Iyer, Arora star as KKR hand SRH their heaviest IPL defeat

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) delivered a dominant all-round performance to inflict a record-breaking defeat on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), who continued their steep slide in IPL 2025.

A rejuvenated KKR posted a daunting 200 for 6 at Eden Gardens on Thursday, before their bowlers, led by a fiery Vaibhav Arora, steamrolled SRH for just 120, sealing an emphatic 80-run win – their biggest-ever defeat

KKR was sparked by blazing half-centuries from Venkatesh Iyer and young Angkrish Raghuvanshi.

After a sluggish start that saw the early departure of openers Sunil Narine and Quinton de Kock, KKR’s innings was steadied by a composed partnership between captain Ajinkya Rahane and Raghuvanshi.

Their 81-run stand revived the innings, setting the platform for a late assault. Iyer then took charge with a blistering 29-ball 60, while Rinku Singh’s quickfire unbeaten 32 added the finishing touches as KKR smashed 78 runs in the final five overs.

The target proved far too steep for SRH, whose top order crumbled under pressure.

Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, and Abhishek Sharma all fell within the first 13 balls of the chase, with Vaibhav Arora and Harshit Rana leading the charge.

SRH were reduced to 9 for 3 and never truly recovered, with Heinrich Klaasen’s 33 being the only notable resistance.

Arora, who claimed three wickets including Klaasen’s, and Rana’s incisive early spell ensured there was no way back for Hyderabad.

This defeat marks SRH’s third consecutive loss, casting a shadow over their blistering start to the tournament.

Defending champions KKR surged up the table with a statement performance in front of their home crowd.