Andre Russell delivered the final blow as KKR wrapped up a dominant victory at Eden Gardens. Harshal Patel attempted a wild heave across the line but only managed to send the ball straight up in the air. Russell calmly took the catch, sealing SRH’s crushing defeat.  

It was a one-sided affair, with KKR outclassing their opponents in every department. SRH’s batting lineup crumbled under relentless pressure, and their chase never gained any real momentum. The writing had been on the wall for quite some time.  

This emphatic win will be a massive boost for KKR, not just in points but also in net run rate. Meanwhile, SRH will have plenty to reflect on as they attempt to bounce back from this heavy defeat. KKR win by 80 runs.

Here’s the next part of the summary:

Varun Chakravarthy struck twice in the 16th over, tightening KKR’s grip on the match. Pat Cummins fell first, miscuing a slog straight to long on, leaving SRH reeling at eight down. Simarjeet Singh followed immediately, bowled through the gate by a stunning delivery that spun sharply back in.

With SRH down to their last wicket, Mohammed Shami walked in to join Harshal Patel. Chakravarthy nearly completed a hat-trick, but Shami survived. The required run rate had skyrocketed to 21 runs per over, making SRH’s task nearly impossible.

KKR’s disciplined bowling attack continued to strangle SRH, with Varun and Arora leading the charge. Every dot ball pushed SRH further into desperation, and their chase looked all but over.

Sunil Narine struck in the 10th over as Kamindu Mendis mistimed a pull shot straight to deep midwicket. Aniket Verma walked in and immediately made his presence felt with a classy boundary. However, with SRH needing 129 off the last 10 overs, the pressure was mounting.

Varun Chakravarthy joined the attack in the 11th over and removed Aniket Verma, who miscued a slog to deep midwicket. Pat Cummins arrived at the crease and got off the mark with a cheeky lap shot for four. Klaasen, at the other end, looked determined to take the game deep.

Klaasen took charge in the 14th over, smashing Narine for back-to-back sixes to keep SRH's hopes alive. However, KKR missed a chance to dismiss him when UltraEdge revealed a nick that went unnoticed. With the required run rate soaring past 15, SRH needed something special.

Vaibhav Arora delivered a crucial blow in the 15th over, dismissing Klaasen for 33 with a well-disguised slower bouncer. SRH’s chase took another hit, leaving Cummins and Harshal Patel with an uphill task. Despite some quick singles, the asking rate climbed to an almost impossible 17.4 runs per over.

KKR’s disciplined bowling attack, led by Arora and Narine, kept SRH in check. The fall of Klaasen all but sealed the game for KKR, with only tailenders left to chase an improbable 87 off 30 balls. Cummins and Harshal needed a miracle from there.

With the match slipping away, SRH’s batters struggled to find the boundary. KKR’s bowlers maintained tight lines, and the fielders backed them up with sharp work. As the equation worsened, KKR edged closer to sealing a convincing victory at Eden Gardens.

Kamindu Mendis takes on Russell with two massive sixes and a cracking four.  

Nitish Kumar Reddy throws his wicket away with a soft flick straight to Narine. He won’t believe how easily he gifted that.  

Klaasen joins Kamindu, keeping the strike moving.  

SRH in trouble at 51/4 after 7 overs.

Sunrisers only managed to get 33 from the powerplay and they are now falling far behind of total. 

Arora struck in the first ball as Ajinkya Rahane took a top catch to dismiss Ishan Kishan.

Arora could have had a double-wicket maiden if Russell had not missed Kamindu Mendis’s catch in the final ball.

SRH 9/3 after 3. 

Rapid Rahane, Rampant #KKR 🔝 👊

A superb catch to highlight a dream start for KKR in the field 👌

Updates ▶ https://t.co/jahSPzdeys#TATAIPL | #KKRvSRH | @KKRiders | @ajinkyarahane88 pic.twitter.com/gWhXWfLxff

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 3, 2025

Harshit Rana gets Abhishek Sharma with a slower ball.

The left-hander did not read the slower ball and managed a loopy catch to slip. 

SRH 9/2 after 2.

The impact sub of KKR gets the impact sub of SRH! 

An excellent catch from Harshit Rana to get rid of the Aussie batter.

SRH 6/1 after 1. 

Venkatesh Iyer started with a six and four but was caught in the deep while going for another big shot.

He was dismissed on 60 from 29 balls. 

After that KKR were not able to get any boundaries. 

They finish at 200/6 in the first inning. 

Huge over in the context of the game. 

Three boundaries, one six, one double and a single, Venkatesh Iyer did all the damage.

He got to his fifty from 25 balls. 

