The defending champions, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), made a spectacular comeback, defeating the Rajasthan Royals (RR) by eight wickets in Match 6 of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. Both teams were in dire need of a victory after losing their season openers, but the Men in Purple emerged triumphant after 37.3 overs.
KKR’s bowlers, Varun Chakravarthy, Moeen Ali, Harshit Rana, and Vaibhav Arora, chose to bowl first and held Rajasthan to 151/9 with two wickets apiece. Although RR’s batting performance was poor, Dhruv Jurel’s 33 was the only noteworthy moment.
Quinton de Kock, who was chasing 152, was the highlight of the match with an undefeated 97 off 61 balls, guaranteeing KKR’s first win of the year. Despite Rajasthan’s initial efforts to keep things close, the southpaw destroyed their assault and won with 15 balls remaining. RR is currently at the bottom of the points table, while KKR is in sixth place thanks to their performance.
Key Moments from Match 6 of IPL 2025
1. Quinton de Kock stands tall against RR bowlers
Quinton de Kock put his experience to full use as he guided the Knight Riders to a comfortable 8-wicket win over the Royals in Guwahati. The South African wicketkeeper-batter played an unbeaten knock of 97 off 61 balls, smashing the opposition bowling attack with ease and control. He reached his half-century in just 36 balls and remained unbeaten till the end, smashing eight boundaries and six sixes. He was seen pulling the ball well for 36 runs, including three sixes. De Kock sealed the win with a huge six off Jofra Archer over the long-on region.
Q for Quality, Q for Quinton
A sensational unbeaten
runs to seal the deal
Scorecard
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2. Riyan Parag’s clueless captaincy
Riyan Parag, who is leading the Rajasthan-based franchise in the absence of Sanju Samson, looked completely out of sorts with his captaincy. The 23-year-old, who has little experience in leadership, struggled to contain KKR’s batters. His bowling choices lacked clarity, and his field placements looked reactionary rather than strategic. With Samson recovering from a finger injury and playing only as a batter for now, RR has given Parag the responsibility for three games. With the inaugural champions having lost two games in a row, they will need to regroup to end their losing streak and get back on the winning ways.
1. KKR’s clinical bowling puts the Royals on the back foot
Despite missing the services of Sunil Narine, KKR displayed a strong bowling performance to restrict the Royals to 151/9 on a batting-friendly Guwahati surface. Moeen Ali, replacing an unwell Narine, ended with figures of 2/23 in his four overs. Varun Chakravarthy (2/17) was equally brilliant, making sure the RR batters didn’t gain momentum. The pacers, including Vaibhav Arora (2/33) and Harshit Rana (2/36), ensured no big partnerships took place. Spencer Johnson, while he picked a wicket, conceded 42 runs in his quota of four overs.
Spinners casting their magic
First Varun Chakravarthy and then Moeen Ali
Updates
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