Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals, IPL, 2026 Apr 19 Full score card

SIX! Rinku Singh ends KKR's drought of wins this season. Brijesh bangs it in short and around leg, at shoulder height. Rinku gets underneath it, swivels, and pulls it extremely fine over long leg. Just enough to clear the rope for a six. With this, Rinku gets off to his FIFTY and brings his A-game when needed the most. Remember, he was dropped by Burger while batting on 8 runs, and one would now feel that was the turning point of the game. Regardless, a knock of high quality from Rinku Singh. KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS WIN BY 4 WICKETS!

Full and outside leg. Rinku swings and misses, takes it on the pad. Anukul is already charging through for a single but is sent back in a hurry. Brijesh collects in his follow-through but holds his throw. Anukul dives at the non-striker's end just in case. Dot ball.

FOUR! That is Rinku at his very best. Full and angled across outside off. Rinku drives hard on the front foot over cover, finds the middle, and it bounces through to the fence. SCORES ARE LEVEL NOW!

FOUR! Is that the game for KKR? Brijesh errs in line and length both. This is short with pace taken off, and angled onto the leg stump. Rinku Singh waits for the ball to arrive and pulls it behind square to the deep fine leg fence for a boundary.

Will Riyan Parag stick to Brijesh Sharma? He went for just 7 runs in the 18th over, and RR have 8 runs to play with. Anything more, and they will lose the game. Yes, Parag does stick to Brijesh Sharma ahead of Nandre Burger.

Excellent bit of running between the wickets! Archer fires in a full toss, almost knee-high, around off. Anukul Roy is late on the shot due to excessive pace and can only drill it in the mid off region. However, the fielders are in the deep on the off side and by the time the long off fielder could charge in, they cross over for two runs.

Just a bit of a hold up here as everyone seems to be struggling with the heat and the dew. Anukul Roy takes off his gloves as Archer brings out the towel as well.

Fires in fuller and on the off pole. Rinku Singh shovels it out toward deep point for a single only.

With long off pushed back now, this is a defensive yorker, outside off. Roy carves it to the sweeper cover for a single.

SIX! That will bring a lot more relief in that KKR dugout! Misses the yorker by just a bit, does Archer. It is full in the slot, on off. Anukul Roy gets his bat under the ball, stands firm, backs his power and muscles it over the long off fence for a cracking six. 13 needed off 9 balls now.

Attempted yorker, around off. Rinku cannot get under it cleanly and heaves it off the toe end to long on for a single.

Cannons in full and on middle, almost a yorker, at around 150 kph. Anukul Roy clears the front leg and crashes it to mid off's left, but the fielder, Riyan Parag, is quick to dive across in that direction and cuts it off nicely. One taken.

Two overs left, 21 needed for KKR. Will Jofra Archer bowl the penultimate over or will we see Nandre Burger have a go? It will be the more-experienced Archer to bowl the crucial over.

Full and straight on off. Anukul Roy carves it to the long off fielder for a single. The 50-run partnership comes up between Rinku and Anukul.

FOUR! Crucial runs for KKR! Frustration creeping in for the Royals. Short ball, on leg, Rinku backs away and looks to swat-pull. Gets a bottom edge onto his back thigh instead, and the ball deflects and beats Jurel diving to his left. Races away to the fence behind.

Nicely bowled again. Brijesh follows the batter as Rinku moves past the leg stump, and swipes it away to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Lands it short outside leg again, does Sharma. Rinku walks across the stumps and goes for the pull, catches the toe end, and it skips through to Jurel on the bounce.

WIDE! This one is clearly an extra. Over-the-head short ball, wide outside off. Rinku lets it be. Wide called.

Drama! Pitched on a length outside leg. Rinku sits down and swings across and misses. Not called a wide again. It actually passed very close to the leg stump as well.

Pitched outside leg on a good length. Rinku shuffles to the off side, and tries to glance it fine on the leg side, but misses. No wide given again and Rinku is left flummoxed by that. But they cannot review as KKR have no reviews remaining. Kumar Dharmasena cites that Rinku moved a bit too much across the stumps.

RR have used just two pacers till now. However, the third pacer, Brijesh Sharma, comes on to bowl now, for the first time in this game, against a red-hot Rinku Singh. Tough ask for Brijesh, let's see how he fares.

