Venkatesh Iyer, bowlers help KKR decimate SRH at home

After Venkatesh Iyer smashed his way back to form in the death overs, KKR bowlers put on a clinical display to comprehensively defeat their opponents from last season's final. Varun CV and Vaibhav Arora led the way with three wickets each as SRH folded for 120 in the 17th over. With this 80-run drubbing - the biggest defeat margin for SRH, they have lost three games on the trot and their Net Run Rate has taken a severe beating.

Where the match was won

SRH were inferior in all the phases but the difference perhaps, lies in their woeful start that saw three of their top-four falling. That left them playing catch-up with a big asking rate, which then led to more wickets. KKR also lost a couple of early wickets but found a way to push back with a third-wicket stand. No such luck for the visitors.

The PowerPlay difference

Kolkata Knight Riders

PowerPlay: Early dents but Rahane, Raghuvanshi push on

Phase score: 53/2 [RR: 8.83, 4s/6s: 2/5]

Sunil Narine welcomed Pat Cummins with a six over long on but the SRH captain took out Quinton de Kock with a plan - bowled short inviting the left-hander to pull him with Zeeshan Ansari stationed at deep square leg for a catch. Mohammed Shami then dismissed Narine with a full ball outside the off-stump, getting him to nick one behind to Heinrich Klaasen. Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi then salvaged what remained of the PowerPlay, sending short balls over the square leg and fine leg fence.

Middle-overs: Spinners keep a check on the scoring

Phase score: 69/2 [RR: 7.67, 4s/6s: 5/3]

Zeeshan Ansari bowled two tight overs before Raghuvanshi took him on in his third, but the leg spinner closed that over out with the wicket of Rahane. Raghuvanshi was nearly taken out right after, only for Nitish Reddy to drop a catch at deep square leg off Simarjeet in the 12th over. Raghuvanshi brought up his half-century but the drop didn't cost SRH too much as Harshal made up for it with an exceptional take, running in from deep backward point. That gave SRH's ambidextrous spinner Kamindu Mendis his first IPL wicket. Venkatesh Iyer then hit his first six of the season heading into the death overs.

Death overs: Venkatesh carnage takes KKR to 200

Phase score: 78/2 [RR: 4s/6s: 11/3]

After Venkatesh and Rinku Singh took 12 off Shami, the latter got stuck into Harshal in the 17th over, hitting him for three successive fours. They swung for the fences and connected repeatedly, hitting 17 off Simarjeet next. Venkatesh then took the carnage to the next level against Cummins, getting his second successive half-century (off 25 balls) against SRH - the last one coming in the final of 2024. He started the 20th over with 6, 4 but fell on the third, courtesy a sharp catch right at the long-on fence by Aniket Verma. KKR finished exactly on 200, with Andre Russell missing a short ball on the final delivery and getting run out by Klaasen.

Sunrisers Hyderabad

PowerPlay: Rana, Arora rattle the chasers

Phase score: 33/3 [RR: 5.50, 4s/6s: 3/1]

Travis Head was consumed by the two-pacedness of the surface as he miscued a big hit that Harshit Rana caught to dismiss him on the second ball of the chase. Harshit then had Abhishek Sharma caught at slip with a slower one in just the second over. Vaibhav Arora soon removed Ishan to leave SRH down to 9 for 3. The wickets column should've ticked along to four and give Arora a double-wicket maiden but Andre Russell dropped a catch at mid-on to give Mendis a reprieve. Nitish Reddy picked up the pieces and tried to push back a little, taking 15 off Arora in the fifth over. Varun CV however, closed out an exceptional PowerPlay for KKR with a four-run over.

Middle-overs: KKR spinners derail the chase further

Phase score: 81/4 [RR: 9.00, 4s/6s: 6/4]

SRH's downward slide continued. Nitish found the mid-on fielder with his attempted hit to fall to Russell in the seventh over. On the other side of the timeout after 9 overs, Kamindu hit one straight to the midwicket fielder to fall to Narine for a 20-ball 27. Varun CV was also hard to put away, as Aniket Verma learnt, perishing with a big hit. Rahane bowled five straight overs of spin till the 12th, with SRH managing to score just 33 for the loss of two wickets. Klaasen broke the rut in the 14th against Narine, by clubbing him for two big sixes, and escaped with a life after a slight under edge didn't get picked up by the umpire and Rahane chose not to review. Arora returned to ensure that wasn't a big slip for KKR as he bounced out the South African to leave SRH down to 112/7.

Death overs: A quick wrap-up of a massive victory

Phase score: 6/3 [RR: 3.60, 4s/6s: 0/0]

Varun CV dismissed Cummins and Simarjeet Singh off back-to-back deliveries and finished his excellent spell at 3-22. Russell completed the big win in the 17th over with the wicket of Harshal.

Brief Scores: Kolkata Knight Riders 200/6 in 20 overs (Venkatesh Iyer 60, Angkrish Raghuvanshi 50, Ajinkya Rahane 38; Mohammed Shami 1-29) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad 120 in 16.4 overs (Heinrich Klaasen 33; Varun Chakaravarthy 3-22, Vaibhav Arora 3-29) by 80 runs

What next?

Sunrisers head home to face Gujarat Titans on Sunday (April 6). Kolkata Knight Riders have a longer break to savour this victory before hosting Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday (April 8).