
He keeps @rajasthanroyals in the game 🩷
Updates ▶ https://t.co/wg00ni9CQE#TATAIPL | #KKRvRR | @rajasthanroyals | @ParagRiyan pic.twitter.com/zwGdrP3yMB
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 4, 2025
Shimron Hetmyer, who had been searching for form all season, finally showed glimpses of his old self with a steady knock of 29 off 23 balls. He played a crucial supporting role in the 92-run partnership with Riyan Parag, focusing on strike rotation while Parag took on the bowlers with aggressive flair. This stand gave Rajasthan Royals hope in what had looked like a hopeless chase. But Hetmyer’s departure to a sharp Rana bouncer in the 16th over triggered a collapse in the chase.
Parag, who was just five runs short of a memorable maiden IPL century, tried to carry on the charge single-handedly. His explosive knock included eight sixes and six boundaries, but the pressure mounted after Hetmyer’s dismissal. With boundaries drying up and the required run rate climbing, he attempted a big hit in the 18th over only to be caught at long-off by Vaibhav Arora. Rana’s twin strikes in the death overs proved decisive. Impact sub Shubham Dubey couldn’t find the rhythm to accelerate and RR’s chase lost steam, falling just short in a heartbreaking finish.
IPL 2025 Points Table: After KKR vs RR Match
Smallest Margin of Defeat for RR in IPL:
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1 run vs DC, Delhi, 2012
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1 run vs SRH, Hyderabad, 2024
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1 run vs KKR, Kolkata, 2025 (Today)
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2 runs vs LSG, Jaipur, 2025
Smallest Victory Margin by Runs for KKR in IPL:
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1 run vs RCB, Kolkata, 2024
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1 run vs RR, Kolkata, 2025 (Today)
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2 runs vs RCB, Sharjah, 2014
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2 runs vs PBKS, Abu Dhabi, 2020
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4 runs vs SRH, Kolkata, 2024