The Knight Riders lose a review! Slams the deck very hard at pace, short and it seemingly goes over the head height of the batter. Roy rises on the toes and tries to ramp it over short third but misses. No wide given and Anukul has challenged the on-field decision. Ball Tracking with a side on replay shows that the ball is slightly below the head height and is deemed a fair delivery. But an expensive over from RR's frontline paceman, Archer. 12 runs from it. KKR need 28 runs from the last 3 overs.

Slips in a thigh-high full toss, on the pads. Rinku whips it to the long on region for a single.

Nails the yorker in, on middle. Roy's head falls over but he manages to flick it to widish deep square leg for a single.

Drags the length back by a yard or so, around off. Rinku Singh slices it behind point for a single.

FOUR! Excellent timing and placement! Rinku is teeing off now. Archer lands it full and slow, on off, slanting back in. Rinku Singh finds the ball in his slot. Gets on the front foot and lofts it over and between mid off and extra cover for a boundary. 31 needed from 22 balls.

WIDE! Loosener again as this is pushed far down the leg stump, on a fuller length. Rinku misses the flick. Archer will have to reload this one.

FOUR! Helped on its way. Not an ideal length by Archer with short fine and even short third up in the ring. Digs in a slower bumper, on the bodyline, angling in from around the stump. Rinku Singh shuffles across, and pulls it over short fine leg for a boundary.

Pace is back on for the Royals. Jofra Archer (2-0-11-1) is back into the attack.

SIX! A massive over in the context of this game as Roy ends this with another biggie. Tossed up, full and wide outside off, Anukul Roy steps close to the pitch of the delivery and lofts this inside out over extra cover fence for a huge six. 29 runs from the last 2 overs for KKR.

Pushed through, on middle and leg, Rinku Singh flicks this through mid-wicket for a single.

Fuller, around off, Anukul Roy smashes this to sweeper cover for one.

WIDE! Flighted, wide down the leg, Roy leaves it. Wide called by the umpire.

Short and wide of off, Anukul Roy cuts this to the left of Shimron Hetmyer at sweeper cover for two.

LEG BYE! Fired into the batter, around his pads. Rinku Singh gets it brushed off the thigh pad back to the keeper. Jurel fails to gather this and ends up deflecting this to short third for a leg bye.

WIDE! Full and down the leg, Rinku Singh leaves. Wided.

SIX! Rinku's biggie brings life to this Eden Garden crowd. Tossed up, around middle and leg, Rinku Singh goes down on a knee and slog sweeps this right from the middle of his bat for a biggie towards the deep mid-wicket region. 100 COMES UP FOR KKR!

STRATEGIC BREAK! Time to exhale a bit. The Knights Riders have made a mockery of this chase so far, but they are still in it. Also, the Royals have been pretty good with the ball, whether it was the pacers up top, swinging it around, or the spinners completely choking the batters in the middle overs. With 59 needed off 30 balls, you would ideally give the chasing team the slight edge, but KKR don't have many wickets in hand. A lot rides on the shoulders of Rinku Singh at the moment. Can he pull off a heist here? Let's find out. Also, Ravi Bishnoi is back on to finish his spell.

Nerves! Tossed up, full on the leg stump. Roy goes inside out over extra cover but doesn't hit it cleanly enough. Ferreira charges in from long off, dives forward and stops it on the bounce, firing it back to Parag. Roy sets off for the second, gets halfway down, and Rinku sends him back very late. Parag collects wide of the stumps and fires at the wicket, but misses his shy at the bowling end. Seeing that, Roy scurries back for the second, and the overthrow hands them the run anyway.

Pushed through on middle and leg, Rinku Singh gets it away off the inside edge to square leg for one.

FOUR! Smashed down the ground. Tossed up, on middle and off, Rinku Singh jumps down the track and backs away a shade as well. Hits this over the bowler for a boundary down in front of the sight screen.

WIDE! Floated down the leg, Rinku Singh has a swipe at it but misses. Jurel gathers this behind the stumps, moving to his right and appeals for caught behind, but the umpire turns it down by signalling wide.

Flighted, on off, Anukul Roy drives this to long off and rotates the strike.

Under-cutter, around middle and leg. Anukul Roy tucks this straight to square leg for a dot.

Parag comes around the stumps and bowls it down the leg. Rinku paddles this to short fine leg for one.

RR to continue with spin? Yes, but Riyan Parag brings himself into the attack now to bowl a bit of off-spin, citing two left-handers at the crease.

Floated around off, Rinku Singh cuts this around that backward point region and sneaks a run.

Short and around off, Anukul Roy cuts this to backward point for a single.

Tossed up, around leg, Anukul Roy looks to tuck this around square leg but gets beaten and is hit on the front pad.

KKR staring into the abyss right now and in comes Anukul Roy at number 8.

OUT! CHOPPED ON​​​​​​! Maiden IPL wicket for Punja. Flighted, wide outside the off stump. Ramandeep Singh stretches to reach it by planting his back leg into the pitch, and looks to force the drive through cover, but gets an inside edge that rolls back onto the stumps. Yash Punja is off for a celebration as he gets his first-ever IPL scalp. Ramandeep is down on his knee, staring down at the pitch in disappointment, which pretty much sums things up for the hosts. Kolkata Knight Riders are 85/6, in the chase of 156 runs.

Googly, on off, Ramandeep Singh prods onto his front foot and keeps it out.

Flighted around middle and leg, Rinku Singh milks this to long on for one.

Quicker wrong'un around off, Rinku Singh dabs this in front of point and takes a quick single.

Pushed through, on middle and leg, Ramandeep Singh milks this through mid-wicket and rotates the strike.

Quicker one, full and on off. Ramandeep Singh pushes this off the inner half of his bat back to the bowler.

FOUR! That's a glorious hit! Flighted, around off, Ramandeep Singh gets his bodyweight shifted onto the front foot and drives this all along the ground through cover for a boundary.

Tossed up, around the pads, Rinku Singh flicks this to long on for one more.

Googly, on middle and off. Ramandeep Singh tucks this through mid-wicket for a single.

Dragged short and outside off, slapped away to deep point for a single.

Tossed up on off, blocked back to the bowler.

A full ball now, outside off and turns in as well. Singh smothers it away.

Beaten! Loopy delivery, lands it full and just outside off, Ramandeep Singh camps back to get behind the line of the ball, but it grips and just turns away, beating the outside edge.

Just short again! Short and outside the leg stump, the wrong'un turning away to finish on middle. Rinku pulls it to deep mid-wicket, but gets no timing and the ball dips on the fielder charging in off the ropes. Lands just short and is parried away for a single.

Short and wide, outside off. Ramandeep Singh rocks back and cuts it to deep backward point for a single.

Yash Punja is brought back into the attack.

DROPPED! Oh, no. Nandre Burger has put down a sitter. Jadeja bowls a wide one outside off, angling it in. Rinku Singh steps across to the off side and looks to power it across the line. He gets a top edge that goes high and comes down between the keeper and short third. The keeper runs after it, but he's more concerned with adjusting his helmet and it is Nandre Burger from short third who does get to it but just shells it. They get a single as well. Jadeja is absolutely livid with that lackadaisical effort. Could be a big moment in the game.

Play and a miss. Fired in, full and outside off, Rinku backs away to cut but the ball stays a bit low and zips past the willow.

Slightly into the pitch, on off and middle, jammed off the back foot and through wide mid-wicket for one more.

Fuller one around off, Rinku Singh brings out the reverse sweep but fails to get a decent connection and mistimes it to short third for a single.

Floated up on off, eased away through covers for a single.

Half the KKR side is back in the dugout as Ramandeep Singh walks out to replace Rovman Powell.

OUT! CAUGHT! Rovman Powell was itching to get one away, but he has ended up throwing away his wicket. Ravindra Jadeja slows it up and lobs the ball up on middle and leg, on a good length as well. Powell clears the front leg and swings across the line but gets it high on the bat. The ball sails down to long on where Donovan Ferreira takes a straightforward catch. KKR have now lost half of their side on just 70 runs.

Halfway crossed. KKR are crawling at 70/4. The Rajasthan Royals were 95/1 at the same stage.

Straighter at the stumps, fairly full, nudged around the corner on the leg side for one. KKR are 70/4 after 10 overs, chasing 156 for the win.

Nagging length, drifting away from middle and leg, Rinku pushes at it but ends up chipping it into the leg side for a single.

Bowled flatter and just outside off, Powell rocks back and cuts it off the outside edge and wide of short third for a single.

A loopy delivery, floated full and wide outside off. Rovman Powell smashes it into the turf and drives it straight to Jadeja at extra cover. Another crowd catch as Jadeja lobs the ball in the air, mimicking a celebration.

WIDE! Short and down the leg side, Powell misses the tickle and a wide is called.

Floated up around leg stump, Rinku stays on the back foot and works it between square leg and mid-wicket for a single.

Not all that short, angled across off, Singh stays low and slams the cut to the right of deep point for a brace. Good fielding in the deep from Shimron Hetmyer.

