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Following the trend of exceptionally high scoring IPL matches, the Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders game on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, was a pleasant throwback to the sheer T20 experience where the duel between bat and ball was evenly matched. In one of the most exciting and remarkable matches ever in IPL history, both teams spectacularly imploded and got bowled out within 16 overs.
While chasing a below par target of 112, KKR started strongly with a 55-run partnership between skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi. After reaching 62/2, they should have crossed the line easily, but a tremendous collapse saw them losing eight wickets for just 33 runs. The total of 111 by Punjab Kings was the lowest in IPL history as they successfully defended this total.
Rahane did not want to use the pitch as an excuse for KKR’s shocking defeat. He praised the bowling of Punjab, especially Yuzvendra Chahal (4-28) and Marco Jansen, but put the blame on KKR’s batting for the defeat to the KKR batting disaster.
Rahane said, “The wicket suited our batting approach, but we could have performed better as a unit. Instead of taking aggressive strokes, as a unit we needed to take singles and double in rotation.”
KKR's batting looked tentative as they seemed to be short both poise and context. Rahane's own dismissal was rather dubious — not taking a review against Chahal's LBW was baffling, given he seemed to hit it well outside the off-stump arch. He later voiced disagreements with batters communicating towards him decided leaving the batter's end without any clarity impacted the choices significantly.
A strategic discussion led Rahane to defend the decision not to include Moeen Ali for what some may argue could have allowed Ali to do as a third spinner on a more favorable deck and swap places with a fielding third spinner. “This pitch has shown tremendous logic defying performance against three spinners being used historically,” is how Rahane put it while noting the confidence his team had in the pace attack.
Rahane still appeared optimistic about the rest of the season while acknowledging those shortcomings. “It’s a long way to go with half the tournament remaining. Gathering lessons from this one is crucial for the next set of matches.”
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