Kolkata Knight Riders kept their playoff hopes alive with a crucial 14-run win over Delhi Capitals at Eden Gardens in Match 48 of IPL 2025. In a high-scoring contest, KKR posted 204/8 before restricting DC to 190/9 despite a late fightback led by Axar Patel and Vipraj Nigam. Sunil Narine starred with the ball for the defending champions, picking up three wickets after scoring a quick 16-ball 27 in the powerplay. While the win kept KKR's chances alive in IPL 2025, it came at a cost for both teams. KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane and DC skipper Axar Patel picked up injuries during the game, raising questions about their availability for the next fixtures. Axar Patel and Ajinkya Rahane greets with Injured Hand at 0:52 Sec in this Video.pic.twitter.com/MIoYCLSY77 — CricketGully (@thecricketgully) April 29, 2025 Axar, who scored 43 off 23 balls, revealed that he had injured his finger while diving during fielding practice and is hopeful of recovering soon. “My skin got peeled off as I dived on the practice wickets to stop the ball, but the good thing is there are 3–4 days break and hopefully I will be able to recover,” said Axar in the post-match interview. Reflecting on the loss, Axar admitted that Delhi gave away 15–20 runs too many in the powerplay and also suffered due to soft dismissals during their chase. He, however, lauded Vipraj Nigam’s effort for keeping DC in the hunt till the final over. “I think how the wicket was and how we bowled in the powerplay, we gave away 15–20 runs too many. We also lost a few wickets in a soft manner. The positive was how we restricted them after the powerplay… When Vipraj was batting there was hope, if Ashutosh was there then they could have repeated the first game,” Axar added. Delhi, with six wins from ten games, remains in fourth position and next face Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 5 in Hyderabad. Ajinkya Rahane gets stitches, but injury “manageable”, says Anukul Roy While Delhi dealt with Axar’s scare, Kolkata too had a nervous moment when their captain Ajinkya Rahane, was forced off the field with a hand injury. Rahane, who starred with a quick 26 off 14 balls, sustained a cut while fielding and did not return to the field. Sunil Narine took over captaincy duties and guided KKR to an important win. Reports: Despite poor form, Rohit Sharma likely to captain India in England Test series Providing an update on Rahane’s condition, teammate Anukul Roy reassured fans at the post-match press conference that the injury isn’t serious and that Rahane should recover within a few days. “It doesn’t seem too serious. He might need two or three days. The doctors will give a clearer picture, but for now, he’s okay. He got a few stitches, but it’s manageable,” Anukul said. Rahane has been KKR’s most consistent batter this season, scoring 297 runs from 10 matches, and his availability will be crucial when Kolkata face Rajasthan Royals next on May 4.