RR vs KKR IPL 2025: Both Teams Look to Get Back on Winning Track, Will Nortje Replace Johnson?
Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) will aim to bounce back after starting their IPL 2025 campaign with defeats. KKR lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), while Rajasthan suffered a loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Rajasthan is playing without their regular captain, as Sanju Samson was used as an Impact Player in the last match and may continue in the same role for this game.
A close contest between both teams
The battle between Rajasthan and KKR has been evenly matched over the years. In their IPL head-to-head record, both teams have won 14 matches each out of the 29 games played, with one match ending without a result. In their first matches of the season, both teams struggled to dominate in batting and bowling. Now, they will be eager to turn things around.
KKR holds the upper hand on paper
Both KKR and RR are yet to register a win this season, but on paper, KKR appears to have a stronger squad. Rajasthan’s stand-in captain Riyan Parag will be under pressure, as he appeared uncertain while making key decisions in the previous match. Regular captain Sanju Samson batted well as an Impact Player, keeping Rajasthan in the game, but the team failed to chase down a big target.
Varun Chakravarthy’s poor form a concern
KKR will be worried about the poor form of spinner Varun Chakravarthy. In the last match at Eden Gardens, Phil Salt and Virat Kohli scored runs easily against him. KKR will hope that Varun performs better against Rajasthan. In their previous game, KKR’s middle order collapsed after captain Ajinkya Rahane and Sunil Narine were dismissed. Venkatesh Iyer and Andre Russell also played reckless shots, and the team management will expect them to be more cautious with their shot selection.
Focus on Nortje’s fitness
KKR will closely monitor Anrich Nortje’s fitness as he is recovering from a back strain. If the South African pacer is declared fit, he might replace Spencer Johnson in the playing eleven. However, if Nortje remains unavailable, KKR is unlikely to make significant changes to their lineup.
Rajasthan’s bowling unit needs to step up
For Rajasthan to make a comeback, their bowlers must deliver a strong performance. In the previous game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, their lead pacer Jofra Archer conceded 76 runs in four overs. Fazalhaq Farooqi and Maheesh Theekshana also struggled to contain the opposition batters. All of them will have an opportunity to redeem themselves in Guwahati.
Here are the probable playing XIs for RR and KKR:
Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag (captain), Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Kolkata Knight Riders: Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Spencer Johnson/Anrich Nortje, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy.
