In a dominating performance, Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Rajasthan Royals by eight wickets with a score of 153 for 2. De Kock was the top scorer with an unbeaten 97 runs, while Hasaranga from Rajasthan Royals claimed 1-34. Varun, Moeen, Arora, and Rana all took two wickets each as Rajasthan Royals set a target of 151 for 9, with Jurel leading their batting at 33 runs.
The absence of Sunil Narine did not prove to be a hindrance for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as their new addition, Moeen Ali, seamlessly filled in for the unwell player. Along with experienced team member Varun Chakravarthy, Ali performed exceptionally well on the dry and sluggish Guwahati pitch, holding back Rajasthan Royals (RR) with a score of 151 for 9. The impressive performance of these two spinners resulted in combined figures of 8-0-40-4 and rendered Andre Russell’s bowling unnecessary for KKR.
Following the impressive performance of debutant Russell, another new recruit, Quinton de Kock, also thrived at the top. This only further solidified KKR’s position as they did not require Russell’s batting skills. De Kock’s unbeaten 97 off 61 balls not only secured a spot for KKR on the points table, but also resulted in RR’s second consecutive loss this season.
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Parag’s disheartening return
Sanju Samson was dismissed for 13 runs in just 11 balls after stepping out too early against Vaibhav Arora. However, Riyan Parag, who was leading RR and hails from Guwahati, reinvigorated the spectators by hitting a one-handed six off Harshit Rana’s third delivery. He then followed it up with another impressive six in the last over of the powerplay against Arora, this time a lofted checked-drive over his head.
Parag showed off his hitting abilities by launching Varun’s delivery for a six over midwicket. However, the mystery spinner quickly corrected his mistake two balls later, causing Parag to send a sky-high catch to de Kock, the keeper, with a 113kph dart that swerved away from the batter.
Later in the evening, Parag made a contribution on the field, taking 4 wickets for 25 runs and successfully running Moeen out. However, it was not a joyous homecoming for him.
Varun and Moeen disrupt RR’s plans.
Moeen may have missed the opportunity to play if Narine had been present. His first appearance in a KKR jersey was marked by receiving his cap from team mentor Dwayne Bravo. In just his second over, Moeen took a wicket as Yashasvi Jaiswal attempted to hit a shot but was caught at long-on after scoring 29 runs off 24 balls. This was only the second time Jaiswal has been dismissed by spin in the IPL since 2023, out of 197 deliveries and while scoring 289 runs.
RR attempted to utilize Wanindu Hasaranga similarly to how they had utilized R Ashwin previously. They elevated Hasaranga to the No. 5 position as a pinch-blocker or pinch-hitter, but alas, the endeavor was unsuccessful. He only faced one delivery from Moeen, the offspinner, and unfortunately miscued Varun’s delivery to mid-off, resulting in a run-a-ball score of 4.
The spinners caused a downfall, resulting in the hosts’ plans being disrupted. Subsequently, Shubham Dubey was brought in at No. 7 for RR’s batting lineup instead of Kumar Kartikeya or Akash Madhwal, hindering their ability to bring in a frontline bowler for the chase.
Varun and Moeen only allowed a six and a four, while RR’s spinners, including Parag and Nitish Rana who are not regulars in the position, gave away 11 boundaries combined.
The reason for RR’s crossing of 150 can be attributed to the late contributions of Dhruv Jurel and Jofra Archer. Jurel, with his top score of 33 runs off 28 balls, proved to be vital for their team. Along with him, Archer also played a significant role in achieving this milestone.
De Kock secures victory for KKR.
Moeen was struggling in the chase with the bat, only managing to score five runs off 11 deliveries due to Archer’s rapid pace and unpredictable bounce. His difficulties continued when he attempted to take a double off Parag but ended up getting run out for five runs off 12 balls due to a miscommunication with de Kock.
While it could have been a game-deciding performance on any other day, Moeen’s impressive bowling and de Kock’s powerful shots on the opposing side allowed KKR to counter it. The appearance of dew during the latter part of the evening further aided KKR in their task.
In the powerplay, De Kock confidently faced the hard new ball and dominated, scoring 34 runs out of KKR’s total of 40. He wasted no time in attacking Archer early on with two back-to-back boundaries and continued his relentless assault on Maheesh Theekshana and Parag.
With the substitution of Fazalhaq Farooqi for Hasaranga, a glimmer of hope may have emerged for RR as Ajinkya Rahane was dismissed for 18 runs in just 15 balls. However, de Kock and young Raghuvanshi quickly shut down any potential opportunity with their unbeaten partnership of 83 runs in 44 balls.
De Kock reached his fifty in 36 deliveries by smashing Hasaranga for a six over wide long-on. He marked the moment by hitting another six off Parag in the next over. A potential century for De Kock was hindered by KKR’s insufficient run total to chase.
RR’s 151 run total, the lowest of this season, stood out significantly compared to the powerful scoring displayed by numerous other teams in this IPL tournament.
