Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have won the toss and opted to bat first against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Match 57 of IPL 2025 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. This is a do-or-die fixture for KKR, who are currently sixth on the points table with 11 points from 11 matches. A win tonight is crucial to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Ajinkya Rahane, leading the side in place of regular skipper Shreyas Iyer, confirmed that Venkatesh Iyer misses out, with Manish Pandey coming into the XI. KKR’s decision to bat first aligns with their previous two games where they defended totals successfully.
For CSK, MS Dhoni stated this ground feels like a “home venue,” recalling his early cricketing years spent playing in Kolkata. With Ruturaj Gaikwad still injured, Dhoni continues to lead CSK despite the team being knocked out of playoff contention.
Despite their position at the bottom, CSK have shown signs of resurgence with close matches recently. Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja remain their biggest threats with the bat, while Noor Ahmad continues to impress with the ball.
Eden Gardens promises a high-scoring contest tonight, with the pitch expected to favor batters. Weather forecasts suggest light afternoon rain, but clear conditions are expected during match time.
Match Details:
Match: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Date & Time: May 7, 2025, 7:30 PM IST
Live Streaming: Star Sports, JioHotstar
Head-to-head at Eden Gardens: CSK lead with 6 wins in 10 games.
Last encounter: KKR defeated CSK by 8 wickets on April 11.
Chennai Super Kings (Playing XII): Ayush Mhatre, Urvil Patel, Devon Conway, Ravindra Jadeja, Dewald Brevis, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ms Dhoni (W/C), Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheha Pathirana
Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Rahmanullah Gurbaz (W), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (C), Angkrish Raghuvansi, Manish Pandey, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Moeen Ali, Ramandeep Singh, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy
