Quinton de Kock’s unbeaten 97 powered KKR to their first win of IPL 2025 which was praised by Rahul Dravid.
Quinton de Kock delivered a stellar performance with the bat as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) registered their first win of IPL 2025, defeating Rajasthan Royals (RR) by eight wickets in Guwahati on Wednesday night. De Kock’s unbeaten knock of 97 off 61 balls helped the defending champions chase down a modest target of 152 in just 17.3 overs.
The South African batter was in explosive form, smashing eight boundaries and six sixes. His match-winning performance earned him the player-of-the-match award.
Rahul Dravid Praises Kock
As De Kock walked back to the dressing room, Rajasthan Royals’ head coach Rahul Dravid, who is currently using crutches due to an injury sustained during a Karnataka State Cricket Association League match for Vijaya Cricket Club, patted him on the shoulder in appreciation. Watch the clip below:
De Kock, who retired from international cricket last year, appears to have settled comfortably at KKR after being released by Lucknow Super Giants.
“I love meeting new people, being in new environments. It is about finding your feet within the team. Sometimes the team accepts you later, but here with KKR they have accepted me already with open arms, so it feels good,” De Kock said during the post-match presentation.
ALSO READ | BCCI Not To Expand WPL; IPL Chairman Explains Reason
This victory marked KKR’s first win of IPL 2025 after they lost their opening game to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Meanwhile, for RR, this was their second consecutive defeat after losing to Sunrisers Hyderabad in a high-scoring contest earlier.
KKR will next face Mumbai Indians on Monday, while Rajasthan Royals will take on Chennai Super Kings in their upcoming fixture.
