Riyan Parag’s astounding performance nearly propelled RR to victory, but they fell just short in the final over. It was an absolutely pulsating thriller.
Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Rajasthan Royals Match Scorecard reflected how closely fought their battles have been in recent seasons.
KKR had an outstanding 2024 season but lost out in Qualifier 2 to Punjab Kings, while RR under Sanju Samson looks to end their trophy drought.
| Date | Venue | Winner | Margin | Key Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Apr 2024 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Rajasthan Royals (RR) | Won by 2 wickets | Jos Buttler – 107* (RR), Sunil Narine – 109 (KKR) |
| 11 May 2023 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Rajasthan Royals (RR) | Won by 9 wickets | Yashasvi Jaiswal – 98* (RR), Yuzvendra Chahal – 4/25 (RR) |
| 16 Apr 2023 | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur | Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) | Won by 7 wickets | Nitish Rana – 48* (KKR), Varun Chakravarthy – 2/27 (KKR) |
| 19 May 2022 | Dr DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai | Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) | Won by 7 wickets | Nitish Rana – 48* (KKR), Andre Russell – 3/22 (KKR) |
| 18 Apr 2022 | Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai | Rajasthan Royals (RR) | Won by 7 runs | Jos Buttler – 103 (RR), Yuzvendra Chahal – 5/40 (RR) |
Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) can extend their playoff hopes with a victory against Rajasthan Royals, as a win would give them second-place status in the table. But Ajinkya Rahane’s side will come into this match suffering. They defeated Mumbai Indians earlier in the Super Over, only for it all to turn tamely against them in Super Over. A team with nothing left to lose can often prove hazardous; and this one won’t be any different.
KKR’s loss to Delhi Capitals was disappointing and Bengaluru-based franchise must find ways to improve in order to remain in contention for one of four spots. When these teams met last time at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Royal Challengers won an exciting contest led by Yusuf Pathan’s 21-ball 42 that helped them chase down 152 in an over eliminator match at Sawai Mansingh Stadium and win by four wickets.
This win also marked RR’s victory in IPL 2024 after three consecutive defeats. Both teams will strive to continue their successful records against one another and stay competitive for playoff spots.
KKR have shown some promise since their disappointing start, however. Andre Russell has earned four Player-of-Match awards this season while Shubman Gill has proven he can perform as an opener when necessary. Unfortunately, however, their lower order needs improvement: Venkatesh Iyer has been inconsistent, averaging only just over 40 so far while Rishabh Pant and Abdul Samad both boast lower averages than this figure.
At the auction, KKR retained veteran wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik and fast bowler Piyush Chawla while adding veteran South African speedster Marchant de Lange and West Indian spinner Sunil Narine from South Africa and uncapped Indian batsmen Nitish Rana and Ishank Jaggi plus West Indian all-rounder Cameron Delport for uncapped batsmen as uncapped Indian players were released for base prices by Mumbai Indians; furthermore they acquired three additional players such as Prithvi Raj Yarra/Nikhil Naik/Srikant Mundhe from Mumbai Indians while released players such as Brendon McCullum/ Mohammad Hafeez/ Moises Henriques from Mumbai Indians respectively for base prices; released players included Brendon McCullum/ Mohammad Hafeez/ Moises Henriques
RR vs KKR
Rajasthan Royals have finally rebounded after an inauspicious start, and are just one victory away from making the playoffs. Their last match against Delhi Capitals (DC) at home proved close; although not perfect, there were signs that the Royals still had some fight left in them; Andre Russell found some form while Sunil Narine dismissed three high-class batters while their openers laid down an excellent platform.
But for RR, their greatest accomplishment was holding their nerve in the Super Over and winning against an unpredictable DC team that had seemed out of sorts all game long. Additionally, this win marked their first against DC at home since 2015 title-winning campaign and James Faulkner and his bowling unit played a huge part in it – restricting hosts to just 152/8 before holding off until Super Over had concluded.
Ajinkya Rahane was pleased with their performance and says they played exactly as planned. He remarks on how dry conditions with some turn made it challenging for batsmen to score runs; although their bowlers kept pressure up while taking wickets.
Royals batsman Jos Buttler had an outstanding unbeaten 97 off 47 balls for an unbeaten innings against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), with 17 fours and six maximums – an unprecedented figure against any opposition batting at their venue since IPL 2024! His score also tied the highest total ever scored during a successful chase at Sawai Mansingh Stadium since its inaugural edition of IPL 2024.
Venkatesh Iyer has yet to reach his first half-century of the season and must begin contributing with big scores for KKR if they wish to remain competitive. So far he has only reached single figures four times and not crossed 40 once; further complicating matters is the fact that most batters above him have struggled.
Royals must find a way to effectively utilize Dhruv Jurel. He’s an aggressive batsman against pace but only manages an average strike rate against spin, leaving his role unsure at either No. 4 or 5. With the tournament coming to a close soon enough, perhaps now is a good time for Royals to consider altering their approach and utilize Dhruv Jurel more fully.
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Team Sports Khabar