21 runs over from Cummins. 

KKR 187/4 after 19. 

Venkatesh Iyer was able to hit two boundaries in the third and fourth balls of Simranjit’s over. 

Rinku then capped off with a huge six over long off against a slower ball from Simranjit. 

17 comes from the over. 

KKR 166/4 after 18.

Lighting up Eden Gardens with some fireworks 💥

Sit back and enjoy Rinku Singh and Venkatesh Iyer's super striking 🍿👏

5⃣0⃣ up for Iyer in the process!

Updates ▶ https://t.co/jahSPzdeys#TATAIPL | #KKRvSRH | @KKRiders pic.twitter.com/AAAqnOsRy8

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 3, 2025

Big over for KKR. 

Rinku was able to hit three consecutive boundaries, helped by Aniket’s sloppy fielding! 

15 comes from Harshal’s over. 

KKR 149/4 after 17.

KKR are finally getting a move. 

Iyer hit the fourth ball for a four and Rinku finished off with another one in the last ball. 

1 0 2 4 1 4 

KKR 134/4 after 16.

After a span of 18 balls where no boundary was hit, Venkatesh Iyer finally gets the boundary; it is a six over fine leg. 

With a double and single, nine came from the over.

KKR 122/4 after 15. 

Looks like Rinku and Venkatesh will take their time before launching their shots. 

Singles throughout the entire over and a dot made it 5 from the over. 

KKR 113/4 after 14. 

Angkrish Raghuvanshi goes right after making a solid 50 from 32 balls.

Kamindu bowled left-arm spin against right-handers and right-arm off-spin against the lefties.

Harshal Patel took a stunning catch to dismiss Raghuvanshi. 

Venkatesh Iyer and Rinku Singh are at the crease.

KKR 108/4 after 12. 

After going for two sixes in his first over, 7 comes from his second over. 

Raghuvanshi still was able to hit him for a boundary after Nitish Kumar Reddy dropped him in the first ball of the over. 

KKR 104/3 after 12. 

After a dot in the first ball, Raghuvanshi took a double in the second ball. 

Raghuvanshi then stepped up to hit him over long off for a six. 

He then reverse-swept for a boundary. But Zeeshan made a comeback in the final ball as Rahane went for a reverse sweep and gave Klassen an easy catch! 

Rahane went after 38 from 26 balls. 

KKR 97/3 after 11. 

After missing a few in the first three balls of the over against Pat Cummins, Rahane hit the shirt ball for a six to finish the over well! 

9 comes from the over. 

KKR 84/2 after 10. 

Only four singles come from Zeeshan’a second over. 

Zeeshan was one and around the off stump and kept it tight so that none of the batters could free their arms. 

KKR 75/2 after 9. 

Harshal Patel went wide in the first ball and Raghuvanshi opened the face of his bat to get a boundary. 

After two singles in the next four balls, Raghuvanshi took advantage of a full toss in the final ball to get a four through the cover region!

KKR 71/2 after 8. 

On a wicket where we can expect a slow turn, SRH introduces spin in the 7th over. 

A couple came from the first ball and then Rahane punched one for a four, helped by a missed fielding by Nitish Kumar Reddy on the boundary line. 

Zeeshan bowled a tad short in that over but it was not coming not to the bat that great for Rahane to take charge. 

KKR 63/2 after 8 as we head into a break. 

It was a good power play for KKR after a poor start. 

Rahane welcomed Simranjit Singh with a six over deep mid-wicket, and then Angkrish Raghuvanshi hooked one for a six over deep fine leg to make it 15 from the over. 

Rahane and Raghuvanshi are looking good now for KKR. 

KKR 53/2 after 6. 

Raghuvanshi took a single in the first ball and after playing two dots, a desperate Rahane played a paddle to scoop Shami over deep square leg for a six. 

Raghuvanshi then hit a boundary in the final ball to make it a 12-run over for KKR! 

KKR 38/2 after 5! 

After Angkrish Raghuvanshi tried to come down the track against the pace and bounce of Cummins, he finally was able to rotate the strike. 

But it was Ajinkya Rahane who picked out a length ball to launch a six over deep mid-wicket. 

9 from the over and KKR are 26/2 after 4. 

KKR are now in early trouble. 

Shami gets it up there around the block hole, around the off-side!

Narine backed away and looked to slice the ball through the gully region! 

He only managed to get an edge to Klassen! 

KKR 17/2 after three overs! 

Pat Cummins gets the better off Quinton de Kock! 

Cummins pitched it short and knew the southpaw batter will go for the shot. 

Quinton made a good connection but it went straight to the only deep fielder on the leg side. 

