Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) won by 8 wickets against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the sixth match of Tata IPL 2025. The match was played at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati on Wednesday, wherein Quinton de Kock’s inspiring performance led KKR to its first victory of the season.
KKR dominated the match from the start by restricting RR to score 151/9 in their innings. The score was chased with ease in just 17.3 overs, led by de Kock’s unbeaten 97 runs.
KKR’s Spinners Stifle RR’s Batsmen
KKR decided to bowl first at winning the toss, which proved to be a wise decision. The team’s spin duo, Varun Chakaravarthy and Moeen Ali, applied constant pressure on the Rajasthan batsmen. Chakaravarthy’s performance was outstanding as he finished with impressive figures of 2/17 in his four overs. Ali, who was playing in place of Sunil Narine who opted out of the match on account of being unwell, complemented Chakaravarthy well, claiming 2/23 in his quota.
The RR innings were unable to gain momentum, with wickets falling at regular intervals. Riyan Parag who was acting as a Captain for RR in the absence of the injured Sanju Samson, displayed glimpses of his potential with a few big hits. However, he couldn’t convert his start into a substantial score, falling to Chakaravarthy for a 20-ball 28. Dhruv Jurel secured top-score position for RR with a fighting 33, but lack of support from other batsmen meant Rajasthan could not score a very high target for KKR to chase.
De Kock’s Performance
KKR’s chase was a complete one-man show, with Quinton de Kock leading the game. The South African wicketkeeper-batsman, hit eight fours and six sixes in total, scoring a total of unbeaten 97, which was almost two-thirds of the total chasing target for KKR.
Despite losing his opening partner Moeen Ali early, de Kock found able support in young Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who played a mature innings of 22 not out. The duo shared an unbroken 113-run partnership for the third wicket, ensuring KKR crossed the finish line without any further hiccups.
RR’s bowlers struggled to contain de Kock, who was particularly severe on anything short or full. The left-hander’s innings was a perfect blend of aggression and calculated risk-taking, as he targeted the boundaries at will while running hard between the wickets.
The victory will come as a huge relief for KKR, who had lost their opening encounter against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane was full of praise for his team’s all-round performance in the post-match presentation. “We bowled really well in the first six overs. The middle overs were crucial too – the way the spinners controlled things. Moeen got his opportunity and he bowled really well,” Rahane said.
The win propels Kolkata Knight Riders up the IPL 2025 points table, while Rajasthan Royals find themselves in a precarious position early in the tournament.
