Kolkata thumps Hyderabad by 80 runs in Indian Premier League

KOLKATA, India (AP) — Venkatesh Iyer made a 25-ball half-century to propel defending champion Kolkata Knight Riders to a massive 80-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday in a rematch of last year’s Indian Premier League final.

The left-hander teed off in the final five overs to smash 60 off 29 balls as Kolkata cruised to 200-6 after Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to field at Eden Gardens.

Hyderabad couldn’t recover from the loss of three wickets in space of first 13 balls before eventually getting bowled out for 120 in 16.4 overs to lose its third straight game.

Kolkata’s big win lifted it from the bottom of the points table to No. 5 with four points.

“This game was really important for us, and winning with margin — that was really crucial,” Kolkata captain Ajinkya Rahane said.

Hyderabad’s batting powerhouse struggled to get going for the third straight game since amassing 286 runs in the season opener against Rajasthan Royals.

Impact player Vaibhav Arora (3-29) made an immediate impact when the fast bowler removed Travis Head off his second ball and Ishan Kishan was brilliantly snapped by a diving Rahane at short extra cover. Arora should have got one more wicket but Andre Russell dropped a sitter from IPL debutant Kamindu Mendis before the Sri Lankan batter had scored.

And to make things worse for Hyderabad, Abhishek Sharma’s struggles continued when the left-hander sliced a catch in the slips off Harshit Rana’s slower delivery before Arora returned and removed top-scorer Heinrich Klaasen (33) to close out with brilliant figures.

Spinners Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy squeezed the middle-order with their impeccable bowling in favorable home conditions as Hyderabad lost wickets in clusters. Narine completed a haul of 200 wickets for Kolkata in the IPL when Mendis holed out at mid-wicket after scoring 27.

Chakravarthy then ran through the lower order with 3-22 and was denied a hat-trick after claiming the wickets of Cummins and Simarjeet Singh off successive balls in his final over.

“Not a great night tonight,” Cummins said. “Less than two weeks ago, we put on 280. Our batters are at our best taking it on, but you have to think about if you could take different options.”

Angkrish Raghuvanshi made an impactful 50 off 32 balls upfront, but Hyderabad had limited Kolkata at 122-4 in 15 overs before leaking 78 runs off the final 30 balls.

Kolkata lost its left-handed opening pair of Quinton de Kock (1) and Narine (7) cheaply inside the first four overs before Rahane and Raghuvanshi put on 81 runs for the third-wicket stand and revived the innings.

However, both batters got dismissed in space of three overs before Iyer and Rinku Singh (32 not out) counterattacked Hyderabad pace in the final five overs.

Iyer took his time before unleashing seven boundaries and three sixes that included three fours and a six in the 19th over bowled by Cummins, who finished with 1-44.

Singh consumed just 16 balls and led the home team’s acceleration with Iyer by contributing 91 runs for the fifth-wicket stand off just 41 balls.

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Kolkata Knight Riders' players celebrates the dismissal of Sunrisers Hyderabad's Heinrich Klaasen , left, during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

Sunrisers Hyderabad's captain Pat Cummins right, celebrates the dismissal of Kolkata Knight Riders' Quinton de Kock during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

Sunrisers Hyderabad's Kamindu Mendis, third from left, celebrates the dismissal of Kolkata Knight Riders' Angkrish Raghuvanshi during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

Sunrisers Hyderabad's Heinrich Klaasen plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

Kolkata Knight Riders' Harshit Rana celebrates the dismissal of Sunrisers Hyderabad's Abhishek Sharma during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

Kolkata Knight Riders' captain Ajinkya Rahane, left, and his batting partner Angkrish Raghuvanshi runs between the wickets to score a run during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

Kolkata Knight Riders' Angkrish Raghuvanshi celebrates after scoring fifty runs during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

Kolkata Knight Riders' Rinku Singh plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

Sunrisers Hyderabad's Travis Head walks off the field after losing his wicket during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

Kolkata Knight Riders' Vaibhav Arora, second from right , celebrates the dismissal of Sunrisers Hyderabad's Travis Head during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

Kolkata Knight Riders' players celebrates the dismissal of Sunrisers Hyderabad's Abhishek Sharma during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

Kolkata Knight Riders' Venkatesh Iyer plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves kept possession, trailing by two in the final minute, and Anthony Edwards knew exactly what he was doing next.

After teammate Julius Randle made his first free throw and missed the second, Rudy Gobert leaped to tap the ball into the backcourt and help keep the Wolves within reach of Oklahoma City on Friday night.

Edwards quickly took possession, steered Thunder guard Cason Wallace toward the wing, faked a drive, and swished a 25-foot step-back 3-pointer with 38.5 seconds left to give the Wolves the lead for good in a 112-107 victory.

“I’m not passing the ball. I knew it was going up,” said Edwards, who returned from a three-game injury absence with 26 points and 12 rebounds. "When it left my hand, I knew it was going in. He played great defense. It was a tough shot. But I probably shoot that shot 1,000 times in a week when I’m in the gym, so it felt like a natural shot.”

Edwards, who's been managing a foot injury, said there was no doubt in his mind he would play against the Thunder, who ousted the Wolves in five games in the Western Conference finals last spring and beat them 113-105 in Oklahoma City last month.

“At the end of the day, we’re putting the ball in his hands, asking him to bring us home,” said Donte DiVincenzo, who had 15 points. “That’s exactly what he did.”

Edwards didn't stop with the hero shot, either.

He blocked reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's shot at the rim on the next possession and grabbed the defensive rebound after the Thunder hung onto the ball for another try, setting up Randle for two free throws that put the Wolves up by three.

Then as Gilgeous-Alexander drove up the court, Edwards saw teammate and defensive ace Jaden McDaniels in the gap on Gilgeous-Alexander's left, made sure to cut off his path to the right, and swiped the ball as it crossed his face.

“I knew he was trying to go for a 3,” Edwards said. “Just trying to be solid."

Edwards, sitting in front of his locker after the game, then added the relevant levity to the revelry of handing the Thunder (25-3) a rare loss.

“That’s just one win, man. That’s a regular-season win,” said Edwards, also noting the Thunder had played at home the night before. “They're the best team in the league by far.”

But the defending champions clearly brought out the best in the Wolves (17-10), who might well have produced their best performance of the young season in terms of the opponent, the meaning, their energy and their defense — offsetting a rough night shooting from the floor and the foul line.

“You could feel every defensive stop, every rebound, every offensive rebound. You could feel how much energy the arena had, the ball had, the teammates had,” DiVincenzo said. “That’s the atmosphere we need every single night.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, right, celebrates his three-point basket as Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren, left, looks on during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) celebrates during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards celebrates his three-point basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards celebrates his three-point basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) smiles during a timeout in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)