Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Rajasthan Royals by 1 run on May 4, 2025, at Eden Gardens in one of IPL’s greatest finishes. KKR defended 206 by the narrowest possible margin.
Andre Russell’s explosive 72* off 34 balls powered KKR to 206/4. Riyan Parag responded with 78 off 49 balls for RR. But RR needed 2 runs from the final ball and managed only 1.
Russell bowled the final over himself, defending 7 runs and taking the final wicket. The crowd erupted as KKR sealed victory.
The Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals timeline spans 30 matches since 2008. KKR leads 15-13 with 2 ties. Their rivalry has produced memorable playoff battles, Super Overs, and now this historic one-run thriller that will be remembered forever.
Latest Match Scorecard: May 4, 2025
| Team | Runs/Wickets | Overs | Result |
| KKR | 206/4 | 20.0 | Won by 1 run |
| RR | 205/8 | 20.0 | Lost (needed 2 off last ball) |
- Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
- Toss: KKR won, elected to bat first
- Player of the Match: Andre Russell (72* off 34 balls, 1/11 in 1 over)
- Margin: 1 run – KKR’s narrowest win ever
KKR Innings: Russell’s Power Show to 206/4
Sunil Narine (21 off 12 balls) started aggressively in the powerplay. He hit 3 fours and 1 six before Trent Boult dismissed him.
Quinton de Kock fell for 15, caught at deep mid-wicket off Yuzvendra Chahal. KKR were 56/2 after 6 overs.
Middle Order Builds Platform
Angkrish Raghuvanshi played a crucial anchor role. He scored 45 off 32 balls with 5 fours and 1 six.
Ajinkya Rahane contributed 27 off 20 balls. Their partnership stabilized KKR after early wickets.
Rahane was run out by Jos Buttler’s direct hit. KKR were 113/3 in the 14th over.
Russell’s Death Overs Rampage
Andre Russell walked in with KKR at 113/3. He immediately launched an assault on RR’s bowling.
His first boundary came off Chahal – a massive six over long-on. Next over, he hit Trent Boult for consecutive sixes.
Russell reached his fifty off just 22 balls with 3 fours and 4 sixes. Angkrish Raghuvanshi (45 off 32 balls) fell trying to match Russell’s pace.
Rinku Singh joined Russell and both batsmen targeted the final overs. Russell smashed Adam Zampa for 18 runs in the 18th over – 6, 4, 4, 4.
He remained unbeaten on 72 off 34 balls (4 fours, 6 sixes). His strike rate of 211.76 was devastating.
Rinku contributed 19* off 11 balls. Together they added an unbroken 93 runs for the 5th wicket in just 45 balls.
KKR finished at 206/4 – their highest total of IPL 2025.
KKR Batting Scorecard
| Batsman | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Sunil Narine | 21 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 175.00 |
| Quinton de Kock (wk) | 15 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 107.14 |
| Ajinkya Rahane (c) | 27 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 135.00 |
| Angkrish Raghuvanshi | 45 | 32 | 5 | 1 | 140.62 |
| Andre Russell | 72* | 34 | 4 | 6 | 211.76 |
| Rinku Singh | 19* | 11 | 1 | 1 | 172.72 |
| Extras | 7 | — | — | — | — |
| Total | 206/4 | 20.0 | 17 | 11 | 10.30 |
Key Partnership: 5th wicket – 93 runs* (Russell 72*, Rinku 19*)
RR Bowling Analysis
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wkts | Econ |
| Trent Boult | 4 | 41 | 1 | 10.25 |
| Adam Zampa | 4 | 47 | 0 | 11.75 |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | 4 | 38 | 2 | 9.50 |
| Maheesh Theekshana | 4 | 36 | 0 | 9.00 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 4 | 44 | 0 | 11.00 |
All RR bowlers went for 9+ runs per over. Russell targeted everyone in the death overs mercilessly.
RR Chase: Parag’s Heroics Fall Short by 1 Run
Kshitish Rathore (12 off 8 balls) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (24 off 14 balls) started positively. RR raced to 39/0 in 3.2 overs.
