Kolkata, March 26, 2025 – Quinton de Kock delivered a masterclass in batting, smashing an unbeaten 97 to propel Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to a commanding victory against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in a high-octane IPL 2025 clash at Eden Gardens. The South African wicketkeeper-batsman’s scintillating knock, laced with power and precision, left the Royals reeling as KKR chased down a challenging 183-run target with 8 wickets and 11 balls to spare.
The evening began with Rajasthan Royals, led by Sanju Samson, posting a competitive 182/6 in their 20 overs. Yashasvi Jaiswal’s fluent 54 off 39 balls set the tone, while Riyan Parag chipped in with a brisk 42. However, KKR’s bowling attack, spearheaded by Vaibhav Arora (3/34) and Andre Russell (2/28), tightened the screws in the death overs, restricting RR’s late surge despite a cameo from Shimron Hetmyer (18* off 9).
Chasing under the lights, KKR stumbled early, losing opener Phil Salt for a duck in the second over to Trent Boult’s fiery spell. But de Kock, walking in at No. 3, took charge with a blend of elegance and aggression. The left-hander smashed 10 fours and 4 sixes, dismantling RR’s bowling unit with surgical precision. His 87-run partnership with Venkatesh Iyer (34) steadied the ship, before captain Shreyas Iyer (28*) joined him to seal the deal in style.
De Kock’s knock, falling just three runs shy of a deserved century, earned him the Player of the Match award. “It’s about staying calm and picking the right moments to attack,” he said post-match. For RR, Boult (1/32) and Yuzvendra Chahal (1/40) toiled hard but couldn’t stem the tide.
With this win, KKR signal their intent in IPL 2025, while Rajasthan Royals will look to regroup ahead of their next outing.