Earlier Sunil Narine started the over well with a six over leg side but SRH ended the over on a happy note! 

KKR 14/1 after 2! 

Steady start from both sides! 

Four leg byes from Shami was the only poor thing we had in the over.

Shami is someone who knows this wicket and ground. 

Seven from the first over! 

5️⃣0⃣ reasons to smile for Rinku 💜

A moment to cherish for Rinku Singh as he receives a special jersey ahead of his 50th #TATAIPL appearance for Kolkata Knight Riders 🙌#KKRvSRH | @KKRiders pic.twitter.com/DYh0xJkb3j

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 3, 2025

New beginnings 🧡

Kamindu Mendis | #PlayWithFire | #KKRvSRH | #TATAIPL2025 pic.twitter.com/DXS3Ld55PX

— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) April 3, 2025

Best video on the internet today 💜 pic.twitter.com/L3wAFVLwCB

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 3, 2025

Kolkata Knight Riders XI: Quinton de Kock (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane (capt), Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Moeen Ali, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy

KKR subs: Manish Pandey, Vaibhav Arora, Anukul Roy, Rovman Powell, Luvnith Sisodia

Sunrisers Hyderabad won the toss, and they will bowl first.

The story is almost the same for SRH, but they have a better NRR than KKR.

After winning their first match of the season, with nearly a record first inning total, SRH could not keep their momentum. They lost their second game at home against Lucknow Super Giants and then suffered a huge defeat against Delhi Captials in Visakhapatnam. 

1 win in 3 games and 2 defeats; the defending champions have not looked their best till now. They first faced a defeat in the opening match of the season at Eden Gardens. Then, they came back with a win over RR in Guwahati. However, the could not keep the momentum as they faced a huge defeat against Mumbai at Wankhede. 

After many rumours and speculations, we will see a dry pitch at Eden Gardens, which will surely help the spinners of the Kolkata Knight Riders. Ajinkya Rahane and company will surely look to take the "home advantage" to restrict the batting lineup of SRH. 

However, SRH also has someone like Adam Zampa in their ranks, who can be lethal on this wicket as well, 

KKR has dominated the team from South India in the IPL so far. In the 28 games between the teams so far, KKR has won 19 and SRH, in the meantime, were victorious only 9 times. 

Moreover, currently, KKR has a 4 games winning streak over SRH in IPL. 

Fans can watch the KKR vs SRH match LIVE on Star Sports Channels on television. Moreover, they can stream the match LIVE on JioHotstar app and website as well.

Match: KKR vs SRH, IPL 2025, Match No. 15

Date: 3rd April 2025

Time: 7.30 am IST

Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata

MS Dhoni comes to the crease as Ravichandran Ashwin got caught at the deep against Liam Livingstone. 

CSK are in big trouble, and they look like they're out of the game already. 

But, this is where the NRR would come handy and they would love to score as many as they can. 

Dayal pitched the ball a bit short, and Dube wanted to go for a big pull shot in the leg side. 

But he also managed to play the ball down on to the stumps. 

CSK 81/6

Yash Dayal gets the big wicket of Rachin Ravindra. 

The left handed batter wanted to play across to the lakeside and only managed an inner edge onto his pad, and then it went on to hit the stumps.

Ravindra goes after 41 from 31. 

CSK 75/5

CSK lose their fourth one. 

Full-length ball, pitching outside off stump, the off spinner from Livingstone and Sam Curran gets it off the toe end of the bat, finds Krunal Pandya at long-on

CSK 52/4 after 8.5 over.

Suyash Sharma comes in as an impact sub for RCB. 

CSK are already struggling and scored only 30 in the powerplay. 

Rachin Ravindra and Sam Curran are at the crease now. The require run rate now is over 11 and it is getting tough for the home team.

Top class DRS taken by captain Rajat Patidar!

Bhuvneshwar Kumar gets Deepak Hooda!

CSK lose their 3rd!#CSKvRCB pic.twitter.com/o6RbbbWB08

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) March 28, 2025

Only 4 comes from Bhuvnewshar Kumar’s second over! 

He was tight against Deepak Hooda and it is a perfect start for the RCB bowlers!

CSK 13/2 after 3. 

What an excellent start from Josh Hazelwood! 

He first dismissed Rahul Tripathi and then, with a short ball, got rid of the inform Ruturaj Gaikwad in the final ball of the over.

 CSK 7/2  after the second over

Great finish for RCB!

19 comes from Sam Curran's final over. 

Tim David hits three huge sixes in the last over and gives the momentum RCB were looking for. 

They finished at 196/7. David finished with 22 from 8 balls.

That was an excellent over from the Sri Lankan pacer! 

