Match overview
Kolkata Knight Riders beat Chennai Super Kings by 8 wickets at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium on 11 April 2025. CSK managed only 103/9 batting first, a total that fell 89 runs short of the venue's average first-innings score of 192. KKR's response was emphatic: 71 runs came off the powerplay alone, with just one wicket down, and the chase was effectively settled before the middle overs began. SP Narine took the Player of the Match award. The result leaves CSK with four losses from five matches in IPL 2025.
CSK's innings fell apart in phases. They posted 31/2 in the powerplay, a reasonable if unspectacular start, but lost 5 more wickets through overs 7 to 15, scoring only 43 runs in that stretch. A late flurry of 29 from the death overs could not paper over the damage done through the middle. A score of 103 at Chepauk, against a KKR side in decent touch, was never going to be enough.
KKR's opening burst changed the entire complexion of the evening. Scoring at more than 11 runs per over in the powerplay, with only one wicket lost, they left CSK's bowlers with no margin for error from the third over onwards. By the midpoint of the chase, KKR needed fewer than 40 runs with nine wickets in hand. They closed it out at 107/2, losing no wickets across the final phase.
Venue and conditions
Chepauk's numbers across 127 T20 matches tell a story of a pitch that suits batting more than the stereotype suggests. The average first-innings score is 192 and the average second-innings score sits at 177, indicating a surface that generally plays well for both sides. CSK's 103 was therefore a significant under-performance relative to historical norms.
The venue's average powerplay score is 43 runs. KKR hit 71 in their powerplay, a figure that reflects both the pitch's pace at the top of the innings and the quality of their opening batting. At the death, the average is 38 runs per innings; neither side troubled that benchmark, though from different positions. CSK's death overs contributed 29 runs, while KKR did not need to bat at all in that phase.
The toss is broadly balanced at Chepauk, with teams electing to field first in around 41 per cent of matches. The chase success rate of 46 per cent means fielding first is a slight disadvantage historically. KKR bucked that trend with ease, suggesting the surface behaved in a way that made bowling first the correct call on the night, with spin gripping from early in the innings.
How to watch
IPL 2025 matches are broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket. Coverage can be accessed via Sky Go for existing subscribers or through a NOW TV Sports membership for those without a full Sky package. Most matches are played in Indian Standard Time, which runs four and a half hours ahead of BST, so evening fixtures in India typically start between 14:00 and 16:00 UK time.
Highlights and short-form content are also available through the official IPL app, though live-streaming rights in the UK remain with Sky.
Recent form
CSK arrive at this point in the season having won just once in their last five matches. Defeats against Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, and Royal Challengers Bangalore preceded this loss to KKR. Their sole victory came against Mumbai Indians. The batting has been the primary concern, with the top order yet to produce a score that puts pressure on opposition sides.
KKR's own form is uneven. They beat Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals in this recent stretch but lost to Lucknow Super Giants, Mumbai Indians, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. The win at Chepauk is their most convincing result of the campaign so far, both in terms of margin and the quality of the performance across the match. Both sides will need to find greater consistency if they are to push into the top half of the IPL 2025 standings over the fixtures remaining.