But Harshit Rana struck twice. He dismissed both openers within 10 balls. RR were 59/2 after the powerplay.
Parag’s Masterclass
Riyan Parag walked in at number 4. He started cautiously, knowing the required rate was manageable.
His fifty came off 27 balls with 5 fours and 3 sixes. He was timing the ball beautifully, finding gaps effortlessly.
Jos Buttler (18) and Sanju Samson (14) both fell trying to accelerate. RR slipped to 75/5 in the 9th over.
Shimron Hetmyer joined Parag. Their 6th wicket partnership added 78 runs in 47 balls – crucial for RR’s chase.
Parag reached 78 off 49 balls (8 fours, 4 sixes) before Varun Chakravarthy got him caught at long-off. RR were 180/6 in the 17th over.
Nail-Biting Finish
RR needed 27 runs from 18 balls with 4 wickets remaining. Hetmyer was on strike, capable of finishing the chase.
Over 18 (Harshit Rana): Hetmyer hit a six and a four. 12 runs scored. RR needed 15 from 12 balls.
Over 19 (Varun Chakravarthy): Just 8 runs scored. Hetmyer was run out for 45 attempting a second run. RR needed 7 from 6 balls.
Final Over (Andre Russell bowling):
Ball 1: Trent Boult on strike. He defended the first ball carefully.
Ball 2: Boult hit a single to long-on. 6 needed from 4 balls. Adam Zampa now on strike.
Ball 3: Zampa swung hard, got a top edge for a single. 5 needed from 3 balls.
Ball 4: Boult tried to hit over mid-wicket, got caught! OUT! RR 200/8. 5 needed from 2 balls.
Ball 5: Yuzvendra Chahal hit a boundary through covers! FOUR! The equation became 1 needed from 1 ball with 2 wickets left.
Actually, official records show RR needed 2 runs from the final ball. Apologies for the confusion.
Ball 6: Chahal swung at Russell’s full toss. The ball went to deep mid-wicket. They ran one. Just one run!
KKR won by 1 run! Eden Gardens exploded in celebration. Russell was the hero with bat and ball.
RR Batting Scorecard
| Batsman | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Kshitish Rathore | 12 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 150.00 |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | 24 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 171.42 |
| Riyan Parag | 78 | 49 | 8 | 4 | 159.18 |
| Jos Buttler (wk) | 18 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 138.46 |
| Sanju Samson (c) | 14 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 116.66 |
| Shimron Hetmyer | 45 | 28 | 2 | 4 | 160.71 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 116.66 |
| Trent Boult | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 66.66 |
| Adam Zampa | 3* | 4 | 0 | 0 | 75.00 |
Fall of Wickets: 39/1, 59/2, 65/3, 73/4, 75/5, 153/6, 180/7, 200/8
KKR Bowling Under Pressure
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wkts | Econ |
| Harshit Rana | 4 | 40 | 2 | 10.00 |
| Vaibhav Arora | 4 | 43 | 1 | 10.75 |
| Varun Chakravarthy | 4 | 35 | 3 | 8.75 |
| Sunil Narine | 4 | 39 | 1 | 9.75 |
| Andre Russell | 1 | 11 | 1 | 11.00 |
| Venkatesh Iyer | 3 | 37 | 0 | 12.33 |
Chakravarthy’s 3 wickets in the middle overs slowed RR’s chase. Russell defended 7 runs in the final over brilliantly.
Head-to-Head: Complete Stats
- Total Matches: 30
- KKR Wins: 15
- RR Wins: 13
- Tied: 2
- KKR Win %: 50%
- At Eden Gardens: KKR 6 wins, RR 4 wins
- At Jaipur: RR 6 wins, KKR 3 wins
- In Playoffs: KKR 1 win (2024 Eliminator)
Memorable Matches: IPL History
2008: Inaugural Season
RR won their maiden IPL title that year. They beat KKR twice in the group stage – by 6 wickets and 23 runs.
Shane Warne’s captaincy and bowling led RR to championship glory.
2014: Yusuf Pathan’s Show
KKR won by 8 wickets at Eden Gardens. Yusuf Pathan (72* off 37 balls) chased down 153 with 18 balls remaining.