Only two came from the over. 

He first dismissed Rajat Patidar and bowled two dot balls. 

Then, after a single, he dismissed Krunal Pandya in that over. 

Only two from the over. 

W, 0, 0, 1 WD, W, 0, 0

Khaleel Ahmed had a pivotal over, mixing runs with a key wicket! 

Khaleel started with Rajat Patidar, who brought up his fifty in style—upper-cutting a short ball for four with excellent timing and placement, a captain’s knock!

Patidar followed with a single to cover on the second, driving a full toss. Jitesh Sharma couldn’t get a short ball away on the third, stuck for a dot on a pull.

Khaleel struck on the fourth—Jitesh pulled a short ball straight to Ravindra Jadeja at deep midwicket, a big wicket!

New man Tim David got going right away, slicing a short ball to the third man fence for four on the fifth. Khaleel finished with a dot, beating David on a cover drive with a full ball, despite an appeal. Khaleel gave away runs but that wicket was crucial! 

9 runs and a wicket (4, 1, 0, W, 4, 0). RCB at 176/5 after the 18th.

Noor Ahmad had a mixed over, grabbing a wicket but conceding a big hit! 

Noor started with Rajat Patidar driving a good-length ball to long-off for a single. Liam Livingstone then smashed a full ball for a six, slog-sweeping it to deep forward square leg—a massive strike!

How do you reply after you are hit for a six? 🤔

Noor Ahmad says TIMBER STRIKE 🎯

Updates ▶ https://t.co/I7maHMwxDS #TATAIPL | #CSKvRCB | @ChennaiIPL | @noor_ahmad_15 pic.twitter.com/5iPkPjxWwe

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 28, 2025

But Noor struck back on the third—Livingstone went for a sweep off a full ball but was bowled, a big wicket for RCB! 

New man Jitesh Sharma got off the mark with a single to deep point on the fourth, cutting a good-length ball. Patidar finished with a single to long-off on the fifth, driving a full ball. Noor gave away runs but that wicket was crucial! 

9 runs and a wicket (1, 6, W, 1, 1). RCB at 147/4 after the 16th.

Ravindra Jadeja had a rocky start but pulled it back in that over! 

Jadeja started with a bang—Rajat Patidar slogged a full ball for a big six into the stands, a maximum to kick things off! Patidar kept going on the second, making room to chip a full ball over cover for four—10 runs off the first two balls, threatening a huge over! But Jadeja tightened up.

Patidar left a good-length ball on the third, and on the fourth, he was beaten on a lofted cover drive for a dot despite looking uncomfortable. Patidar got four more on the fifth, lofting a good-length ball for a boundary, but Jadeja bowled a wide on the sixth, a full ball too far outside off.

Patidar couldn’t capitalize on the last, missing a lofted on drive for a dot. Jadeja took some stick early but finished strong! 

16 runs from the over (6, 4, 0, 4, 0, 1 WD, 0). RCB at 134/3 after the 14th.

Ravindra Jadeja kept things steady, but a dropped catch cost him! 

Jadeja started with Rajat Patidar driving a good-length ball to extra cover for a single. Virat Kohli followed with a single to short extra cover on the second, driving a good-length ball. Patidar got a life on the third—he mistimed a loft off a full ball, but Deepak Hooda dropped it at long-off, allowing a single.

Kohli then stepped down on the fourth, lofting a good-length ball for two to straight long-on. He drove a full ball to long-on for a single on the fifth, and Patidar finished with a single to deep point, cutting a good-length ball. Jadeja kept the runs in check, but that drop hurt! 

7 runs from the over (1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1). RCB at 116/2 after the 12th.

Matheesha Pathirana had a tough over as Kohli and Patidar turned it on! 

Pathirana started with Virat Kohli missing a short ball on a pull for a dot. Kohli responded on the second, pulling a short ball for a massive six over the ropes—what a shot from the King!

He followed with a lofted on drive for four on the third, and then another four on the fourth, driving a good-length ball for back-to-back boundaries! Kohli drove a full ball to long-on for a single on the fifth, and Rajat Patidar finished with a straight four on the last, driving a full ball like an arrow. Pathirana got hit hard—16 runs off the over! 

16 runs from the over (0, 6, 4, 4, 1, 1). RCB at 109/2 after the 11th.

Noor Ahmad had a decent over until Patidar finished with a bang! 

Noor started with Rajat Patidar, who, despite looking uncomfortable, lofted a full ball for a single on the first.

Virat Kohli followed with a square drive to deep forward point for a single on the second, and Patidar drove a full ball to wide long-off for another single on the third.

