Andre Russell Shines as KKR Edges Past RR in Thrilling IPL Clash

KKR's Victory Over Rajasthan Royals

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 4: Following a victory against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL 2025 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Andre Russell shared insights about his impressive performance during the match.

Russell delivered a remarkable unbeaten innings of 57 runs off just 25 balls, featuring four boundaries and six sixes, achieving a striking rate of 228. His outstanding display earned him the Player of the Match title.

In the post-match interview, the 37-year-old reflected, “This game was crucial for us. With only four matches left, each felt like a final. We were pleased with our performance and the win. I had enough time to play, so I wasn’t concerned about the dot balls. It was challenging to start hitting on this wicket, but I’m glad I managed to find the boundaries towards the end, and Rinku also contributed significantly. The scoreboard tells the story; you must assess the situation and decide which bowlers to target. When I see five overs left, I think if I can face 15 balls, I can score 40 runs with my power.”

In this match, Russell also reached a milestone of 1000 IPL runs at Eden Gardens, marking his first fifty of the season.

He became the third player to achieve this feat, following former KKR captain Gautam Gambhir (1,407 runs) and Robin Uthappa (1,159 runs). Russell accomplished this in just 41 innings.

Since making his IPL debut in 2012, Russell has been a key player for KKR, amassing 2,613 runs in 138 matches at a strike rate of 174, including 12 half-centuries and taking 123 wickets.

In the match, KKR won the toss and chose to bat first.

After Sunil Narine's early dismissal, a solid partnership between skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (35 runs off 25 balls, with four boundaries and a six) stabilized the innings. A crucial 61-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Angkrish Raghuvanshi (44 runs off 31 balls, with five fours) and Russell (57* off 25 balls, with four boundaries and six sixes) accelerated the scoring. Russell and Rinku (19* off six balls, with a four and two sixes) propelled KKR to a total of 206/4 in their 20 overs.

Jofra Archer, Yudhvir Singh, Riyan, and Maheesh Theekshana each claimed wickets during the innings.

In response, RR struggled at 71/5 but a significant 92-run partnership between skipper Riyan Parag (95 runs off 45 balls, with six fours and eight sixes) and Shimron Hetmyer (29 runs off 23 balls, with a four and a six) gave them hope. Despite late efforts from Shubham Dubey (25* off 14 balls, with a four and two sixes) and Jofra Archer (12 runs off eight balls, with a four), RR fell just short, finishing at 205/8 in their 20 overs.

For KKR, Varun Chakravarthy (2/32), Harshit Rana (2/41), and Moeen Ali (2/43) were the standout bowlers.