IPL 2025: Kolkata Knight Riders seek win over Rajasthan Royals to boost playoffs hopes

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the defending champions, are under pressure as they aim to secure a playoff spot in IPL 2025. To stay in contention, KKR must win all four of their remaining league matches. Their next challenge is a must-win clash against Rajasthan Royals (RR), who are already out of the playoff race. The match will be held at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on Sunday afternoon.

Home Form Woes Plague KKR

KKR currently sit in 7th position and have struggled at home this season, with only one win in five games at Eden Gardens. Batting inconsistencies have hurt them, with key players like Rinku Singh and Venkatesh Iyer not performing up to expectations. The team has also faced difficulties in settling their opening pair.

Captain Ajinkya Rahane, who picked up a hand injury in their recent 14-run win over Delhi Capitals, is expected to recover in time for Sunday’s game.

Also Read: Virat Kohli Reveals the Real Reason Behind His T20 Retirement – “It Was for Them!”

Spin Duo Offers Hope for KKR

Despite batting issues, KKR’s spin attack has been a bright spot. Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy have delivered consistently, with Narine also shining with the bat in recent matches.

RR Playing for Pride After Elimination

Rajasthan Royals have officially exited the playoff race following a string of poor performances, including a heavy 100-run defeat to Mumbai Indians. Despite this, they remain dangerous as they play without pressure. Ajinkya Rahane acknowledged this during a Star Sports interview, noting that RR have nothing to lose.

Injuries and Lack of Depth Hurt RR

RR’s season has been hampered by a lack of depth in both the batting and bowling departments. The injury to regular captain Sanju Samson has significantly weakened the side. While young talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal and 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi have impressed, key players such as Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, and Dhruv Jurel have underperformed.

On the bowling front, the likes of Jofra Archer and Maheesh Theekshana have failed to make an impact, conceding heavily without taking crucial wickets.

Match Details

When: Sunday, May 4 at 3:30 PM IST
Where: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Watch Live: Star Sports Network & JioHotstar

KKR Squad

Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rinku Singh, Quinton de Kock (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Harshit Rana, Luvnith Sisodia, Venkatesh Iyer, Anukul Roy, Moeen Ali, Ramandeep Singh, Andre Russell, Anrich Nortje, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande, Spencer Johnson, Chetan Sakariya

RR Squad

Sanju Samson (c), Riyan Parag, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nitish Rana, Shimron Hetmyer, Jofra Archer, Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Kunal Singh Rathore, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya, Kwena Maphaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Ashok Sharma