Kolkata Knight Riders cruised to an easy eight-wicket victory over the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 6th match IPL 2025 in Guwahati, thanks to an impressive 97* from Quinton de Kock and some great work from Moeen Ali and Varun Chakravarthy with the spin bowling. Rajasthan Royals was invited to bat first by KKR after winning the toss. However, on the slow surface of Barsapara RR only managed the lowest total of IPL 2025 – 151/9. For KKR chasing 152 was just a formality which they completed in 17.3 overs.
Spinners Dominate as RR Struggles
After deciding to bowl first, KKR’s spinners played a huge role in limiting RR to 151/9, the lowest score of this season. With Sunil Narine absent due to illness, KKR’s new recruit Moeen Ali helped fill the gap. Together with the reliable Varun Chakravarthy, the two spinners dismantled the RR batting unit. Moeen had received his first KKR cap earlier from mentor Dwayne Bravo, and he struck early, dismissing young Yashasvi Jaiswal for 29.
Chakravarthy then added to the wickets by taking Riyan Parag’s wicket – a homecoming to forget for the Guwahati local who led the side as captain. Although Parag hit a couple of big shots to entertain the crowd, he fell victim to Chakravarthy’s spin as he mis-cued a relatively simple catch to de Kock, and it was from this point that RR fell apart from a solid platform of 67/1 to 82/5.
Moeen’s spell was just as effective when he got the all-important wicket of Jaiswal. Moeen’s spin, along with Varun’s variations, was far too difficult for the RR batters. The hosts couldn’t really recover from this, although Dhruv Jurel (33 off 28) put in a late effort to help the hosts reach a respectable total.
De Kock and Raghuvanshi Steer KKR to Victory
In response, KKR’s chase was led by Quinton de Kock, whose fantastic 97* off 61 balls took his team to the victory in style. While the chase got off to a rocky start — with Moeen Ali having a rough day with the bat and being run out for an uninspiring 5 — de Kock was in magnificent form from the outset. He took the attack to RR’s bowlers, in particular, Jofra Archer and Maheesh Theekshana, to race to a brisk half-century off 36 balls.
De Kock and Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who provided 26 runs off 20 balls in a measured contribution, put an 83 runs stand in just 44 balls for the third wicket. While RR did pick up a wicket when Hasaranga dismissed Ajinkya Rahane for 18, the game was already slipping away from them. De Kock’s enormous sixes, including one off Parag and another off Hasaranga, sealed RR’s fate. With the target in sight, the dew that fell towards the end of the match made KKR’s task even easier, allowing them to knock off the remaining runs with no bumps in the road.
A Day to Forget for Rajasthan Royals
RR’s batting deeply suffered as a result of poor shot selection or poor execution against spin variations. Although Parag got off to a good start with some beautiful sixes, the importance of partnerships was remote since no meaningful contributions were forthcoming from other players. Even under bad light, the conditions of lower and slower pitch at Guwahati, and RR’s inability to play accordingly, was compounded by some superb spin bowling from KKR, leaving the RR innings crumpled at just 151/9.
Likewise, the RR bowling performance was not without fault, as Parag and Sandeep Sharma were picked for multiple boundaries in the early stages. While Jofra Archer looked good with pace, he did not have the support from his bowling partners, and KKR was always capable of cashing in against poor bowling on the night.
KKR’s Dominance Leaves RR with Much to Reflect On
With KKR securing victory in just 18.5 overs, they earned themselves two important points on the IPL 2025 points table. For RR, now the time will be to regroup quickly after suffering their second consecutive defeat of the season. Whilst de Kock seems to be scoring freely and the spinners are taking no wickets, KKR are finding their groove, meaning RR will be left to think about where they need to improve after another missed opportunity this season, before their next match.
Scorecard: RR vs KKR, 6th Match at Guwahati, IPL, Mar 26 2025
Rajasthan Royals 151/9
- Dhruv Jurel 33 (28)
- Yashavi Jaiswal 29 (24)
- Riyan Parag 25 (15)
- Varun Chakravarthy 2/17
- Moeen Ali 2/23
- Vaibhav Arora 2/33
Kolkata Knight Riders 153/2
- Quinton de Cock 97* (61)
- Angkrish Raghuvanshi 22(17)
- Ajinkya Rahane 18 (15)
- Wanindu Hasaranga 1/34
- Tushar Deshpande 0/7
- Nitish Rana 0/9
Read More: Shreyas Iyer and Shashank’s Batting Masterclass Guides Punjab Kings to Victory Over Gujarat Titans
