Guwahati, March 26, 2025: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) kicked off their IPL 2025 campaign in style with a dominant 8-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium. After winning the toss and electing to bowl first, KKR’s bowlers put on a clinical performance, restricting Rajasthan to 151/9 in 20 overs.
Rajasthan Royals’ innings lacked momentum as their top order struggled against KKR’s disciplined bowling attack. Despite a fighting 29 off 24 from Yashasvi Jaiswal and a steady 33 off 28 from Dhruv Jurel, the Royals collapsed under pressure. Varun Chakaravarthy (2/17) and Moeen Ali (2/23) were the stars with the ball, while Harshit Rana (3/36) and Vaibhav Arora (2/32) also chipped in with crucial wickets.
In reply, KKR chased down the target with ease, finishing at 153/2 in just 17.3 overs. Quinton de Kock anchored the innings with a sensational knock of 97 off 61* balls, smashing 8 fours and 6 sixes. Moeen Ali (5) fell early, but Ajinkya Rahane (18) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (22*) supported de Kock as KKR sealed a comfortable win.
🏆 Match Summary
Rajasthan Royals Innings – 151/9 (20 Overs)
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yashasvi Jaiswal c Harshit Rana b Moeen | 29 | 24 | 2 | 1 | 120.83 |
| Sanju Samson b Vaibhav Arora | 13 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 118.18 |
| Riyan Parag (c) c de Kock b Varun Chakaravarthy | 25 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 166.67 |
| Nitish Rana b Moeen | 8 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 88.89 |
| W Hasaranga c Rahane b Varun Chakaravarthy | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Dhruv Jurel (wk) b Harshit Rana | 33 | 28 | 5 | 0 | 117.86 |
| Shubham Dubey c Russell b Vaibhav Arora | 9 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 75.00 |
| Shimron Hetmyer c Raghuvanshi b Harshit Rana | 7 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 87.50 |
| Jofra Archer b Spencer Johnson | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 16.67 |
| Maheesh Theekshana not out | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Tushar Deshpande not out | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 200.00 |
| Extras: 4 (w 4) | |||||
| Total: 151/9 (20 Overs) |
Fall of Wickets: 33-1 (Samson, 3.5), 67-2 (Parag, 7.5), 69-3 (Jaiswal, 8.4), 76-4 (Hasaranga, 9.5), 82-5 (Rana, 10.6), 110-6 (Dubey, 14.6), 131-7 (Jurel, 18.1), 138-8 (Hetmyer, 18.6), 149-9 (Archer, 19.5)
Bowling:
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Eco |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer Johnson | 4 | 0 | 42 | 1 | 10.50 |
| Vaibhav Arora | 4 | 0 | 32 | 2 | 8.20 |
| Harshit Rana | 4 | 0 | 36 | 3 | 9.00 |
| Moeen Ali | 4 | 0 | 23 | 2 | 5.80 |
| Varun Chakaravarthy | 4 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 4.20 |
Kolkata Knight Riders Innings – 153/2 (17.3 Overs)
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moeen Ali run out (Theekshana/Parag) | 5 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 41.67 |
| Quinton de Kock (wk) not out | 97 | 61 | 8 | 6 | 159.02 |
| Ajinkya Rahane (c) c Deshpande b Hasaranga | 18 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 120.00 |
| Angkrish Raghuvanshi not out | 22 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 129.41 |
| Extras: 11 (w 9, lb 2) | |||||
| Total: 153/2 (17.3 Overs) |
Fall of Wickets: 41-1 (Moeen Ali, 6.1), 70-2 (Rahane, 10.1)
Bowling:
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Eco |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jofra Archer | 2.3 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 13.20 |
| Maheesh Theekshana | 4 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 8.00 |
| Riyan Parag | 4 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 6.20 |
| Sandeep Sharma | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 5.50 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | 3 | 0 | 41 | 1 | 11.30 |
| Nitish Rana | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 9.00 |
| Tushar Deshpande | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7.00 |
✅ Player of the Match: Quinton de Kock – 97* (61)
🎯 Key Performers:
-
Quinton de Kock – 97* (61), 8×4, 6×6
-
Harshit Rana – 4-0-36-3
-
Varun Chakaravarthy – 4-0-17-2
-
Moeen Ali – 4-0-23-2
KKR have made a strong statement early in the tournament with this convincing win. Rajasthan Royals will need to regroup quickly for their next game. Stay tuned for more IPL 2025 action!
