KKR vs SRH IPL 2023 T20 Recap | Kolkata Knight Riders

Indian Premier LeagueResult

Sunrisers Hyderabad

166/8

Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad · Thursday, 4 May 2023

Kolkata Knight Riders won by 5 runsPlayer of the match: CV Varun

Match preview

KKR edge SRH by 5 runs in low-scoring Hyderabad thriller

Match overview

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 5 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on 4 May 2023. Winning the toss and choosing to bat, KKR posted 171/9 from their 20 overs, a total that proved just about sufficient on a surface playing well below the venue's average. SRH mounted a sustained chase, reaching 166/8, but their death overs collapsed at the critical moment. CV Varun took the Player of the Match award for a spin bowling performance that kept SRH under consistent pressure through the back half of the innings.

Neither side batted fluently enough to exploit what is normally a high-scoring ground. The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium averages 192 in the first innings across 104 T20 matches; both totals fell well short of that. SRH's powerplay of 53/3 was actually more productive than KKR's 49/3, but they could not convert that platform, managing only 32 runs from their final five overs while losing 3 wickets.

Venue and conditions

The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad is one of the more batter-friendly venues in the IPL. Its average powerplay score of 43 runs is modest, but the average first-innings total of 192 reflects how quickly scoring accelerates through the middle and death phases once batters are set. Chasing sides have won 54% of completed matches here, a slight but consistent advantage for the team batting second.

In this match, both attacks outperformed the typical surface. KKR's death bowling conceded only 32 to SRH in the final five overs compared to the venue's average of 40, which suggests either a slower pitch than usual or exceptional execution under pressure. Toss data shows the fielding-first choice is taken roughly 49% of the time at this ground, so KKR's decision to bat first was against the slight statistical drift, though it proved correct.

How to watch

IPL fixtures are broadcast in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket, with coverage typically beginning around 15:00–16:00 BST for afternoon matches and 19:00 BST for evening games, depending on the Indian broadcast window. Subscribers can stream live and on demand via Sky Go or a NOW TV Sports day or month pass. It is worth checking the Sky Sports app directly for match-specific kick-off times, as the schedule shifts across the tournament.

Recent form

Going into this fixture, Kolkata Knight Riders were struggling badly for consistency. They had won just one of their previous five IPL 2023 matches, that solitary win coming against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Defeats to Gujarat Titans, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians had left their campaign under serious pressure, making this a must-win in all but name.

Sunrisers were only marginally better placed. They had beaten Delhi Capitals and KKR in their recent run but lost to Delhi Capitals (in a separate match), Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. Both sides entered with fragile confidence, which may partly explain why the match produced lower scores than this venue normally generates. For KKR, the 5-run win was a necessary result; for SRH, a fifth loss in six games left their playoff hopes increasingly difficult to calculate. The next fixtures in the IPL 2023 cycle would prove critical for both camps.

Talking points

What to look out for

5 angles

Headline angle

CV Varun takes Player of the Match honours

Varun Chakravarthy's mystery spin was the decisive factor as Kolkata Knight Riders restricted Sunrisers Hyderabad to 166/8 chasing 172. His Player of the Match award underlines how central spin was to the result on a surface that never played as freely as Hyderabad pitches typically do.

Angle 02

Both sides fell well below the venue average

The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium averages 192 in the first innings across 104 T20 matches. KKR's 171/9 and SRH's 166/8 were both well short of that benchmark, suggesting either a sticky pitch or disciplined bowling from both attacks throughout the evening.

Angle 03

KKR's powerplay cost them early wickets

Kolkata lost 3 wickets in the powerplay despite scoring 49 runs, a reasonably brisk start that came at a price. The middle overs (overs 7-15) steadied the innings with 80 runs and only 2 wickets, before a chaotic death phase of 42 runs from 4 wickets threatened to undermine their total.

Angle 04

SRH's death overs proved their undoing

Sunrisers needed to match or better KKR's death-overs output but managed only 32 runs from the final five overs while losing 3 wickets. KKR took 42 from the same phase batting first. That 10-run swing in the death was effectively the margin of victory.

Angle 05

KKR lead the all-time head-to-head 19-11

Across 31 IPL meetings, Kolkata Knight Riders have won 19 times against Sunrisers Hyderabad. This result continued that pattern, though SRH had won their previous encounter in the same season, keeping the rivalry competitive heading into any future meetings.

