With local support likely to tilt in defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders’ favour and players hungry for a turnaround after their opening loss, Rajasthan Royals will have their task cut out as they too look to bounce back from a disappointing start when the two sides clash in a league match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 here on Wednesday.
Both sides came into the season with high expectations but were handed reality checks in their opening games, with KKR losing to Royal Challengers Bengaluru by seven wickets and Rajasthan Royals suffering a 44-run loss at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad, and will be desperate to get their IPL 2025 campaign back on track.
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For both teams, the issues were similar — star-studded line-ups that failed to click with either bat or ball.
Rajasthan’s bowlers might blame the flat Hyderabad wicket for their lack of sting, but KKR’s bowling effort at Eden Gardens can offer no such excuses. Apart from Sunil Narine, the bowling unit struggled, with Varun Chakravarthy, a key weapon, being taken apart by Phil Salt and Virat Kohli. That performance raised concerns about the mystery spinner’s current rhythm.
KKR will hope Chakravarthy rediscovers his edge on a Guwahati track that typically offers a bit more grip. They’ll also be monitoring the fitness of Anrich Nortje, who missed the opener with a back niggle. A fit Nortje could slot in for Spencer Johnson, adding firepower to their pace attack.
On the batting front, KKR had a promising start in the first match, thanks to Narine and skipper Ajinkya Rahane, but a middle-order collapse saw them finish with a below-par score. The likes of Venkatesh Iyer and Andre Russell fell to reckless shots, and a sharper, more composed approach will be expected this time.
One key figure under the spotlight is Rinku Singh. The left-hander, known for his finishing flair, has been struggling for runs, and his recent form in T20s is a concern. A solid knock in Guwahati could be just the confidence boost he needs.
For Rajasthan, the problems run deeper than just the scoreboard. Their bowlers, including Jofra Archer, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Maheesh Theekshana, were dismantled by the Sunrisers’ top order. Archer, in particular, endured a nightmare outing, leaking a record 76 runs in his spell.
Then, there’s the question of leadership. Stand-in captain and local lad Riyan Parag will be expected to show more clarity and assertiveness, especially against a team hungry to bounce back.
With both sides aiming to reset their campaigns, Wednesday’s match in Guwahati promises to be a high-stakes battle, one where a win could set the tone and a second loss could trigger early pressure.
Teams:
Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Rinku Singh, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Luvnith Sisodia, Venkatesh Iyer, Anukul Roy, Moeen Ali, Ramandeep Singh, Andre Russell, Anrich Nortje, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande, Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Chetan Sakariya.
Rajasthan Royals: Riyan Parag (stand-in captain), Sanju Samson, Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Kunal Rathore, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Rana, Yudhvir Singh, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya Singh, Tushar Deshpande, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kwena Maphaka, Ashok Sharma, Sandeep Sharma.
