Guwahati: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) opened their account in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) with a commanding victory over Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. Quinton de Kock was the star of the show, anchoring the chase with a brilliant unbeaten 97, guiding the defending champions to their first win of the season.
Chasing a modest total, KKR approached the innings with caution in the powerplay. De Kock and Moeen Ali played out the pacers before the South African batter took charge, particularly targeting Maheesh Theekshana. However, Moeen’s innings was cut short by a run-out immediately after the powerplay, momentarily slowing KKR’s progress.
The South African opener shifted gears in the death overs, taking on Jofra Archer to ensure there were no last-minute hiccups. Youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi provided steady support with an unbeaten 22, playing the perfect foil to de Kock’s masterclass.
Earlier, KKR put on a disciplined performance with the ball, restricting Rajasthan Royals (RR) to a modest 151 on a pitch that offered assistance to spinners despite being a good batting surface. Led by a collective bowling effort, KKR seized control of the innings after RR’s promising start and never let go.
Ajinkya Rahane’s decision to operate with just five bowlers worked perfectly, as each contributed to dismantling RR’s lineup. Moeen Ali and Varun Chakravarthy stood out with their clever variations, keeping the opposition in check.
Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag(c), Dhruv Jurel(w), Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma
Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Rinku Singh, Moeen Ali, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Spencer Johnson, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy
