Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) made an impressive start in their bowling effort, even without Sunil Narine, as they restricted Rajasthan Royals (RR) to 151 for 9 on a dry, sluggish Guwahati surface. Making his debut for KKR, Moeen Ali complemented the experienced Varun Chakravarthy brilliantly, with both spinners delivering a combined spell of 8-0-40-4. Their effectiveness meant KKR did not even need Andre Russell’s services with the ball.
The Royals started steadily but soon found themselves in trouble as their innings crumbled from 67 for 1 to 82 for 5. The collapse disrupted their plans, forcing them to bring in Shubham Dubey as an Impact Player at No. 7, sacrificing a frontline bowler who could have helped in the defense. However, Dubey struggled to accelerate, scoring just 9 off 12 balls before falling to Vaibhav Arora, who had already dealt an early blow by dismissing Sanju Samson for 13 off 11 balls.
Yashasvi Jaiswal looked promising with 29 off 24 balls but perished while attempting to step out against Moeen, who sent him back with a well-judged delivery. Local talent Riyan Parag provided some fireworks with three sixes, including an audacious one-handed shot, but Chakravarthy halted his charge with a cleverly disguised 113kph delivery.
The Royals also experimented by promoting Wanindu Hasaranga to No. 5 to counter Moeen’s off-spin, but the move backfired. Hasaranga faced only one ball from Moeen before falling to Chakravarthy for a run-a-ball 4.
Dhruv Jurel emerged as RR’s top scorer, crafting a steady 33 off 28 balls before falling to Nitish Rana in the penultimate over. Alongside him, Shimron Hetmyer also departed in quick succession, adding further pressure to the struggling Royals’ lineup.
Also Read : Australia Hold Nerve to Secure 3-0 Whitewash Despite Green’s Heroics
