KKR vs LSG IPL 2025: What was The Turning Point as Lucknow prevail over Kolkata?

Add as a preferred source on Google

The Kolkata Knight Riders came heartbreakingly close to pulling off a record IPL chase, but a mid-innings collapse undid their spirited effort as Lucknow Super Giants held on for a nail-biting 4-run victory.

While the match will be remembered for Nicholas Pooran's explosive 87* off 36 balls and Rinku Singh's late blitz, the real turning point of the game came in the form of a costly middle-order slump that left KKR scrambling after a promising start.

KKR vs LSG: What was the Turning Point?

Chasing a daunting target of 239, KKR looked in control during the powerplay and the early middle overs. Captain Ajinkya Rahane led from the front with a fluent 61, and Venkatesh Iyer anchored the innings confidently with 45. At 123/2 around the 12-over mark, the equation was tough but achievable. Then came the collapse.

Between the 13th and 16th overs, KKR lost four wickets for just 23 runs, a phase that completely derailed the chase:

Rahane fell trying to up the ante, mistiming a lofted shot that found the fielder. Ramandeep Singh, promoted to inject momentum, departed for just 1, caught trying to clear the infield. Angkrish Raghuvanshi edged behind after a mistimed pull, managing only 5. Venkatesh Iyer's dismissal- caught at long-on after a promising start was a big blow as well. Then Andre Russell also departed for just 7 runs, thus adding woes for the home team.

From a position of strength at 162 for 2, KKR slid to 176/6 in the space of 15 balls. The required rate ballooned, and despite Rinku Singh's valiant 38 off 15 balls, the damage was done. KKR needed 24 off the final over and fell agonisingly short, finishing on 234/7.

What Went Wrong

The collapse wasn't due to one unplayable spell or a magic over-it was a mix of poor shot selection, panic under pressure, and an inability to rotate strike. The intent was there, but the execution faltered right when KKR needed calm heads.