Both sides, Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), have yet to get off the mark. RR, in their first game, almost became the victim of the IPL’s first-ever 300-plus target. And if it were not for Tushar Deshpande’s (un)timely intervention, who knows – they might really have conceded a triple ton team total. This is not the sort of start they were looking for their campaign this year. But since they got it, their best bet to undo its impact on their tournament future is to use their second home in Guwahiti to the side’s benefit and get some points on the board.
Would it be easier with an opponent like KKR facing them? They lost their opening game as well, and they have only themselves to blame for it. At the halfway mark, they were 107 for 2, but managed a meager 67 runs more in the final 10 overs. They followed it up with an unassuming bowling display. On the same ground where Krunal Pandya swerved the ball to play havoc with KKR’s batters, KKR’s spinners failed to capitalize. Losing the opening game is not as significant an issue compared to losing it at your home ground, and KKR now faces not just a defeat, but a home defeat.
Team Overview:
RR’s top-order batting produced a mundane outing. Three of their top five, including Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, and Nitish Rana, fell within the powerplay. Dhruv Jurel and the substitute Sanju Samson’s resistance saw the Royals get a chance in the game. This begs a question: is RR’s persistence on playing with the top five Indian batters really a foolish act? This hurt them last season, even when they had Jos Buttler or Tom Kohler-Cadmore to bat among the top-order positions. This time, though, they have no overseas player in these positions. Jofra Archer, who missed the previous season, returned only to bowl the most expensive over in IPL history, conceding 76 runs.
Ajinkya Rahane would be proud of how he fared against the RCB bowlers in their opening game, but the pleasure was marred by how the rest of his team crumbled. It was not as comprehensive a defeat as KKR had to endure; in fact, they were the favorites for at least the first ten overs. But they suffered a collapse for the ages, allowing the opposition bowlers to run through their fragile middle order. Only three players, besides skipper Rahane, managed to reach double figures. Quinton de Kock, who was selected ahead of Rahmanullah Gurbaz, could only manage four runs despite an earlier drop. While Rahane has backed him to do well and thrown his support behind him, his fate in the tournament remains in his own hands.
Head-to-Head Matches:
KKR and RR have played 29 games against one another and share an almost equal record. KKR, being the slightly better side, won 14 games, while RR came out on top in 12 games. 3 games ended without either of the two results.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Guwahati is RR’s second home, and they will play two games on the bounce here. The surface offers quite a lot for batters, but Australia once managed to get the ball to swing incredibly on this very ground. The last game scheduled to be played here was between KKR and RR in the 2024 season, but it was a washout. Before that, the ground had only ever staged three IPL games, two of which saw an excess of 190 runs being scored. With the weather forecast to remain clear of rain, can either of these two teams cross 200 in Guwahati?
Prediction:
Both teams are at the bottom of the table and would do anything to get some points added next to their name. RR seem more likely to do so, as their issues are not as widespread as KKR’s.
Where to Watch:
India: Star Sports Network, JioHotstar
UK: Sky Sports, SkyGo
USA: Willow TV
Australia: Kayo TV, FoxTel Go
Bangladesh: T Sports, Toffee app
New Zealand: Sky Sports NZ
Afghanistan: ATN
South Africa: SuperSport
Sri Lanka: Dialog
MENA: Cricbuzz