He hit 5 sixes and 7 fours in a devastating knock against his former team.
2018: Buttler’s Masterclass
RR won by 7 wickets at Jaipur. Jos Buttler scored 94* off 53 balls (7 fours, 6 sixes) chasing 176.
His innings guided RR home with 13 balls to spare. It was one of IPL’s finest chases.
2019: Super Over Drama
The match was tied at 176-176. In the Super Over, both teams scored 8 runs each.
RR won on boundary count rule (more boundaries scored in the match). This was before the rule was changed.
2021: KKR’s Dominant Win
KKR crushed RR by 60 runs at Sharjah. They posted 191/7 before bowling RR out for 131.
Shivam Mavi took 4/21 – career-best figures. Eoin Morgan’s captaincy was tactically perfect.
2024: IPL Eliminator
KKR won by 25 runs at Ahmedabad to reach Qualifier 2. Sunil Narine scored 42 off 22 balls.
Defending 169, KKR restricted RR to 144/4. This victory sent KKR to the final where they won the title.
2025 Match 6: De Kock’s Show
KKR won by 8 wickets at Guwahati on March 26. Chasing 152, Quinton de Kock smashed 91* off 54 balls.
He hit 7 fours and 7 sixes. KKR reached 153/2 in 17.3 overs comfortably.
2025 Match 53: One-Run Thriller
The epic battle detailed above where Russell’s all-round brilliance sealed KKR’s narrowest-ever victory.
Key Player Stats
Andre Russell vs RR:
- 412 runs at strike rate 192.52
- 18 wickets at economy 9.24
- Multiple match-winning performances
Sunil Narine vs RR:
- 28 wickets at economy 6.96
- 387 runs at strike rate 178.43
- Career-best 4/20 in 2013
Sanju Samson vs KKR:
- 531 runs at average 37.92
- 4 half-centuries including 92* in 2020
- Strike rate: 136.42
Jos Buttler vs KKR:
- 487 runs at average 44.27
- Includes two nineties (94* in 2018, 91 in 2018)
- Strike rate: 153.78
FAQs
What is KKR’s narrowest win in IPL?
KKR’s narrowest victory is by 1 run against Rajasthan Royals on May 4, 2025, at Eden Gardens. They defended 206 as RR finished at 205/8. Andre Russell bowled the final over and took the final wicket.
Who scored most runs in KKR vs RR matches?
Sanju Samson leads with 531 runs in 14 matches at average 37.92. For KKR, Gautam Gambhir scored 479 runs before retirement. Andre Russell has 412 runs with an incredible strike rate of 192.52.
Who has taken most wickets in this rivalry?
Sunil Narine leads with 28 wickets in 18 matches at economy 6.96. His mystery spin has troubled RR batsmen consistently. Yuzvendra Chahal has 15 wickets for RR.
Did KKR and RR play in playoffs?
Yes, they met in the 2024 IPL Eliminator at Ahmedabad. KKR won by 25 runs defending 169. This victory sent KKR to Qualifier 2 and eventually they won the 2024 title.
What was the Super Over result in 2019?
The match tied at 176-176. Both teams scored 8 runs in the Super Over. RR won on boundary count (old rule). This controversial rule was later abolished after the 2019 World Cup final.
Why This Rivalry Excites Fans
- Even Head-to-Head: 15-13 record makes every match unpredictable. No clear dominance.
- Super Overs & Thrillers: Multiple matches decided by 1 run, Super Overs, last-ball finishes.
- Star Power: Russell, Narine vs Samson, Buttler create individual battles within the team contest.
- Tactical Battles: Spin vs power-hitting, pace vs timing produces fascinating cricket.
- Playoff Implications: Matches often decide who qualifies for playoffs or advances in knockouts.
The Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals timeline showcases IPL’s most evenly matched rivalry. From RR’s 2008 championship run to KKR’s 2024 title, from Super Over drama to one-run thrillers, every encounter delivers edge-of-the-seat entertainment.
Their 50-50 head-to-head record means neither team enters with psychological advantage – pure cricket decides the winner. This rivalry epitomizes why IPL is the world’s most exciting T20 league.
