Rajasthan Royals (RR) struggled to put up a competitive total as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bowlers dominated the innings, restricting them to 151/9 in 20 overs. After losing the toss and being sent in to bat, RR showed initial promise with Yashasvi Jaiswal (29 off 24) and Riyan Parag (25 off 15) playing aggressive cameos. However, frequent wickets and lack of partnerships saw them lose momentum.
Sanju Samson (13 off 11) fell early to a brilliant delivery from Vaibhav Arora, while Parag, despite his aggressive start, was dismissed in the eighth over by Varun Chakaravarthy. Jaiswal followed soon after, and RR quickly found themselves struggling at 76/4.
KKR’s bowling changes work wonders
KKR skipper’s tactical bowling changes proved crucial in dismantling RR’s batting lineup. On his KKR debut, Moeen Ali (2/23) played a key role, picking up two wickets and keeping the run flow in check. Varun Chakaravarthy (2/17) was the most economical, while Vaibhav Arora (2/33) and Harshit Rana (2/36) kept the pressure on with crucial breakthroughs. Spencer Johnson (1/42) was expensive but managed to dismiss Jofra Archer (16 off 7) towards the end.
Impact substitute fails to fire
Hoping for a late flourish, RR brought in Shubham Dubey as an impact substitute. However, he failed to make a significant impact, scoring just 9 off 12 balls before falling to Arora. Dhruv Jurel (33 off 28) provided some late resistance, but with wickets falling at regular intervals, RR never managed to accelerate.
KKR in control as chase looms
Despite some late hitting from Jofra Archer, RR’s total of 151 looks underwhelming on a pitch that seems good for batting. KKR will back themselves to chase this down, but with RR’s bowling attack, an exciting second innings awaits.