Kohli swept a full ball to deep midwicket for a single on the fourth, but Patidar couldn’t get a good-length ball away on the fifth, driving straight to extra cover for a dot. Then Patidar turned it on—smoking a full ball into the long-on stands for a big six to end the over, a maximum to cap 10 runs! Noor kept it tight early but that six hurt. 

10 runs from the over (1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 6). RCB at 93/2 after the 10th.

Matheesha Pathirana kept it tight in a low-scoring over! 

He started with Rajat Patidar getting a leg bye off a good-length ball, nudged to short midwicket.

Virat Kohli couldn’t connect on the second, beaten on a pull off a short ball. Kohli then pushed a short ball to deep square leg for a single on the third, and Patidar flicked a good-length ball to square fine leg for a single on the fourth. Pathirana bowled a wide on the fifth, a yorker too far down leg as Kohli left it.

Kohli followed with a single to deep square leg off a yorker, and Patidar finished with a single to deep third man, gliding a short ball. Pathirana kept the runs in check! 

6 runs from the over (1 LB, 0, 1, 1, 1 WD, 1, 1). RCB at 83/2 after the 9th.

Ashwin started with a wide to Devdutt Padikkal, a good-length ball that went astray.

Padikkal then nudged a single to deep midwicket on the first legal ball, pushing a good-length delivery.

Virat Kohli couldn’t get a good-length ball away on the second, stuck for a dot despite an aggressive cover drive, but pushed a yorker to wide long-on for a single on the third.

Padikkal lofted a full ball for two to deep cover on the fourth, but Ashwin struck on the fifth—Padikkal tried to clear cover again but didn’t get the elevation, and Ruturaj Gaikwad took a diving catch forward, a huge wicket! 

New man Rajat Patidar got off the mark with a single to long-on on the last, driving a full ball. Ashwin’s strike was the highlight! 

6 runs and a wicket (1 WD, 1, 0, 1, 2, W, 1). RCB at 77/2 after the 8th.

Devdutt Padikkal plays the whole over from Jadeja and he scores 15 against him. 

He swept the second ball for a four and repeated the same two balls later to get another boundary.

In the fifth ball, he stepped down the track to hit it for a six. Padikkal concluded the over with a single! 

0, 4, 0, 4, 6, 1 

RCB 71/1 after 7! 

Devdutt Padikkal hits Sam Curran for a huge six over square leg to make it a big over from Sam Curran!

1, 0, 2, 0, 6, 1wd, 1 

RCB finish the powerplay at 56/1 

Noor Ahmed starts from where he left off in the last match! 

After three singles in first three ball, Kohli hit the fourth one for a boundary, off a full toss ball. 

He took a single in the next ball. But, Noor won the battle by dismissing Phil Salt, out stumped in the next ball. 

MS Dhoni with a lightning-speed glove work. Salt goes after 32 from 16 balls. 

RCB 45/1

RAPID FROM MS DHONI!

MS DHONI GETS PHIL SALT SUTMPED OUT WITH A QUICK REACTION!

RCB LOSE THEIR FIRST! #CSKvRCB LIVE: https://t.co/78SkPNxw6Q#MSDhoni #IPL2025 pic.twitter.com/Ip0KpUfywM

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) March 28, 2025

Good start from Sam Curran! 

He started the over by coming around the wicket. 

Kohli took a couple in the second ball and played another dot. 

Curran went for a slower ball in the fifth ball and finished with a single. 

0, 2, 0, 1LB, 1, 1 

RCB 37/0 

Top class over from the left-arm pacer. 

He nearly got Virat Kohli LBW in the first ball. The on-field decision was not out and Gaikwad went upstairs but only to see the ball pitching outside leg stump. 

Third ball went for leg bye but Salt pulled the fourth one for a boundary. After a dot in the next ball, he finished with a couple in the last ball. 

0, 0, 1LB, 4, 0, 2 

7 from the third over. 32/0 after 3. 

Expensive over from the veteran spinner.

Salt pulled the first ball for a six and got another four in the next ball with a backfoot drive. 

After two singles, Salt finished the over with a sweep shot that gave him another boundary. 

6, 4, 1, 0, 1, 4 

RCB 25/0

Khaleel Ahmed did start well against Phil Salth but Salt swung his on the fourth ball and managed a top edge for the first boundary of the match.

In the fifth ball, Salt sliced over point to get another boundary.

He then finished with a single to get 9 from the over. 

0, 0, 0, 4, 4, 1 

RCB 9/0 after 1. 

RCB XI: P. Salt, V. Kohli, D. Padikkal, R. Patidar (c), L. Livingstone, J. Sharma (wk), T. David, K. Pandya, B. Kumar, J. Hazlewood, Y. Dayal.

