In a dominant performance at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) cruised to an 8-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their IPL 2025 encounter.
After opting to bowl first, KKR’s bowlers, led by Varun Chakravarthy (2/17) and Moeen Ali (2/23), exploited the slow surface to perfection. Rajasthan Royals struggled to get going, managing only 151/9 in their 20 overs. Vaibhav Arora and Harshit Rana also chipped in with two wickets each, as RR’s batting faltered under pressure. Dhruv Jurel was the top-scorer for RR with a knock of 33 runs off 28 balls.
In response, KKR’s chase got off to a cautious start, but Quinton de Kock’s brilliance kept them firmly in control. The South African wicketkeeper-batter played a match-winning knock of 97* off 61 balls, including 8 fours and 6 sixes. His steady presence at the crease guided KKR to a comfortable victory, finishing the game in just 17.3 overs.
This was KKR’s first win of IPL 2025 after a defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore in their opening match. de Kock, who failed to deliver in the first game, was the star of the night, making the chase of 152 look effortless.