STRATEGIC BREAK! A T20 classic at Eden Gardens. Well, one who has followed the IPL since inception would get what is being said here. Not a score of 200-plus, no bowlers being carted around, just a tensed exchange between bat and ball in the run chase of a middling total, with the ball ruling the roost. KKR are in desperate search for a stable partnership and would look upon Rinku Singh and Powell to bring in the calm. Powell has had runs, but Rinku has been kept quiet so far in this season and has a golden opportunity to play the rescuer for his team. The Royals have done really well with the ball so far and would further like to press on the opposition in this middle phase. Ravi Bishnoi to bowl after the break. He replaces Yash Punja.

Just 4 off the over, another tidy one from Ravindra Jadeja. A bit more flighted, full and outside off, Powell leans on and looks to pinch a quick single by easing it in front of point but doesn't get it.

Short and a tad wide outside off, cut away to deep point for a run.

Jadeja sees Powell coming down the pitch and shortens his length. This is bowled at the batter and Powell hoicks it away past square leg for one more.

Quicker through the air, fuller as well and just outside off. Rovman Powell jams the ball back into the pitch.

Slightly into the pitch, on middle and leg, Rinku waits for it before whipping it off the pads to deep mid-wicket for one more.

Fuller one, pushed down leg, Powell lunges and flicks it across to deep square leg for a single.

Bowling change? No, Ravindra Jadeja to continue...

Googly on a length, on off at 95.6 kph, spinning in. Powell tucks it behind square leg for one.

FOUR! Runs away! Drags the length short and down leg. Rovman Powell goes on the back foot and just gets enough bat on it for the ball to race toward the deep fine leg fence.

A flighted delivery, on the stumps and this is dinked to the leg side in front of square for a single.

Fuller a touch, on off, Powell taps it into the cover-point region and despite Jadeja moving forward quickly and scoring a direct hit at the non-striker's end, Powell is quick enough to cross over for a single.

Drops it short, outside off, Rovman Powell goes for the back foot cut shot, but is beaten on the outside edge again.

BEATEN! This is mind-blowing bowling. Sharp leg break, on a length, just around off. Rovman Powell is rushed on the back foot, tries to block it in front, but plays inside the line and the ball zips past the outside edge.

Rinku Singh walks out to bat at number 6 for KKR.

OUT! LBW! Jadeja opens his account with the ball and KKR are pushed into deep waters now. Lands it on a dragged length, on middle. Raghuvanshi tries to get creative, drops to one knee for the reverse sweep. Fails to connect and wears it on the front pad. Given out on the appeal for LBW, but Angkrish Raghuvanshi has gone upstairs for a review. UltraEdge detects nothing and Ball Tracking comes up with three reds. Another underwhelming knock from Angkrish and KKR are 52/4.

Turns away on a length, on off. Angkrish Raghuvanshi gets on the back foot and lets the ball turn before easing it to point.

Full and on off, Angkrish Raghuvanshi eases it to the off side.

Tossed up full outside off at 95.1 kph. Raghuvanshi shuffles across and gets down on one knee for the sweep. Misses it completely and wears it on the front pad.

Fuller length on middle. Powell gets forward and works it to mid-wicket for a single.

Oh, falls just short! Jadeja bowls it fractionally full and gets a good bit of grip on it, on middle. Rovman Powell pushes on the back foot and chips it tamely off the leading edge back to the bowler, but despite Jadeja putting a dive forward, the ball yorks his fingers and rolls around.

Done with the Powerplay. KKR are ahead of the required rate but 3 wickets down in the first 6 overs could be a troubling sign. The next few overs will be crucial for both sides. Ravindra Jadeja is now brought into the attack.

Short and outside off, spinning away off the pitch. Powell prepares to go for the pull shot, but finds himself into an awkward position. The ball holds on and takes the bottom edge before rolling down to wide mid off for a single. KKR end their Powerplay with 51/3 on the board.

Around off and full, Powell carves it to the cover region.

SIX! Nervous start for Punja so far! Slips in a full toss, on leg. Rovman Powell needs no second invitation as he whips it ruthlessly over deep mid-wicket for a six. As clean as one can hit.

FOUR! Up and over! Pushed fuller and outside off, the googly that spins in. Rovman Powell frees his arms and slams it over the cover-point fielder for a cracking four.

Much fuller, sliding on the leg stump. Angkrish Raghuvanshi walks down a couple of steps and drives it to long on for a single.