Context

Key insights

Historical · Not official

Venue par

209

Avg 1st innings score at National Stadium

74 matches · 2004–2023

Chase success

58%

Chases completed successfully at National Stadium

74 matches · 2004–2023

Head to head

19 — 11

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad — 31 meetings

2013–2026

Powerplay

45/1.1

Average runs/wickets in overs 1–6 at National Stadium

Kolkata Knight Riders form

50%

Overall win rate — 268 matches 2007–2026

Recent: L · L · L · NR · L

Historical aggregates derived from Cricsheet (cricsheet.org) under ODC-BY licence. 2001/02–2026 IPL seasons. For editorial context only — not official live match data, not a forecast, and not betting advice. Projections and comparisons above are frozen from the live state and may not match final statistics.

The rivalry

Who could decide it

Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad have met 31 times in the IPL, with KKR holding a clear edge at 19 wins to SRH's 11, and no no-results. The rivalry has become more balanced in recent seasons, with both sides trading heavy victories. KKR's win here moved them further clear in the all-time standings.

Recent meetings

Last 5

2026: Sunrisers Hyderabad won by 65 runs at Eden Gardens
2025: Sunrisers Hyderabad won by 110 runs at Arun Jaitley Stadium
2025: Kolkata Knight Riders won by 80 runs at Eden Gardens
2024: Kolkata Knight Riders won by 8 wickets at Chepauk
2024: Kolkata Knight Riders won by 8 wickets at Narendra Modi Stadium

Key player · Kolkata Knight Riders

CV Varun

The Player of the Match in this fixture, Varun's spin was the decisive weapon as KKR held SRH to 166/8. His ability to operate through the middle overs and into the death makes him a constant threat at venues where the surface offers even modest assistance.

Kolkata Knight Riders

AS Joseph

Alzarri Joseph recorded figures of 6/12 from 3.7 overs in a memorable IPL spell in April 2019, illustrating just how quickly he can dismantle a batting lineup. His pace and ability to take wickets in clusters make him a constant factor in short-format cricket.

Career stats →

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Shubman Gill

Gill's ODI double-hundred of 208 off 149 balls in January 2023 was a reminder of his destructive range. His powerplay aggression is exactly what SRH needed in this chase, and how he performs in the first six overs tends to set the tone for the rest of the innings.

Career stats →

Sunrisers Hyderabad

UT Yadav

Umesh Yadav's Test figures of 10/133 across 38.8 overs demonstrate his stamina and wicket-taking threat. In T20 cricket he brings that same aggression in shorter bursts, and he is a consistent option for any side looking to break partnerships in the middle overs.

Career stats →

Kolkata Knight Riders

R Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin's 12/85 across 43.3 overs in a 2012 Test match remains a benchmark for his precision and variety. In T20s he offers a different kind of control, and at a venue where spin proved decisive, his involvement carries obvious significance.

Career stats →

Angles to watch

Analytical angles worth tracking

Observations from the venue data, recent form and historical trends. Editorial context, not betting advice.

With both teams scoring well below the venue's 192 first-innings average, total-runs markets may be more interesting than outright result lines when these sides meet at Hyderabad.
Death-overs performance proved decisive here. Phase-based bowling markets, where available, could reflect that pattern in future KKR vs SRH fixtures.
The toss winner chose to bat and won. At a venue where the chase success rate sits at 54% across 104 matches, toss-related markets have a fairly marginal edge either way.
Player of the Match markets may favour spinners over pacers at this ground, given that Varun's spin was the match-winning contribution on a surface that offered more grip than the average Hyderabad pitch.

For editorial context only. Not a forecast and not betting advice. 18+ only, please gamble responsibly.

Questions

Frequently asked

Kolkata Knight Riders won by 5 runs. They posted 171/9 batting first and restricted Sunrisers Hyderabad to 166/8 in reply. CV Varun was named Player of the Match.

CV Varun (Kolkata Knight Riders) took the Player of the Match award. His spin bowling was central to KKR holding SRH below the target of 172 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

Across 31 IPL meetings, Kolkata Knight Riders lead 19-11 with no no-results. KKR have won three of the last four encounters, though SRH have produced some very heavy wins in the two most recent fixtures (65 runs in 2026, 110 runs in 2025).

IPL matches are broadcast in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket. Subscribers can also stream via Sky Go or a NOW TV Sports pass. Check the Sky Sports schedule for specific match times, which vary depending on the Indian broadcast window.

Across 104 T20 matches at the ground in Hyderabad, the average first-innings score is 192. The average second-innings score is 179, and chasing teams have won approximately 54% of completed matches.

Kolkata had won just one of their previous five IPL 2023 fixtures before this game, beating Royal Challengers Bangalore but losing to Gujarat Titans, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians. Sunrisers had also won two and lost three in the same period.

Back to league