Right then, yet another fascinating contest in the 2025 IPL comes to an enthralling end. With just a handful of games remaining in the league stage, we will start to see a couple of more teams bow out and a couple of them seal a top-four berth. Next up, it is another crunch clash between two teams that are in the top 5 currently, as Punjab Kings welcome Delhi Capitals at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. That game will be played on Thursday, 8 May at 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT), but you can tune in a lot sooner to our build-up. Cheers!

Noor Ahmad is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his four-fer. Noor says it was a super win and is really happy with his own bowling and also applauds Brevis for the way he played. Adds that he never had his focus on being the top wicket-taker and just wanted to contribute to the team. On his favorite wicket this evening, he says that the nick from Raghuvanshi was his favorite. Ends by saying that he just tries to keep his length correct at all times.

MS Dhoni, the captain of CSK, is down for a chat. He says these newly signed players are currently part of the team right now and they have the opportunity to test them. He says they want to see the approach and the mindset of the batters in the middle of a game. He feels it’s not about just being technically correct batter, but it’s more about being aware of the bowler's game plan and things like that. Adds that the game plan today was simple to play out their spinners as the required run rate was not too high, and thanks to Brevis, they had the luxury to bat out some overs. And he also feels given this venue has small boundary dimensions, it’s not that hard to clear it. He says Dube did a good job as he got 3-4 hits and it was also important for me to understand that he was the last designated batter, so he didn’t want to play any rash shots. Also mentions that he appreciates the love and affection he has received over the period of his career and he mentions it’s important to understand he is 43 now and he has played for a long time. He ends by saying that he will see if his body can see itself through and if he can return next year

The Presentation ceremony...

Dewald Brevis, CSK's half-centurion, is down for a chat. He says he is grateful as he used his opportunity well. He says it was an interesting innings, as a few wickets fell quickly. He says, given the conditions, they had to adjust accordingly and go along. He adds it is important to play out the good balls and target the bad ones. He mentions it's important to keep enjoying it and to keep playing the way I am playing and it’s about being true to yourself. He says the more he plays, the more he will figure his way out. He says the fans are incredible, the Cricket is great, it’s high level. He says sitting at home made him very hungry and he trusted in god’s plan and the process and he is grateful to have been able to contribute to a win.

The captain of KKR, Ajinkya Rahane, admits it is tough to be on the losing side. He feels they fall 10–15 runs short and that a total around 185–190 would have been ideal on this surface. Rahane points out that in this format, one big over can shift the momentum, and credits Dewald Brevis and Shivam Dube for taking their chances, which paid off. He has no complaints about the effort, praising the bowlers for trying their best. Looking ahead, Rahane says the focus is on winning the remaining two games and seeing where that takes them.

Earlier in the game, Ajinkya Rahane opted to bat first on a deck that seemed to be slowing down and KKR had also won their previous two games batting first. However, that opening combination didn't work out yet again and the skipper, Ajinkya Rahane had to step up once more. Rahane fell two runs short of a half century but a quickfire cameo from Andre Russell, followed by a solid knock from Manish Pandey, took KKR on the verge of the 180-run mark. As for CSK, Noor Ahmad was the star yet again as he picked up four wickets and Matheesha Pathirana closed out the innings really well.

KKR will feel that this game was there for the taking, especially after they got all those wickets early on. Vaibhav Arora, Moeen Ali and then Harshit Rana all picked up wickets in their first overs before Varun Chakaravarthy also got into the act and it seemed like one more wicket at that time would have sealed the deal for KKR. However, with a couple of CSK batters scoring quick runs meant that one good partnership in the middle phase was enough to break the back of a target that was always slightly under-par. KKR now have to win their remaining two games and hope that a few fixtures go their way in order to even have a chance of making it into the top four.

180 wasn't the biggest of targets to chase down and CSK did have a bit of momentum after that fine final over from Matheesha Pathirana, but they lost Ayush Mhatre for a duck in the first over. Conway too fell for a duck as debutant Urvil Patel came in and smashed four sixes in his 11-ball cameo of 31 runs. CSK lost as many as 5 wickets in the Powerplay and were just too aggressive with the strokeplay. Then came the crucial stand between Dewald Brevis and Shivam Dube, with the former changing the game with a 30-run over against Vaibhav Arora. It still went down to the wire and a couple of big hits from Dube and then a telling one from MSD in that final over saw CSK over the line.

CSK ALL BUT KNOCK KKR OUT OF THE PLAYOFF RACE! A win after a string of four straight losses for CSK and just a third win of the season overall, but a big one for the future. KKR, on the other hand, ended an uncanny home season with a fourth loss from 7 matches and are now on the verge of losing their IPL crown.

Anshul Kamboj is the new man in. However, it will be MS Dhoni on strike. Andre Russell to bowl the final over, 8 needed for CSK to win. Here we go...

Noor Ahmad is in next.