CSK XI: R. Gaikwad (c), R. Ravindra, D. Hooda, R. Tripathi, R. Jadeja, S. Curran, MS. Dhoni (wk), R. Ashwin, N. Ahmad, M. Pathirana, K. Ahmed.

CSK win the toss, and they decide to bowl first

The live telecast of the CSK vs RCB Match 6 will be available on the Star Sports Network in India.  

The live streaming will be available on the JioHostar App and website.

Match: Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Tournament: IPL 2025

Date: 28 March 2025

Time: 7:30 PM IST

Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

Match abandoned! A shame for the fans in Lahore, but the rain claims another fixture in this Champions Trophy. A point each means Australia are through to the semi-finals! They move to four points while Afghanistan, now on three, need to wait until tomorrow to see if they have snuck through.

The rain halts the game. Australia are 109/1 after 12.5 overs. 

They are winning as per the DLS at the moment. 

Current situation! #AUSvsAFG #ChampionsTrophy pic.twitter.com/0USIWpp8VY

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) February 28, 2025

The Aussies are going for a big win here and they are not letting the foot off the gas. 

They cross 100 in 12 overs. 

Head 55* and Smith 16*.

In just 34 balls, the opener completes his 17th ODI fifty and surely, he would love to take the game away from the Afghans. 

Australia 96/1. 

Head throws his hands at the ball and the edge goes flying past the keeper. 

He moves to 45 from 28 balls after hat-trick of fours against Azmat.

Farooqi has been poor here. He has bowled a half-volley, a short ball and given room Head all in one over. 

Head has hit him for boundaries in every occasion. 

Azmatullah Omarzai is now the highest wicket-taker of the Champions Trophy 2025. #AUSvAFG #ChampionsTrophy pic.twitter.com/EimoKi0tQA

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) February 28, 2025

Steve Smith comes to the crease and hits two back-to-back boundaries as they reach 50 in five overs. 

After another dropped catch, finally Afghanistan holds on to a catch. 

Gulbadin Naib takes a good catch running back at mid-on and Azmatullah Omarzai gets the big wicket of Short!

Australia 44/1

Massive point of the match. Rashid Khan at mid-on drops Travis Head on 6. 

Head tried to go over the circle against Fazalhaq Farooqi and could not get the connection. 

Solid, fast start for Australia with the bat. Travis Head and Matthew Short have given Australia the start they were looking for. 

Australia 30/0 after 3.

Noor got a top edge on that and given out.

swings and misses outside off, but steals a bye. Noor to face the final ball. He misses the pull, caught behind appeal, and another bye taken.

Australia takes the review to check whether there was any bat on it. 

Caught at deep cover and Azmatullah brilliant knock finally comes to an end. 

Fazalhaq Farooqi the last man in. 

Thundered down the ground by Azmatullah for a one-bounce four. Smashed to deep midwicket and Azmatullah prefers not to run again. 

Dot ball to start with as Azmatullah doesn’t want to take the single. 

A couple of dot balls to follow - a slower one and then a yorker from Ellis.

SIX! Slow and shortish outside off, and Azmatullah throws his hands at it and clears wide long-off for another maximum.

A single to end the over and Azmatullah will keep strike. 

Ellis bowls out. Noor takes a single first ball. SIX! Azmatullah takes this from outside off-stump and launches the ball over deep midwicket for a colossal six. 

Fifty up for Azmatullah, off just 54 balls, and this has been an excellent knock so far. 

A wide and a single to end the over, and six runs from the 48th. 

AFG 254/8 after 48 overs.

Dwarshuis starts off with a wide outside off-stump. 250 up for Afghanistan with a single off the second ball of the over. 

Single first ball for Noor. SIX! Shot! An incredible hit down the ground by Azmatullah. 

It was a length ball on middle stump and thumped for a straight six. That was 103 metres! Launched over extra cover next ball by Azmatullah, and the ball falls safely in the deep for a couple more.

A couple of slower deliveries in a row and Azmatullah can’t put them away, resulting in two crucial dot balls. A single at deep midwicket for Azmatullah to end the over. 

Noor Ahmad is the next man in. 

Carved behind point by Rashid to the boundary first ball as Dwarshuis continues. And Rashid is gone next ball. 

Short again, Rashid looked to heave this down the ground but he gets a top edge on it and Maxwell settles under this skier at long-on. 

Pulled away to deep midwicket by Azmatullah and brilliant stop in the deep by Maxwell to keep it down to a couple.

Short, Rashid steps out to flat-bat this on the off-side but the ball runs away to the third-man boundary off the toe end of the bat. 

A couple of dot balls to start the over. 

Four runs off the first three balls. Misfield at point and a couple more for Rashid off the fourth ball of the over.

He looks to guide this angled delivery to third man with soft hands, but misses. 

Beaten outside off again off the last ball. 

AFG 223/7 after 44 overs.

A couple of twos for Rashid, who first steps out to clear the infield on the off-side and then sweeps one to deep square-leg.

Twelve runs from the over and Afghanistan won’t mind that. 

Massive maximum for Azmatullah. He backs away outside leg-stump and slog sweeps this over midwicket for half a dozen. 

Ellis continues. Excellent stuff from Ellis, as just four singles come from the over. 

Zampa comes back. 200 up for Afghanistan in 40.3 overs as Azmatullah takes a single.

Rashid off the mark with a single through square-leg as he flicks the ball off the back foot. 

AFG 201/7 after 41 overs.

Gulbadin is gone.

He was looking to clear the leg-side boundary, but ended up skying this very high in the air and Inglis does well to settle under it. 

AFG 199/7 after 40 overs.

Short ball, pulled by Naib, and Short throws himself at midwicket to hold on to what would have been a stunning catch, but the ball just slips out of his grip.

Azmatullah slashes hard outside off as Johnson angles the ball away, and the batter gets a thick outside edge to deep third for a single. 

Over the wicket to Naib. FOUR! Short, good bouncer, but Naib gets a top edge on the pull and the ball runs away to the boundary behind the keeper.

That seems to have gone off the helmet, so given four leg-byes. 

Ellis with the ball. Loud appeal for caught behind but the umpire doesn’t move.

Smith reviews and there is daylight between bat and ball as Azmatullah can’t connect.

Guided behind point by Azmatullah for a couple to end the over. 

AFG 190/6 after 38 overs.

That was a short ball down leg-side, which the keeper couldn’t collect cleanly. He throws the ball at the stumps, however, and Johnson shows good presence of mind to back up and break the stumps. 

Johnson again. Full outside off and driven through extra-cover by Azmatullah for a couple. OUT! Nabi is caught outside his crease the striker’s end and that’s an unfortunate dismissal. 

Zampa is back. A lot of width outside off and cut away for a single by Azmatullah to deep cover. OUT! Hashmatullah is gone. 

Short into his seventh over. SIX! Azmatullah decides to get a move on.

He goes for the slog-sweep and clears midwicket with ease.

Just three singles and leg-bye from the over. Hashmatullah drags his score to 19 off 46 balls by the end of the over. 

AFG 166/4 after 34 overs.

Azmatullah Omarzai is the next man in. He is off the mark with a single at deep fine. 

AFG 161/4 after 32 overs.

Johnson comes back replacing Zampa. The bowling change makes the difference as he takes Atal's wicket.

Driven straight to the cover fielder by Atal, and Smith holds on to a low catch. 

Just three runs from the over.

Pressure building on Hashmat, while Atal nears a brilliant ton. 

AFG 159/3 after 31 overs.

Hashmat is sent back from halfway down the pitch by Atal after the captain chops the ball to mid-off.

There is some disagreement between the batters but the captain survives. A couple at deep cover for Hashmat to end the over. 

AFG 156/3 after 30 overs.

Hammered over long-on by Atal for a maximum as Zampa continues.

That’s 150 up in 29.1 overs.

Ellis is convinced it is gone, but not given by the umpire and Smith won’t review either.

A single to end the over as Atal keeps strike. 

AFG 145/3 after 29 overs.

Ellis comes around the wicket. Banged in short and swatted away by Hashmatullah to deep point for a single. 

A bit of width and driven square of the wicket by Atal for a boundary. 

That’s 50 runs for the partnership off 64 balls. 

Two dots in a row for Hashmatullah and the pressure is building on the skipper now. 11 runs off 33 balls for him. 

A single for Hashmatulla at cover, where Short misfields but doesn’t allow a second. 

Zampa is greeted back into the attack with a maximum by Atal.

He steps out, doesn’t really middle it but the ball still just sails over the boundary at long-off. 

Keeps hitting the deck hard, and just two singles from the over. 

AFG 131/3 after 27 overs.

Just three singles from the over. 

AFG 129/3 after 26 overs.

Atal continues to find boundaries. Pulls the ball straight to midwicket for four. 

10 runs came in that over. 

AFG 126/3 after 25 overs.

Atal comes down the track and goes over long on. That’s fifty for him as well.

Shahidi too comes down the track and gets an inside edge past keeper for a lucky four. 

AFG 113/3 after 23 overs.

Just a single came in that over. 