Starts from over the stump and dishes a leg break, full and around off. Angkrish Raghuvanshi opens the bat face and runs it behind to short third.

Rajasthan Royals use their Impact Sub and bring on Yash Punja in place of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Punja, the debutant, will have a bowl straightaway here.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is substituted by Yash Punja

A flatter wrong'un now, turns back into the pads. Angkrish Raghuvanshi presses back and dabs it across through mid-wicket for one. 8 runs and a wicket off the over.

A big wrong'un, pushed in from well outside off, Raghuvanshi stays back to defend.

Crashed through the off side but it is well stopped. Floated up, full and wide outside off, Rovman Powell powers the cover drive but the fielder at cover makes a good half stop down to his right. A single is taken.

The next batter is Rovman Powell and KKR are in need of a partnership here.

OUT! STUMPED! How good is that from Jurel? Such acrobatic stuff and a sharp presence of mind behind the stumps. Bishnoi spots Green charging and fires a googly down leg. It pitches and spins further down. Jurel is blinded momentarily by the batter, but he dives left, collects cleanly and fires a one-handed underflick back to the stumps at the striker's end. Green is well down the track and has no way back. The third umpire confirms that Green is out by a country mile. That's a wide, but more importantly, the Royals get the big wicket of Green who was just about to launch. KKR go further down in the hole. The hosts are 37/3, chasing 156.

Has Dhruv Jurel pulled off a stunning stumping here? Cameron Green is already walking off the field but the umpires have gone upstairs. Replays suggest that Jurel has indeed managed to pull it off. OUT.

Slows it up, on a length, on off. Green blocks it off the back foot to the bowler.

FOUR! Off the edge. Good length outside off. Green throws his hands at it, catches the cue end, and it runs away past short third for four.

Drag-downer to start, on leg. Angkrish runs it down to long on for a single.

Time for a bowling change? Yes. Ravi Bishnoi comes on to replace Jofra Archer.

Burger goes short again, into the batter. Cameron Green stays deep inside the crease and pulls this behind square on leg. Three fielders converge to catch this but neither gets anywhere close. Donovan Ferreira gathers this on the bounce and throws it back to the keeper. A couple taken.

SIX! Now this is more like Green. Overpitched, on middle and off, Cameron Green settles well behind the line of it and slogs this over the fence towards deep mid-wicket region for a huge six.

Around that good length region, on off and going across the batter. Cameron Green looks to go big and has a swing at it but gets beaten.

Nandre hits the back of a length again, around off, Angkrish Raghuvanshi pats this in front of Yashasvi Jaiswal at covers and rotates the strike.

Hard length, on off, Angkrish Raghuvanshi hits this flat to the left of extra cover for no run.

Back of a length, around off, angling across the batter. Cameron Green guides this to the third man region one.

Jofra hits the deck hard again, around off. Angkrish Raghuvanshi gets up on his toes and blocks this out.

Back of a length, around off, Cameron Green pats this to covers for a strike rotation.

Short and around off, Cameron Green blocks this out.

That's a missile from Archer! This is some red-ball stuff by Jofra. Hard length, right in the channel, around off, shaping away from the batter after pitching. Cameron Green has no answer to it as he looks to punch this down the ground but gets beaten on the outside edge.

FOUR! Green is dealing in boundaries as he hits his third already. Good length, around middle and leg, Cameron Green steps inside and just flicks this through the right of short fine leg for a boundary more to his name.

Back of a length, around off, Angkrish Raghuvanshi plays this late and opens his bat face to guide this to the third man region for a run.

FOUR! JUST WOW! Nandre bowls it back of a length, around off, Cameron Green plants his back foot deep inside the crease, leans low and cuts this past the right of Ravindra Jadeja at point this time for four more runs.

FOUR! Not a good idea to bowl short to Green. Short and around off, Cameron Green gets up on his toes, stays on his back foot and punches this through the backward point region for four runs.

Nearly the third success for RR. Short and around off, Angkrish Raghuvanshi hops up on his toes and looks to punch this off his back foot. Gets it edged off the inside and the ball rolls to backward square leg for one.

On a length, around off, shaping away from the batter. Cameron Green gets it worked through covers for a single.

Both frontline pacers get a wicket in their first overs and KKR are rocked here as Cameron Green walks out to bat next. It seems like his bat has failed the gauge test. The 12th man comes on to switch the willow as Green patiently waits. Green selects one that looks the least bulky, it seems and this one does pass the umpire's test. We are good to continue.

OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! RR are off to a sensational start with the ball once again. Slightly back of a length, around off, angling away from the right-hander. Ajinkya Rahane presses on the back foot and looks to play the square cut but manages only an outside edge that's gathered well behind the stumps by Dhruv Jurel. A golden duck in the previous game and Rahane goes for a silver duck this time around. Kolkata Knight Riders are 5 for 2 after 1.2.

Hard length, on top of middle and off. Ajinkya Rahane blocks this off his back foot to mid-wicket.

Nandre Burger to share the new ball with Jofra Archer.

FOUR! A boundary to end the over and Archer can't quite close out the over well, but it's still very good. Back of a length, around off, Angkrish Raghuvanshi hops up on his toes and punches this through the right of Ravindra Jadeja at point for a boundary.

A fine over from Jofra thus far, can he close it out well?

WIDE! Jofra errs in line and bowls this wide down the leg. Angkrish Raghuvanshi has a flick at it but misses out. Wided.

Hard length, around off, Angkrish Raghuvanshi cuts this to point for another dot.

Bumper, well-directed, around middle and leg. Angkrish Raghuvanshi looks to play the hook but gets beaten. An appeal from the RR players for caught behind but the umpire turns it down. RR decide not to send this upstairs.

Good length, around off, Angkrish Raghuvanshi has a flash at it but the ball shapes back in and beats the inside edge.

Is this two in two or a crowd catch? Full and wide around off, Angkrish Raghuvanshi gets low and bumps this to Ravindra Jadeja at point. An appeal for a catch by Jadeja and the umpires sends this upstairs. The replay shows that the ball has bounced after hitting the bat of Angkrish Raghuvanshi.

Chasing your first win, the bowlers set up the game nicely and then you lose a wicket on the very first ball of the chase, and KKR simply cannot catch a break. Angkrish Raghuvanshi now walks out to bat.

OUT! BOWLED'EM! Another first-ball wicket for Jofra Archer as Kolkata Knight Riders are rocked early. On a length, around off, shaping back into the batter. Tim Seifert looks to flick this but gets a bit late and is beaten by the inswing as well. The ball deflects off the back pad of Tim and breaks the off stump.

OUT! JOFRA IS RUN OUT! Back of a length, around middle and off, Jofra Archer shuffles across and looks to scoop but misses. Tim Seifert gathers this and throws this towards the bowler as the batters run for a bye. Vaibhav fumbles at first and Jofra turns for the second. Vaibhav Arora picks it up and throws it back to the keeper. Tim Seifert gathers this well and dislodges the stumps at the striker's end with Jofra well short of his crease. This is checked upstairs and the ball appears to be in Tim's gloves as he removes the stumps with the batter far away. A bye and a wicket to close the innings. Rajasthan Royals end with 155 for 9.

Is Archer run out at the striker's end? Looks highly likely and there is an umpire's review to confirm that. Yes, he is nowhere in the frame when the stumps are broken by Seifert. OUT loads on the giant screen.

FOUR! Short-pitched delivery, around middle and leg, Jofra Archer hits this to the left of Kartik Tyagi at fine leg and adds four more to the total. Tyagi was looking to field this but fails to flick it back inside the playing area.

On a length, down the leg, Brijesh Sharma flicks this to Kartik Tyagi at fine leg for one. 150 UP FOR RAJASTHAN ROYALS!

Short and wide of off, Brijesh Sharma swings all over it but fails to get bat on ball.

Yorker, right in the blockhole, on middle and leg. Jofra Archer tucks this away towards deep square leg and takes a run.

Slower one, into the deck, around middle and leg. Jofra Archer pulls this on the swivel and hits this in the gap between long on and deep mid-wicket for two.

Last over coming up. Vaibhav Arora (3-0-29-0) will bowl it. Can RR go past the 160 mark? Archer would like to face all the balls remaining for that.

Full toss, around off, Brijesh Sharma guides this straight to backward point for a dot.

Brijesh Sharma is in at number 10. What an over this has been from Kartik.

OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Kartik Tyagi has three in an over. Full and wide of off, Ravi Bishnoi stays leg side to the pitch of it and looks to guide this to the third man region by opening the face of his bat. Ends up edging this back into the hands of Tim Seifert behind the stumps.

Short and wide of off, Ravi has a go at it but gets beaten on the outside.

Another one bites the dust. Ravi Bishnoi walks in next at number 9.

