On This Day in Cricket - April 8

The day of April 8 has seen a number of close matches along with the birthday celebrations of some top cricketers. In 1963, England’s star player with 8463 career test runs was born. In 2025, Punjab Kings defeated Chennai Super Kings by 18 runs as Priyansh Arya scored a brilliant century. In 2024, it was the Chennai Super Kings who finally defeated the Kolkata Knight Riders by 7 wickets to claim a big win. The start of IPL 2015 saw Kolkata Knight Riders defeating Mumbai Indians by 7 wickets despite Rohit Sharma scoring 98 runs off 65 balls.

On This Day - April 8, 2015 - Kolkata Knight Riders defeat Mumbai Indians by 7 Wickets

In the opening match of the 2015 IPL at Eden Gardens, Kolkata Knight Riders chased down a target of 169 to beat Mumbai Indians by 7 wickets with 9 balls remaining. Mumbai Indians posted 168 for 3 in their 20 overs, thanks to a brilliant unbeaten 98 off 65 balls from Rohit Sharma. He struck 12 fours and 4 sixes and held the innings together after early wickets. Corey Anderson also played a key role with an unbeaten 55 off 41 balls, helping Mumbai recover from 37 for 3.

(Kolkata Knight Riders defeated the Mumbai Indians by 7 wickets)

Kolkata started steadily in the chase, with Gautam Gambhir leading from the front. He scored 57 off 43 balls, while Manish Pandey added a quick 40 off 24 balls. After their dismissals, Suryakumar Yadav finished the game in style with an unbeaten 46 off just 20 balls, smashing 5 sixes at a strike rate above 200. Yusuf Pathan supported him with 14 not out. Morne Morkel was the standout bowler for Kolkata, taking 2 for 18 and earning the Player of the Match award. Kolkata’s strong batting effort ensured a comfortable win to start their campaign.

On This Day - April 8, 1963 - Alec Stewart was Born Today

England has been blessed with high-quality wicket-keeper batters, and the one name that joined the list on April 8, 1963, is that of Alec Stewart. One of the biggest coincidences of his life came in the test format, where he played 133 matches and in the 235 innings, he scored exactly 8463 runs, which is his birthdate.

(Alec Stewart was born on 8th April, 1963)

In this format, he has an average of 39.54 while scoring 15 centuries for the team. Talking about the ODI Format, he has played 170 matches for the team and has scored 4677 runs at an average of 31.60 and a strike rate of 68.36 for the team. He played his last match for the England team on 8th September 2003 and retired from the game.

On This Day - April 8, 2006 - Kwena Maphaka was Born Today

The young bowler from South Africa who played in the IPL while being just 17 years old, Kwena Tshegofatso Maphaka, was born on 8th April 2006. Before making his International debut for South Africa, he played in the IPL and across the T20 Leagues, where he has played 55 matches and has picked 56 wickets at an average of 28.05 and an economy rate of 8.75.

(Kwena Maphaka was born on 8th April, 2006)

In Test cricket, Maphaka has played 2 matches and has got 3 wickets at an average of 56.66 and an economy rate of 3.92. When it comes to the ODI Format, he has played 3 matches and has got 5 wickets at an average of 39.00 and an economy rate of 8.93. The T20I Format is the one where he has excelled, with 18 wickets in 18 matches for the South African team.

On This Day - April 8, 2025 - Punjab Kings defeats Chennai Super Kings by 18 Runs

At the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Punjab Kings secured an 18-run victory over Chennai Super Kings in a high-scoring contest. Batting first, Punjab Kings posted a strong total of 219 for 6 in 20 overs, thanks mainly to a brilliant innings from Priyansh Arya. He smashed 103 runs off just 42 balls, hitting 7 fours and 9 sixes at a strike rate above 245.

(Punjab Kings defeated Chennai Super Kings by 18 runs)

After early wickets, Shashank Singh added stability with an unbeaten 52 from 36 balls, while Marco Jansen contributed 34 not out to push the total beyond 200. In reply, Chennai Super Kings fought well but finished at 201 for 5. Devon Conway top-scored with 69 off 49 balls, while Shivam Dube made 42 and MS Dhoni played a quick cameo of 27 from 12 balls. However, regular wickets slowed their chase.