Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) cruised to an 8-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their IPL clash in Guwahati on Wednesday after wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock's unbeaten 97 guided them to a successful chase of 152 on a tricky Barsapara surface.
Asked to bat first by KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane, the Royals got off to a solid start but faltered to 151/9 as Kolkata’s bowlers took control. Varun Chakravarthy and Moeen Ali set the tone after the powerplay before the pacers tightened the screws, striking at regular intervals to stifle any momentum RR tried to build.
Chasing 152, Moeen Ali, stepping in for the injured Sunil Narine, opened alongside Quinton de Kock as the duo navigated the powerplay cautiously. de Kock took charge, finding the gaps with ease, while Moeen struggled to get going, managing just 5 off 12 balls.
Just as KKR looked set for a smooth chase, disaster struck off the first ball after the powerplay. A miscommunication between the openers saw Moeen stranded mid-pitch, as RR pounced to complete a sharp run-out, breaking the stand at 40/1.
Skipper Rahane stepped in to steady the innings as de Kock kept the scoreboard ticking, but his stay was short-lived. He departed for a 15-ball 18, caught at square leg off Wanindu Hasaranga in the 11th over.
At 70/2, impact sub Angkrish Raghuvanshi joined de Kock, and from there, KKR never looked back.
The South African methodically dismantled the Royals' attack, finishing unbeaten on 97 off 61 balls, laced with 8 fours and 6 sixes. Raghuvanshi provided steady support at the other end, remaining not out on 18, as the duo stitched an 81-run stand to seal KKR’s first win of the tournament.
Kolkata bowlers dictate terms
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson opened for Rajasthan, looking to maximize the Powerplay. The duo started positively, but Vaibhav Arora struck in the third over, rattling Samson’s leg stump for 13 off 11 balls.
Skipper Riyan Parag joined Jaiswal, keeping the scoreboard ticking as Rajasthan reached 50/1 at the end of the Powerplay. However, KKR hit back in the eighth over when Varun Chakravarthy removed Parag, who miscued a big shot straight into Quinton de Kock’s gloves.
Jaiswal, the set batter, fell soon after, holing out to Harshit Rana at deep midwicket off Moeen Ali’s bowling in the ninth over, leaving Rajasthan in a spot of bother at 69/3.
However, wickets continued to tumble as KKR’s spinners ran through the Royals' middle order, reducing them to well under 100.
Wanindu Hasaranga, who replaced Fazalhaq Farooqi, was promoted up the order. But he lasted just four deliveries before chipping one to Rahane at extra cover, handing Varun his second wicket.
Moeen then struck again, knocking over Nitish Rana’s middle stump as RR slumped to 82/5 at the of 11 overs.
Wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel and impact player Shubham Dubey attempted to stabilize RR’s innings on a track where KKR’s spinners maintained firm control. However, Dubey’s stay was short-lived, as he miscued a shot to Andre Russell in the deep of Arora's bowling to depart for a 12-ball 9.
At 110/6, Jurel was joined by Shimron Hetmyer in an effort to limit the damage and push RR to a competitive total. But Jurel fell in the penultimate over for a 33-ball 28, chopping a Harshit Rana full toss onto his stumps while attempting to accelerate. Hetmyer followed soon after for just 7, caught at long-on as he tried to take on Harshit.
Jofra Archer provided a late flourish, hammering two sixes in a seven-ball cameo of 16 before Spencer Johnson took his off-stump in the final over.
Tushar Deshpande and Maheesh Theekshana rotated the strike in the last few deliveries, taking Rajasthan Royals to 151/9 at the end of their innings.
Both teams are searching for a response after opening-game defeats.
KKR fell to a seven-wicket loss against Royal Challengers Bangalore, while Rajasthan suffered a 44-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad.
A key concern for both sides has been their faltering batting and bowling units—something they will aim to set right tonight.
Starting XIs:
Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag (c), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Tushar Deshpande and Sandeep Sharma.
Kolkata Knight Riders: Quinton de Kock (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Rinku Singh, Moeen Ali, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Spencer Johnson, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana and Varun Chakaravarthy.
Head-to-Head Record
Total Matches Played: 28
Rajasthan Royals Wins: 12
Kolkata Knight Riders Wins: 14
Tied Matches: 2
Last Encounter: RR won by 2 wickets (Kolkata, 2024)
SQUADS
Rajasthan Royals - Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Sanju Samson, Dhruv Jurel, Kunal Singh Rathore, Riyan Parag, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Nitish Rana, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya, Kwena Maphaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Ashok Sharma, Jofra Archer.
Kolkata Knight Riders - Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Luvnith Sisodia, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh , Anukul Roy, Rovman Powell, Venkatesh Iyer, Moeen Ali, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande, Umran Malik, Anrich Nortje, Spencer Johnson.