De Kock’s Dazzling 97 Powers KKR to First Win of IPL 2025

Quinton de Kock’s unbeaten knock anchors Kolkata Knight Riders’ eight-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals as Varun Chakravarthy, Moeen Ali shine with the ball

Guwahati, March 27: Quinton de Kock produced a vintage T20 masterclass with an unbeaten 97 as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) secured a convincing eight-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their IPL 2025 clash at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati.

Chasing a modest target of 152, de Kock anchored the innings brilliantly, powering KKR to 153/2 in just 17.3 overs. With this win, KKR registered their first points of the season, while RR slumped to their second consecutive defeat.

The Knight Riders’ chase was steady from the outset. Moeen Ali and de Kock added 40 in the powerplay before Moeen (5 off 12) was run out in the seventh over. Ajinkya Rahane (18) played a supporting role before falling to Wanindu Hasaranga.

But it was all de Kock from there. He brought up his half-century with a six in the 11th over and kept the scoreboard ticking with clean, calculated hitting. Alongside young Angrish Raghuvanshi (22* off 17), he guided KKR home, finishing the match in style with a towering six.

Earlier, KKR’s bowlers dominated after opting to field first. Vaibhav Arora struck early, removing RR captain Sanju Samson for 13. RR’s middle order faltered, with Varun Chakravarthy (2/17) and Moeen Ali (2/23) dismantling the core.

Riyan Parag (25) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (29) offered brief resistance, while Dhruv Jurel top-scored with 33. However, no batter could convert starts into a match-winning knock, and the Royals stumbled to 151/9 in their 20 overs.

Harshit Rana and Arora also picked up two wickets each, while Spencer Johnson chipped in with one. KKR’s bowling unit shared the spoils with a clinical and disciplined effort.

With the momentum now on their side, KKR will aim to build on this dominant win as the IPL 2025 season gathers pace.

Brief Score:
RR: 151/9 (Jurel 33, Jaiswal 29, Chakravarthy 2/17, Moeen 2/23)
KKR: 153/2 in 17.3 overs (de Kock 97*, Raghuvanshi 22*, Hasaranga 1/34)