Varun Chakaravarthy, Moeen Ali shine with the ball as Rajasthan Royals falter; Dhruv Jurel’s shot sparks a light moment amid tense innings
Guwahati, March 27:
Kolkata Knight Riders’ spinners put on a clinical show at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Wednesday night, restricting Rajasthan Royals to a modest 151/9 in their IPL 2025 clash.
Utilizing the slow nature of the surface to perfection, Varun Chakaravarthy and debutant Moeen Ali each bagged two crucial wickets, stalling RR’s momentum in the middle overs. Right-arm pacer Vaibhav Arora also made his presence felt with two scalps, while Harshit Rana chipped in with one, as KKR’s bowlers executed their plans brilliantly on a pitch offering ample assistance to spin.
Despite the early setbacks, Dhruv Jurel tried to counterattack. One of his powerful shots even drew laughs from teammate Shimron Hetmyer, who was seen hilariously falling to the ground while reacting from the dugout—a rare light-hearted moment in an otherwise tense outing for the Royals.
In terms of team changes, KKR made a major switch, with Sunil Narine sitting out due to illness and being replaced by Moeen Ali, who donned the purple jersey for the first time. RR, meanwhile, brought in Wanindu Hasaranga for Fazalhaq Farooqi in hopes of bolstering their spin department.
Earlier, KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and elected to bowl first—a decision that paid early dividends as his bowlers kept RR in check throughout the innings.
KKR will now aim to chase down the modest target and bounce back from their previous defeat, while RR will look to their bowlers to produce something extraordinary on a helpful surface.
