New Delhi: In one of the most exhilarating encounters of IPL 2025 Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) emerged victorious against Rajasthan Royals (RR) by the slimmest of margins — a mere 1 run — at Eden Gardens. The match had all the makings of an instant classic: explosive batting heroic efforts a sensational over that turned the game on its head and a last-ball finish that left fans breathless. KKR Set a Mammoth Target Batting first Kolkata Knight Riders put up an imposing total of 206/4 in 20 overs powered by explosive performances across the batting order. Rahmanullah Gurbaz set the tone with a brisk 35 off 25 balls including 4 boundaries and a six before falling to Maheesh Theekshana. Sunil Narine promoted up the order blazed his way to 11 off 9 before being dismissed by Yudhvir Singh. The real consolidation came through skipper Ajinkya Rahane who played a calm yet purposeful knock of 30 off 24 balls keeping one end steady while wickets fell. The middle and death overs were dominated by Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Andre Russell. Raghuvanshi struck a fiery 44 off 31 balls mixing composure with aggression while Russell showcased his power-hitting prowess in full throttle blasting 57 not out off just 25 deliveries smashing 4 fours and 6 massive sixes. Rinku Singh added a handy 19 off 6 balls* taking the team past the 200-run mark. Rajasthans Response: Early Collapse and a Lone Warrior Chasing 207 RR’s innings began on a rocky note. Vaibhav Suryavanshi fell early to Vaibhav Arora for just 4 runs followed by Kunal Singh Rathore who was dismissed for a duck by Moeen Ali. The early double blow pushed RR into defensive mode. Yashasvi Jaiswal tried to steady the innings with an aggressive 34 off 21 balls but his dismissal at the end of the Powerplay was another blow. Dhruv Jurel and Wanindu Hasaranga were removed in quick succession by Varun Chakaravarthy leaving RR reeling at 71/5 by the eighth over. Then walked in Riyan Parag the RR captain who nearly engineered a miraculous win. What followed was one of the most memorable innings in IPL history. Parag smashed 95 off 45 balls an innings that included 6 fours and an astonishing 8 sixes. His knock not only revived RRs hopes but also tilted the momentum drastically. The Moeen Ali Over: 32 Runs of Mayhem The moment that defined the second innings came in the 13th over when Riyan Parag took on Moeen Ali and hammered him for 32 runs in a single over — one of the most expensive overs in IPL history. The sequence read: 6 4 6 6 6 4. Each ball soared higher than the previous one. Parag reading Moeen’s flight and angle perfectly dispatched everything into the stands or to the boundary ropes. The over completely altered the complexion of the game bringing down the required run rate and injecting life into RR’s chase. Harshit Rana Strikes Gold While Parag continued his assault Shimron Hetmyer provided support with a calculated 29 off 23 balls. Together they stitched a dangerous partnership that brought RR within striking distance. However Harshit Rana who had gone wicketless until that point delivered under pressure. First he removed Hetmyer in the 16th over — the batter top-edged a hook shot to Narine at third man. Then came the match-defining breakthrough in the 18th over when he dismissed the rampaging Riyan Parag. Trying to clear the long-on fence Parag mistimed a flat-batted shot and was caught by Vaibhav Arora. Parags dismissal for 95 turned the tide in KKR’s favor once again. The score was 173/7 and RR still needed 34 from 14 balls. Final Over Drama Needing 22 off the final over Jofra Archer and Shubham Dubey kept the hopes alive. Dubey who ended unbeaten on 25 off 14 balls tried valiantly with some clever strokes. Archer added a quick 12 off 8 but a sharp run-out off the final ball sealed the fate. With 2 required off the last delivery Archer tried to steal a double. However a sharp throw from Rinku Singh to Vaibhav Arora found him short of the crease. The crowd erupted as KKR clinched the win by just 1 run. Bowling Highlights KKR bowlers showed nerves of steel in the death overs. Moeen Ali despite being taken apart by Parag picked up 2 crucial early wickets. Harshit Rana redeemed himself with 2 for 41 including the wickets of Hetmyer and Parag. Varun Chakaravarthy was clinical with 2 for 32 while Narine remained economical. For RR Riyan Parag was the surprise bowling contributor too picking up the wicket of Ajinkya Rahane. Theekshana and Jofra Archer also got into the wickets column but their combined efforts weren’t enough. This match will be remembered not only for its razor-thin margin but also for Riyan Parag’s solo brilliance. His 95 was one of the most thrilling knocks of the tournament — particularly the over against Moeen that reignited RRs hopes. However Kolkata’s composure under pressure and team-wide contributions edged them to a famous victory.