Guwahati: Quinton de Kock’s scintillating unbeaten 97 off 61 balls powered Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to a commanding eight-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals (RR) in an Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium here on Wednesday.

Chasing a target of 152, KKR reached 153/2 in 17.3 overs, with de Kock leading the charge. The South African wicketkeeper-batsman smashed eight fours and six sixes, maintaining a strike rate of 159.02. He brought up his half-century in style, dispatching Wanindu Hasaranga over deep mid-wicket for a massive six in the 10th over.

De Kock had a brief moment of concern in the 16th over when he attempted a reverse sweep against Maheesh Theekshana, but the ball deflected off his pad towards short third. Angkrish Raghuvanshi wanted a single, but de Kock sent him back. Jofra Archer's throw came in quickly, but Theekshana failed to collect behind the stumps, giving KKR a lucky escape.

Moeen Ali (5) was the first to depart, run out after a mix-up with de Kock. Skipper Ajinkya Rahane contributed 18 runs off 15 balls before being dismissed by Hasaranga, caught by Tushar Deshpande. Rahane had earlier survived a close LBW appeal off Theekshana, with DRS confirming the ball was sliding down the leg side. Young Raghuvanshi played a supporting role, remaining unbeaten on 22 off 17 balls, guiding KKR to victory alongside de Kock.

Rajasthan Royals struggled to put up a competitive total after being sent in to bat first. They managed to post 151/9 in their allotted 20 overs, with Dhruv Jurel top-scoring with 33 off 28 balls.

Yashasvi Jaiswal provided a steady start with 29 off 24 balls before falling to Moeen Ali. Captain Riyan Parag looked dangerous with a brisk 25 off 15 deliveries but was removed by Varun Chakaravarthy. Sanju Samson (13), Nitish Rana (8), Hasaranga (4), and Shubham Dubey (9) failed to make significant contributions, leaving Rajasthan struggling at crucial junctures.

Lower-order batsmen Jofra Archer (16) and Deshpande (7) added valuable runs to push RR past the 150-run mark. However, disciplined bowling from KKR ensured the total remained below par.

For KKR, Harshit Rana and Varun Chakaravarthy were the pick of the bowlers, claiming two wickets each. Spencer Johnson (1/42), Moeen Ali 2/23), and Vaibhav Arora (2/33)also chipped in with crucial breakthroughs, restricting RR’s batting lineup.

With this victory, KKR have opened their account in IPL 2025, securing two points and gaining momentum in the tournament.