Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) remain in contention for an IPL 2025 playoff spot, but their margin for error has all but disappeared. With four games left, they must win all to reach 17 points and keep their hopes alive. Two of those fixtures are at Eden Gardens, where KKR have only managed one win from four completed matches this season. Saturday’s match against Rajasthan Royals (RR) is their second-to-last at home.
To stay in the hunt, KKR will need to achieve something they haven’t managed this season—stringing together consecutive wins. Their recent victory over Delhi Capitals (DC) wasn’t flawless, but it offered encouraging signs: Rinku Singh and Andre Russell showed form, Sunil Narine picked up three crucial wickets, and the openers finally built a decent platform. For KKR, consistency from these players—and a resurgence from Venkatesh Iyer—is crucial. A defeat wouldn’t mathematically eliminate them but would put them on the brink.
Their opponents, Rajasthan Royals, have already been knocked out but could still play spoilers. After a thrilling performance by Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal against Gujarat Titans, RR were brought back to earth with a heavy 100-run loss to Mumbai Indians. With skipper Sanju Samson sidelined and pacer Sandeep Sharma out for the season, RR may struggle for motivation. However, as bowling coach Shane Bond pointed out, this phase gives fringe players a chance to impress with an eye on IPL 2026.
KKR have settled on Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sunil Narine, and Andre Russell as three of their four overseas players. The fourth slot remains in flux. With Spencer Johnson and Anrich Nortje seemingly out of favor, Rovman Powell has filled that position, albeit batting low at No. 8—where opportunities are limited.
Key Players to Watch: Venkatesh Iyer and Dhruv Jurel
Venkatesh Iyer has struggled for consistency this season. Despite several opportunities, he has scored in single digits four times in seven innings and only crossed 40 once. Compared to last season, his average has dipped from 46.3 to 20.3, and his strike rate has dropped from 159 to 139. With other batters stepping up, it’s crucial for the KKR vice-captain to find form now.
RR’s Dhruv Jurel, a promising young player, has faced challenges in his role this season. While he’s aggressive and inventive against pace—averaging 81.5 and striking at 179—he’s struggled against spin, with a strike rate of just 110. His positioning in the batting order could be due for a rethink.
Team News and Probable XIs
KKR may consider bringing in Ramandeep Singh for added batting depth, especially with Russell bowling more and only two right-handers in RR’s top five. Ajinkya Rahane, who had a bandaged hand after the DC match, is expected to be fit to play.
KKR (Probable XII):
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2. Sunil Narine, 3. Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 4. Angkrish Raghuvanshi, 5. Venkatesh Iyer, 6. Rinku Singh, 7. Andre Russell, 8. Rovman Powell/Moeen Ali, 9. Ramandeep Singh/Anukul Roy, 10. Harshit Rana, 11. Varun Chakravarthy, 12. Vaibhav Arora
For RR, Akash Madhwal is expected to retain his place in the XI following Sandeep’s injury. Left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya may be brought in to counter KKR’s line-up. Wanindu Hasaranga could return to target Russell with his googlies.
RR (Probable XII):
- Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2. Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 3. Nitish Rana, 4. Riyan Parag (capt), 5. Dhruv Jurel (wk), 6. Shimron Hetmyer, 7. Shubham Dubey, 8. Jofra Archer, 9. Maheesh Theekshana/Wanindu Hasaranga, 10. Fazalhaq Farooqi/Kwena Maphaka, 11. Akash Madhwal, 12. Yudhvir Singh/Kumar Kartikeya
