Ajinkya Rahane’s Kolkata Knight Riders beat the Rajasthan Royals, led by Riyan Parag by 8 wickets in match 6 of the current edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 held at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati on March 26 (Wednesday). KKR won the toss and chose to bowl first. The decision proved correct as they restricted RR to 151/9. The display was particularly impressive as they competed without their star Sunil Narine. Later, the defending champions successfully chased it down with 15 balls and 8 wickets remaining.
A disciplined bowling display kept the Rajasthan Royals to a modest 151/9, largely due to the spin duo of Varun Chakravarthy and Moeen Ali from the Kolkata Knight Riders. With Sunil Narine sidelined by injury, KKR’s fresh spin pairing emerged as a true game-changer on the dry, sticky Barsapara pitch where the ball was reluctant to come onto the bat. Shortly after the powerplay, Chakravarthy and Ali each claimed two wickets in consecutive overs, dismantling the Royals’ middle order and shifting the momentum in KKR’s favor.
Moeen Ali wrapped up with figures of 2/23 in his four overs, while Chakravarthy completed his spell with impressive numbers of 2/17, showcasing his knack for varying pace. Despite being a bit expensive, seamer Vaibhav Arora (2/33) secured two crucial wickets: he cheaply removed impact substitute Shubham Dubey (9) and clean-bowled regular Royals captain Sanju Samson (13 off 11) during the powerplay. In the critical penultimate over, Harshit Rana (2/36) was instrumental in curbing Dhruv Jurel’s promising knock of 33 (28) and dismissing the dangerous Shimron Hetmyer for just 7. Jofra Archer’s explosive cameo of 16 off 7 balls ensured they surpassed the 150-run mark, although he was caught by Spencer Johnson on the second-to-last ball of their innings.
KKR’s Spin Attack Dismantles RR’s Solid Start
With a steady partnership from Yashasvi Jaiswal (29 off 24) and local talent Riyan Parag (25 off 15), the Rajasthan Royals looked set for a substantial score at 54/1. They wrapped up the first six overs at 54/1, kicking off the powerplay with a six. However, KKR responded immediately. In the seventh over, their mystery spinner Chakravarthy triggered the collapse by dismissing the dangerous Parag with a cleverly disguised 113 kph delivery.
In the very next over, Ali further compounded RR’s woes by removing Jaiswal, who had been in fine form with two sixes and two boundaries. Wanindu Hasaranga (4), promoted to No. 5 yet failing to impress, was then dismissed by the England all-rounder, who expertly guided a skiddy delivery straight to mid-off. RR ended up at least 25 runs short of the par score, and their innings never gained momentum as four wickets fell for just 15 runs.
RR’s Struggles Continue
The Knights adopted a measured approach, a departure from their typically aggressive style, focusing on preserving wickets early on. They did lose Moeen Ali via a run-out, but the only other setback was the dismissal of Ajinkya Rahane, who was sent off by Wanindu Hasaranga. Beyond that, KKR sailed to victory, bolstered by Quinton de Kock’s unbeaten 97 and a quick 22-run cameo from the young Angkrish Raghuvanshi.
On the other hand, while RR’s batters performed strongly against SRH, they fell short in this encounter with KKR. Their bowling unit, in particular, is a major concern; despite some individuals bowling effectively, the team struggled to secure breakthroughs. This defeat marks RR’s second consecutive loss.
