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Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) playoff chances took a hit after their IPL 2025 clash against Punjab Kings (PBKS) ended without a result, courtesy to heavy rain coupled with winds at the Eden Gardens stadium on April 26. The washed out match meant both the teams shared the points. As a result Punjab Kings have moved up to the fourth position in the IPL 2025 points table. The single point gained from the abandoned game proved sufficient to lift them in the league table.
On the other hand, Kolkata Knight Riders remained in the seventh spot on the points table as a result of the shared points. The top two positions in the standings continue to be held by Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals, both of whom are tied on 12 points. However, Gujarat Titans currently occupy the top spot due to their superior Net Run Rate compared to the Delhi Capitals.
Meanwhile, KKR pacer Vaibhav Arora is happy despite getting just one point. He said that KKR are taking this one point as a positive sign as this might help them qualify for the playoffs.
"Actually it depends in the last that what the situation is , there can be a scenario where we can qualify from this one point. There can be a scenario where we are levelled with another team with points and this one point can help us to qualify so we will take it as a positive as we can qualify from this one point. Our bowling is performing good only, All the fast bowler I, Harshit and all are performing, our batting is where we are lacking and we have hoped that we made the changes in this match and that would pay off. We will try in the next matches too that batting performs," Vaibhav Arora said in the post-match press conference.
"I was bowling from new ball since last two seasons and this time I have decided to focus on death bowling too in the camp itself. When the team needs me in death I want to perform, Just like today when I conceded 22 in 2 overs but then I made a good comeback in death over getting 2 wickets for just 12 runs in 2 overs. There is Bharat Arun sir and Bravo and I have been working with them in the nets and I am getting the due results," he added.
Talking about the match, after winning the toss, Shreyas Iyer opted to bowl first for the Kolkata Knight Riders. However, during the Punjab Kings' opening batting innings, the pair of Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh established a strong 120-run partnership. Arya provided an aggressive start, scoring a rapid 69 runs off just 35 balls, while Prabhsimran anchored the innings, eventually scoring 83 runs from 49 deliveries.
The combined efforts of Shreyas Iyer and aggressive contributions from his teammates propelled the Punjab Kings to a total of 201 runs for the loss of four wickets at the end of their batting innings. For the Kolkata Knight Riders, Vaibhav Arora delivered an exceptional bowling performance, dismissing two batsmen while conceding only 34 runs in his spell. In contrast, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy had a less satisfactory outing, collectively giving away over 180 runs in their combined 20 overs.
Kolkata Knight Riders began their batting innings just as heavy rain started. Their batting lineup managed to score 7 runs for the loss of one wicket by the end of the first over. Unfortunately, the weather took an unexpected turn, with moderate to strong winds accompanying the rain, making it impossible for the ground staff to adequately cover the playing field. Despite successive inspections by the match referees, the field conditions showed no signs of improvement, ultimately leading the officials to declare the contest as having no result.
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