OUT! CAUGHT! Second success for Kartik in this over. A below the knee full toss, on leg. Shimron Hetmyer looks to flick this towards the square leg region but gets a leading edge that hangs over Angkrish Raghuvanshi at deep backward point, who makes no mistake and holds onto it. Hetmyer doesn't want to leave and wants a No Ball call for height but he isn't going to get it.

Jofra hits this length delivery from Kartik a bit too well as he smashes the stumps on the other end. The ball deflects off the stumps and rolls to long on with the batters crossing for a run. A quick check to see if the ball had clipped the hands of Kartik on its way to the stumps and the umpires deem that there wasn't any contact by Kartik.

WIDE! Good length, way too wide outside the tramline on off. Jofra Archer has a swipe at it but misses. Wided.

It continues to spiral down for the Royals. Jofra Archer is in the new batter in. He is no mug with the bat.

OUT! CAUGHT! Jadeja finds the safest pair of hands and has to walk back. Short and around middle and off, Ravindra Jadeja intentionally plays this behind square on leg but ends up finding Cameron Green at deep backward square leg. Green runs to his left and takes a good diving catch to his left.

Who bowls the 19? Kartik Tyagi, it shall be. Been pretty impressive with figures of 3-0-20-0 so far.

Full and wide of off, Ravindra Jadeja guides this to deep third for a single.

DROPPED! The field was set for this ball only but Vaibhav Arora has let Ramandeep Singh down by dropping a sitter. A well-directed bumper, on middle and leg, Shimron Hetmyer goes for a pull but mishits it and top-edges this around backward square leg, where Vaibhav Arora was stationed. Vaibhav tracks back and fails to settle himself under it. Vaibhav ends up dropping it and the batters get another single.

Short and wide of off, Ravindra Jadeja goes for the pull but doesn't hit this well and ends up pulling this from the bottom half of his bat. This was within catching distance of Anukul Roy at deep mid-wicket but he fails to pick it up and fields this on the bounce as the batters pick up a single.

WIDE! Jadeja's movement across the stumps is playing on the mind of Ramandeep as he once again bowls it full and way too wide outside the tramline on off.

WIDE! Full and a bit too wide outside off. Ravindra Jadeja looks to get bat on ball but misses and the umpire calls it a wide.

FOUR! This has been played really well by Jadeja. Short-pitched, wide of off, Ravindra Jadeja was expecting it as he shuffled early across the stumps. Jadeja pulls this in the gap between deep mid-wicket and deep square leg for four runs here.

On a length, wide of off, Ravindra Jadeja steps across, collapses his back knee and sweeps this to the left of deep mid-wicket for a couple.

Good length, around middle and leg, Shimron Hetmyer tucks this through mid-wicket for a single.

3 overs left. This is interesting. Ramandeep Singh is called into the attack. Went for 14 in his first over.

Yorker, around the pads, Shimron Hetmyer milks this through mid-wicket and takes one.

Top effort by Green! Saves a certain boundary there in the deep. Uses his huge wingspan to good effect. Full toss on middle. Hetmyer heaves it from the inside half, hitting it hard to the right of deep square leg. Green runs across, dives full length to his right, stops it with one hand. Saves two for his side.

WIDE! Slower one, bumper, a bit too high on off. Shimron Hetmyer leaves it all alone. Wided.

Back of a length, around middle and off. Ravindra Jadeja gets up on his toes and dabs this in front of covers for a single.

Short and wide of off, Ravindra Jadeja stays inside the crease and looks to slash hard at it but misses out.

Low full toss, around the pads, Shimron Hetmyer flicks this to fine leg and rotates the strike.

Short-pitched, around middle and off, Shimron Hetmyer pulls this in front of square on leg towards deep mid-wicket for a couple.

OUT! CAUGHT AND BOWLED! As easy as you like from Sunil Narine. Narine slows it up and floats it full onto off and middle. Donovan Ferreira leans on a bit and looks to clip it away. The ball does drift away a bit as it is the carrom ball, and holds in the deck and Ferreira ends up closing the bat face early. The leading edge is found and the ball goes straight back to the bowler and Narine takes a simple return catch. Also, Ravindra Jadeja walks out to bat next.

Bowled flatter and outside off, pushed down towards cover-point.

SIX! Finally, Ferreira has had enough. Tossed up on off, this one drifts in and Donovan Ferreira picks the bones out of it as he whacks it wide of long on for a huge six.

This time it goes the other way. Floated up on off, a bit fuller and this one turns back in. Donovan Ferreira looks to play with a straight bat but gets an inside edge onto the pads.

