Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane elects to bat first against Rajasthan Royals in a crucial mid-season clash of IPL 2025 at Eden Gardens.
Kolkata, May 5:
In Match 53 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and chose to bat first against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the iconic Eden Gardens stadium. With the playoff race heating up, this match holds high importance for both franchises aiming to strengthen their position on the points table.
Rahane, leading KKR this season, said at the toss:
“The pitch looks dry and good for batting early on. We want to put runs on the board and let our bowlers defend. Eden has always backed us with great energy, and we’d like to give them a big total to cheer for.”
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag said he was happy to bowl first:
“We would’ve bowled first anyway. The pitch tends to settle a bit under lights. We’ve had good chases this season and are confident in our bowling attack to restrict them.”
Match Context
Kolkata Knight Riders have bounced back strongly in recent games, thanks to strong performances from openers Phil Salt and Rahane himself. Their middle order, featuring Rinku Singh and Venkatesh Iyer, will be expected to provide the fireworks. KKR’s spin-heavy attack, led by Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine, is perfectly suited to the Eden surface.
Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, have shown flashes of brilliance but have lacked consistency. With youngsters like Vaibhav Suryavanshi and seasoned campaigners such as Jofra Archer and Ravichandran Ashwin in their ranks, RR will be keen to make a strong statement with a win on KKR’s home turf.
Playing XIs:
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR): Ajinkya Rahane (c), Phil Salt (wk), Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Sunil Narine, Mitchell Starc, Varun Chakravarthy, Suyash Sharma, Harshit Rana
Rajasthan Royals (RR): Riyan Parag (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Sanju Samson (wk), Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, R Ashwin, Jofra Archer, Avesh Khan, Maheesh Theekshana, Sandeep Sharma
As the sun sets in Kolkata and the stage lights up, fans can expect a gripping contest between two strong teams with plenty at stake. Will Rahane’s decision to bat first give KKR the upper hand, or will RR chase down another target under lights?
Stay tuned for live updates and post-match analysis. Let me know if you’d like a mid-innings or full match summary.