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IPL 2025: Super De Kock dazzles as Kolkata Knight Riders thrash Rajasthan Royals | Cricket News – The Times of India

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IPL 2025: Super De Kock dazzles as Kolkata Knight Riders thrash Rajasthan Royals | Cricket News – The Times of India


Quinton de Kock (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)

NEW DELHI: Kolkata Knight Riders had a disappointing start to their IPL 2025 campaign against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 22 at Eden Gardens, but they bounced back in style on Wednesday. The defending champions put up a commanding performance to register their first win of the season, securing two valuable points in the standings. The star of the night was Quinton de Kock, whose stellar knock powered KKR to an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals. This win also marked KKR’s first triumph under Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy.
De Kock’s brilliance ensured that KKR remained in control throughout the chase. His combination of clean ball-striking and sharp game awareness reaffirmed why he is regarded as one of the most dangerous openers in the IPL. His innings was a textbook display of counter-attacking cricket—starting with caution before seamlessly shifting gears to dismantle the opposition’s bowling attack with exquisite timing and brute power.
With this dominant win, KKR not only got off the mark in IPL 2025 but also sent a strong statement to their rivals. Under Rahane’s leadership, the team has gained momentum, with de Kock leading the charge in spectacular fashion.

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Earlier in the match, Rahane won the toss and opted to field first, putting Rajasthan Royals on the back foot. Led by Riyan Parag, RR struggled to put up a competitive total as KKR’s disciplined bowling unit applied relentless pressure. Yashasvi Jaiswal (29 off 24) and Dhruv Jurel (33 off 28) were the only notable contributors as the Royals managed to post 151/9 in their 20 overs.
KKR’s bowlers were clinical, with Varun Chakaravarthy (2/17) and Moeen Ali (2/23) stifling RR’s middle order, while Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora chipped in with crucial wickets to keep the total within reach.
Chasing 152, KKR faced an early setback when opener Moeen Ali was run out for just 5. However, de Kock stepped up with an authoritative display, dismantling the RR bowling attack with a breathtaking array of strokes. Despite losing captain Rahane for 18, the South African wicketkeeper-batsman kept the chase on track with a flurry of boundaries and well-calculated big hits.
De Kock’s explosive innings featured eight fours and six towering sixes, making light work of the Rajasthan bowling attack. His heroics ensured KKR cruised to victory with plenty of overs to spare.
Next up, KKR will take on five-time champions Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday, looking to build on their newfound momentum.


Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, and IPL live score for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Find out how to watch IPL 2025 in Canada and the USA.





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Mohammed Shami calls Hardik Pandya ‘bhai’ and asks for his autograph – WATCH – The Times of India

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Mohammed Shami calls Hardik Pandya ‘bhai’ and asks for his autograph – WATCH – The Times of India


Mohammed Shami and Hardik Pandya (Image credit: Mumbai Indians)

NEW DELHI: Rohit Sharma struck his second consecutive half-century and stitched a crucial 53-run stand with Suryakumar Yadav (40*), powering Mumbai Indians to a dominant seven-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL on Wednesday. Chasing a modest target of 144, Mumbai wrapped up the win in just 15.4 overs, marking their fourth straight win and third successful chase in a row.
The chase was anchored by Rohit, who was at his fluent best with a 46-ball 70. He took charge early, launching Pat Cummins over deep square leg for a six and following it up with a crisp four in the third over.
Showing great awareness of the flat Hyderabad pitch, Rohit—who came in as an impact sub—was quick to capitalize, especially when Jaydev Unadkat took the pace off the ball. A powerful lofted six over cover in the fourth over set the tone for what would be a commanding innings.
Rohit’s composed yet aggressive approach, blending caution with controlled aggression, proved too good for the SRH bowlers. With Suryakumar complementing him well, the result was never in doubt.

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Earlier, Sunrisers Hyderabad, after a poor start, were bailed out by Heinrich Klaasen’s counter-attacking 71 off 44 balls. He shared a 99-run partnership with Abhinav Manohar (43 off 37), helping SRH recover to 143/8. Despite their efforts, it proved too little against a resurgent Mumbai side.
In a light-hearted post-match moment, SRH pacer Mohammad Shami was seen taking Hardik Pandya’s autograph on an ICC Champions Trophy 2025 jersey. Both players were part of India’s victorious campaign, where they beat New Zealand by four wickets in the final held in Dubai.
Mumbai, now with back-to-back wins over SRH this season, continue to build strong momentum in their campaign.





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Daily Quiz | Sachin Tendulkar’s IPL performance

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Daily Quiz | Sachin Tendulkar’s IPL performance






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IPL 2025 | Ishan Kishan’s bizarre dismissal in SRH-MI clash raises eyebrows

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IPL 2025 | Ishan Kishan’s bizarre dismissal in SRH-MI clash raises eyebrows


Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Ishan Kishan
| Photo Credit: Reuters

India wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan’s bizarre caught-behind when his bat did not come in contact with the ball during an embarrassing SRH batting collapse on Wednesday (April 23, 2025) caught the eye in the IPL clash against Mumbai Indians.

Left-hander Kishan, who had just opened his account in the previous over, tried to work pacer Deepak Chahar’s first delivery, which was drifting down the leg side. The ball was collected by MI wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton and neither him nor the bowler showed any inclination to appeal for a caught behind.

On-field umpire Vinod Seshan was also close to declaring it a wide. But, to everyone’s surprise, Kishan walked away, indicating he had edged it to the keeper.

Surprised by the batter’s move, Seshan too raised his finger.

Kishan’s gesture had MI skipper Hardik Pandya — who had appealed half-heartedly — pat the left-hander on his helmet and shoulders.

Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya interacts with Sunrisers Hyderabad batsman Ishan Kishan as the latter returns after being dismissed during the IPL match on April 23, 2025

Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya interacts with Sunrisers Hyderabad batsman Ishan Kishan as the latter returns after being dismissed during the IPL match on April 23, 2025
| Photo Credit:
K.V.S. Giri

Replays showed the ball was drifting away from Kishan’s bat when it passed the left-hander, and there was no spike on the UltraEdge either.

It is believed that, on most occasions, a batter comes to know whether he has edged the ball or not. But given the situation SRH are in on the points table — they are placed ninth — they needed to make the most of a flat batting wicket. Kishan’s dismissal saw SRH slump to 9/2 in the third over.

“You think you have seen it all after all these years and yet I must admit the Ishan Kishan’s dismissal leaves me perplexed,” wrote commentator Harsha Bhogle on X, expressing his surprise at the turn of events.





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