TATA IPL 2025 Match 57: Brevis’ Counterattacking Fifty Sees CSK Hold Off KKR in a Thrilling Finale

In an unforgettable encounter between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the away side successfully pulled off a thrilling two-wicket victory in the 57th match of TATA IPL 2025 at Eden Gardens. KKR had the advantage through illustrious moments from both teams within what have to be the most unique and unpredictable match scenarios so far, but in the end CSK sealed it with a counterattack from Dewald Brevis, who made a brisk 52, coupled with some timely contributions from Shivam Dube and Urvil Patel, the debutant.

Chasing 180, it was not the easiest of tasks for CSK, but inevitably the match turned in the favour of CSK due to a multitude of brilliant moments and figured in time towards big hits. The win ended a four-match losing streak for CSK, including the never-ending laughs for KKR who most likely had anything but guest treatment into next week’s playoffs.

KKR’s Powerplay and Late Surge

The KKR batsmen knew when they elected to bat first that Eden Gardens had spin-friendly conditions, and their mindset was clear: take advantage of the powerplay, and explode in the last death overs. Ajinkya Rahane and Sunil Narine encapsulated this strategy perfectly. Rahane, as a seasoned campaigner, had an attacking mindset that clearly was to drive and direct the ball into gaps whilst Narine’s intentions were deeply threatening in a game of this stature.

KKR’s final powerplay at 67/1, Rahane and Narine’s cavalcade of bat included nine extras, which summed up their early score and the very real threats for more. The only ‘lady luck’ moment was afforded Rahane as he did nearly end up being caught at long leg when Matheesha Pathirana misjudged a solid pull from Rahane’s sweet spot.

looking back CSK must have welcomed the introduction of spinners; Ravindra Jadeja, Maheesh Theekshana and Noor Ahmad sadly KKR managed to withstand their pressure only until Andre Russell and the always unpredictable Rinku Singh although making contributions slowed the ball pace down considerably. These contributions ensured KKR both a reasonable, yet challenging total pegged at 179/6 at the end of the 20 overs.

Noor Ahmad’s spell could not have been more impactful with four wickets for 31 after putting the match on hold and more so KKR’s late innings surge with wickets including Narine, Russell, and Rinku Singh at KKR’s back end.

CSK’s Rocky Start: Early Setbacks

In reply to KKR’s tough total, CSK’s innings began in a terrible way. Ayush Mhatre, one of the injury replacements, received a duck on the second ball of the chase, and in the next over, Devon Conway received a duck and left the dugout. At that point, the CSK pressure was mounting, and it seemed they were heading for another disappointing loss.

That was where Urvil Patel came into the picture. Patel, who was debuting as the number three, immediately made his presence in the IPL known with his attacking style of batting. He scored 31 off 11 balls; with three towering sixes, Patel injected life into the CSK chase. He had a boundary, and some singles from Ashwin at the bottom of the over, but was dismissed at the beginning of the sixth over, well caught at short third to leave CSK in a spot of bother at 62/5.

CSK were at risk of collapsing under pressure and the chase was in danger of slipping away from them.

Dewald Brevis Turns the Game Around

At a moment where matches are decided by fine margins, Dewald Brevis provided the best moment of the match with a remarkable counterattacking batting display. Brevis, a young South African player famous for his explosive shot-making, turned the game in a matter of six balls in the 11th over of the innings bowled by Vaibhav Arora.

Brevis hit Arora for a 6, 4, 4, 6, 6, and 4 to raise his maiden IPL half-century in 22 balls. Brevis’ assault changed the match upside down. Prior to the over, ESPNcricinfo’s forecaster was giving KKR a staggering 78.02% chance of winning; after Brevis’ whirlwind innings finishing with an over’s total of 43 off just 6 balls, Chennai Super Kings were given a probability of 78.05% winning. Such was the twist in the match it showcased just how quickly the landscape of a T20 game can change.

Unfortunately, Brevis’ sensational innings was cut short when he was dismissed for 52, caught at long on off Varun Chakravarthy in the 13th over. However, CSK now only needed 53 more off 47 balls, and with the appearance of MS Dhoni and Shivam Dube there were still some positives to extract from the situation.

Shivam Dube and MS Dhoni: The Calm Finish

While the match was still hanging in the balance, Dube (45 off 40) played a sensible knock along with fellow veteran Dhoni with Dube ramping up the majority of runs while Dhoni remained patient in the pursuit of the target.

Dube played aggressively, belting three huge sixes (two off Harshit Rana and one off Arora in the 19th over) to reduce the equation in the 19th over (10 from the delivery) but when Dube was dismissed in the same over it created a moment of nervousness for CSK with Noor Ahmad dismissed off the last ball of the 19th over. That left the final over for CSK to chase down eight runs.

But of course it was Dhoni who sealed the win. Dhoni, with the same calm demeanor he is known for, hit the first ball of the last over (a full toss from Andre Russell) and deposited it deep into the stands for six. Andre then bowled two yorkers, Dhoni then brought the scores level with a single. It was now up to number 10, Anshul Kamboj, who calmly knocked a single off the next ball to bring up the win with two deliveries to spare.

KKR’s Playoffs Hopes Take a Huge Hit

In victory CSK now ended a long rut of 12 matches where they had lost chasing over a target of 180+ and kept their minuscule chances of playing further matches with the possibilities they now hope for at stake for positive results. For KKR, the loss is a cruel blow while they are still in the race to make the top 4 they will have to rely on others after winning the next two matches.

Final Thoughts: 

a thrilling production between KKR and CSK led to emotional ups and downs over three hours of cricket, primarily due to spectacular moments of stardom to elite failure. CSK clinched the win primarily through Dewald Brevis with a destructive counterattacking innings along with strong middle order contributions from Shivam Dube and MS Dhoni and sharp bowling from Noor Ahmad. For KKR their exploits early in the powerplay and the first few wickets of CSK’s chase fizzled into a moment of madness from Brevis and some squandered efforts as overs wore on.

Ultimately the win for CSK came as they redeemed some presence in what has been a very disappointing season, whereas KKR now face a critical juncture moving forward as they now must rely on results beyond their control to see if they can advance to the playoffs.

CSK 183/8 (Brevis 52, Dube 45, Patel 31, Arora 3-48) vs KKR 179/6 (Rahane 48, Russell 38, Pandey 36, Noor 4-31) CSK won by two wickets.