AFG 94/3 after 20 overs.

Six runs off the over. 

AFG 93/3 after 19 overs.

Maxwell comes into the attack and takes Rahmat's wicket.

Outside edge straight to keeper. Sharp catch. 

A full toss by Zampa and Atal hits it over mid off for four. 

Atal has been working the ball around the ground but the boundaries have dried up.

An interesting phase of play this after the introduction of spinners. 

Spinners have once again controlled the scoring rate ever since they have come into the attack. Four runs in the last 12 balls. 

AFG 75/2 after 16 overs.

AFG 71/2 after 15 overs.

Rahmat Shah is off the mark with a single. 

AFG 71/2 after 14 overs.

Adam Zampa takes Zadran's wicket.

Wide ball outside off, Zadran chases it but cuts it straight to backward point. He falls for 22. 

Maxwell is getting the ball turn. Seven runs have come in the last 12 balls. 

AFG 70/1 after 13 overs.

Just five runs from the over 

Afghanistan’s scoring rate has been pretty good and the singles are coming regularly as well. 

AFG 63/1 after 11 overs.

On the pads and Atal tucks it away towards fine leg for four.

AFG 54/1 after first powerplay of the game.

Change in bowling, Nathan Ellis into the attack. Starts with a down the leg wide. Lose delivery, half-tracker outside off and Zadran punishes it towards cover for four. 

Seven runs came in that over. 

Atal continues to look for boundaries. Four! On the pads and Atal tickles it away fine. 

Now Atal drives past point and gets two runs more. 

Eight runs from the over.

Now Zadran gets his first boundary as he drives towards cover point, opening the face of the bat. 

Another push to the cover region and Atal gets three more runs. 

Nine runs from the over. 

AFG 33/1 after 7 overs.

Atal connects the ball well and drives the ball through the cover for four! A very good looking shot. 

Atal has been trying really hard to counter-attack but the swing has made it difficult for him to score.

He gets an outside edge but falls just short of the first slip! 

AFG 24/1 after 6 overs.

It has been a bit tough for the batters but the extras have helped the Afghans get some runs on the board. 

Despite plays and misses, they are now 23/1 after 5 overs. 

Unpredictable from Spencer Johnson. 

In his second over, he first nipped one back in which missed the stumps by inches and went for four byes. 

Then, he sent one down the leg side for another four byes. The next ball he was right on the money and missed the edge of Sediq narrowly. 

Afghanistan 18/1 after 3. 

Spencer Johnson with an inswinging yorker gets Rahmanullah Gurbaz on duck. 

It was a bit like Mitchell Starc and he was able to go under the bat of Gurbaz. 

The ball had hit Gurbaz's toe and went on to hit the stumps.

Afghanistan 3/1

Matthew Short, Travis Head, Steven Smith (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson. 

Matthew Short, Travis Head, Steven Smith (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson. 

Both captains are in the middle - Hashmatullah Shahidi and Steve Smith. 

Afghanistan wins the toss and elects to bat.

Afghanistan Recent Matches Overview

1. February 26, 2025 – 8th Match, Group B vs England: Afghanistan won by 8 runs
2. February 21, 2025 – 3rd Match, Group B vs South Africa: South Africa won by 107 runs
3. December 21, 2024 – 3rd ODI vs Zimbabwe: Afghanistan won by 8 wickets (with 139 balls remaining)
4. December 19, 2024 – 2nd ODI vs Zimbabwe: Afghanistan won by 232 runs
5. December 17, 2024 – 1st ODI vs Zimbabwe: No result

Afghanistan has won 3 of its last 5 matches, including a crucial victory against England. 

Australia Recent Matches Overview

1. February 25, 2025 – 7th Match, Group B vs South Africa: Match abandoned without a ball bowled
2. February 22, 2025 – 4th Match, Group B vs England: Australia won by 5 wickets (with 15 balls remaining)
3. February 14, 2025 – 2nd ODI vs Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka won by 174 runs
4. February 12, 2025 – 1st ODI vs Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka won by 49 runs
5. November 10, 2024 – 3rd ODI vs Pakistan: Pakistan won by 8 wickets (with 139 balls remaining)

Australia has won only 1 of its last 5 matches, with losses to Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Afghanistan have never beaten Australia in ODI format. In the four matches they have played against each other in the format, Australia have won all of them. 

Fans from India can watch the Afghanistan vs Australia match LIVE on Star Sports TV Channel and also on Jio Hotstar Channel with a paid subscription. 

Match: Afghanistan vs Australia

Tournament: ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Group B

Date: 28 February 2025

Time: 2.30 pm IST

Venue: Lahore