‘Major difference was calibre and quality of KKR’s spin attack’- Shane Watson analyses RR vs KKR IPL 2025 clash

On Wednesday, March 27, the Ajinkya Rahane-led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) trounced the Rajasthan Royals (RR) by eight wickets, recording their first victory in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025).

The KKR spin combination of Moeen Ali and Varun Chakravarthy utilized cunning and deceit to trick the Rajasthan hitters after Rahane won the toss and chose to field first. With a 28-ball score of 33, Dhruv Jurel was the leading scorer as the first-ever champions plodded to 151/9. Spencer Johnson took one wicket in the 20th over, while Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Moeen, and Chakravarthy each took two.

Moeen and Rahane, who were unable to adjust to the lack of pace on the field, were dismissed by KKR in response.

Angkrish Raghuvanshi (22*) was with Quinton de Kock, who produced a fantastic knock and remained undefeated at 97 off 61 balls.

De Kock’s knock was lauded by the great Shane Watson, who pointed out a pull shot he struck that hit Jofra Archer for a six over mid-wicket. The former Australian all-rounder thinks the reigning champions will feel quite confident going into their next games after this victory.

“Quinton de Kock was excellent tonight, and the chase was undoubtedly easy. That was classic Quinton de Kock, the sort of genius we’ve witnessed in the IPL and internationally over the past ten to fifteen years. He made excellent photographs. My gosh, that pull shot he hit off Jofra Archer over mid-wicket was evidence of his exceptional form. Given their middle order’s explosive firepower, KKR will feel incredibly confident after this performance. “KKR’s victory tonight is a huge confidence boost,” Watson stated during his analysis of the match on JioHotstar’s Match Centre Live.

Watson claimed that the caliber of KKR’s spinners was what separated the two teams. Despite having international spinners Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana in their roster, the Rajasthan Royals were unable to bowl consistently as planned.

“The Rajasthan Royals batsmen were unable to score a significant amount because they were unable to locate their timing and committed a few execution mistakes. The level of skill and quality of KKR’s spin attack was a significant distinction. While Rajasthan’s bowlers, especially in the middle overs, lacked the punch we’ve seen from them in the past, Varun Chakravarthy and Moeen Ali bowled really effectively. Quinton de Kock found it much easier as a result; he was patient, waited for loose deliveries, and avoided taking unwarranted risks. When he’s playing at his best, he can accelerate quickly thanks to his vast range of strokes,” Watson said.

Watson on RCB’s challenge at Chepauk vs CSK

On Friday, March 28, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will play at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium. Watson believes that facing Chennai’s spinners will be difficult for the RCB hitters. He claimed that in order for the visiting team to defeat the five-time champions at their stronghold, someone would have to do something extraordinary.

“RCB’s trip to Chepauk will be extremely difficult, especially considering the caliber of bowlers CSK has available. Just take a look at Ashwin, Jadeja, and Noor Ahmad, the three spinners who bowled beautifully in their inaugural match against MI. The former Australian legend went on to say, “They are going to be a real handful on that surface.”

“The players will feel more confident knowing they have another chance to take wickets after seeing Noor Ahmad make such an impact in his maiden game for CSK. In order to overcome CSK’s advantages, RCB will probably need to reorganize their team. Chepauk, however, is a stronghold. The foundation of CSK’s entire strategy is success in Chennai, hence RCB’s ascent will be extremely challenging. To pull off a victory, someone from their team will have to do something really exceptional,” Watson said.