Oh, even better. Flighted on off, this one turns away with sharp bounce, and Donovan Ferreira is left baffled.

Beauty! Fullish length outside off, drifts away late from the right-hander. Donovan Ferreira looks to drive but is well beaten.

Narine to bowl out now. He has been fantastic so far with figures of 3-0-20-1. Varun Chakaravarthy is off the field and KKR have decided to use their Impact Sub option. OUT - Varun Chakaravarthy | IN - Angkrish Raghuvanshi.

Varun Chakaravarthy is substituted by Angkrish Raghuvanshi

Tossed up on off, drifting in towards middle stump. Hetmyer blocks it down the leg. End of a fine spell from Varun Chakaravarthy, and his figures read - 4-0-14-3.

Fullish length on off, drifted in. Donovan Ferreira flicks it past square leg and picks up a single.

Half-centurion from the previous game, Donovan Ferreira walks out next.

A three-wicket haul for Varun Chakaravarthy. That break has really helped him to get back into the rhythm.

OUT! BOWLED'EM! A big wrong'un from Varun Chakaravarthy, he lands it fuller and outside the off stump. Riyan Parag takes a step across to the off side and clears the front leg to smoke it over mid-wicket. However, he misses it completely and the ball goes on to rattle the furniture behind. Another meek outing for the RR captain and the Royals slip further to 117/4.

FOUR! Not quite where Parag intended that to go. Flatter one on off, Riyan Parag brings out the reverse sweep but gets a top edge that flies down to the vacant deep third fence and very fine as well for a boundary.

Half a shout for LBW, turned down. Interestingly, Varun Chakaravarthy seems positive and Ajinkya Rahane does take the review. It is the googly from Varun, bowled on a nagging length and angled into the batter. Riyan Parag misses the swipe across the line and gets hit on the pads. No bat involved and Ball Tracking shows that the ball is missing leg stump by a mile. KKR burn a review as it stays Not Out.

Good length around off, pushed through quicker, Parag is late to push at it and chops it just past the off stump.

Rovman Powell is a lucky fielder, as the ball just runs out of energy to let him off the hook. Full toss on middle, heaved away wide of long on. Powell sprints to his left but fumbles the ball, which just stops before reaching the ropes and Powell tidies up. Two taken.

Oh, another well-disguised slower ball. Dug in short and this one cuts across the left-hander. Hetmyer is taken aback as he sets up to pull and gets it off the cue end of the bat to the left of the keeper.

A slower bumper, on off, comes in around shoulder height. Riyan Parag rolls the wrists nicely and stabs the pull through square leg, picking up another single. Nelson on the board for the Royals now.

Fuller in length, around the fifth stump line, Parag gets halfway forward and drives it just to the left of the cover fielder, who makes the stop.

Hammered into the pitch, a touch short and over 145 kph, Hetmyer looks to whip it over short fine, but misses. The ball thuds into the thigh pad and rolls away behind square leg for a leg bye.

Just back of a length, on off, moves away a bit at 144.2 kph. Hetmyer gets behind the line of the ball and plays it down the pitch.

STRATEGIC BREAK. KKR are really squeezing the life out of this middle period for RR. Going from over 10 runs an over to under 7 during those spin overs is a massive shift in momentum. It’s a classic KKR tactic, using the mystery and squeeze of their spinners to force RR into taking bigger risks in the death overs. Varun Chakaravarthy has finally woken up for the Knights and the side would be hoping that this is what will turn their fortune around. Rajasthan Royals need their skipper, Riyan Parag, to bat deep from here on, and Shimron Hetmyer, along with the rest, to follow, with Hetmyer looking to do the bulk of the range-hitting. Back with pace as Kartik Tyagi returns into the attack, replacing Sunil Narine.

Hetmyer wants two, but Rinku Singh is just too quick. Dragged length, on middle and leg, Hetmyer stays back and nudges it away in front of square leg for a single.

Hit away hard but straight to the fielder. Quick and short, outside off, Parag rocks back and smacks it down to deep point for one more.

Good length, outside off, Shimron Hetmyer leans onto the back foot and swats it down to long on for just a single.

Shortish length on off, darted in, Hetmyer presses back to defend.

Nagging length around off, this one holds the line, Parag clips it across to deep mid-wicket and turns the strike over.

Pushed through flatter outside off, spins in, Hetmyer stays back and jabs it out past point for a single.

Will the Knight Riders try to go for the jugular by giving Varun Chakaravarthy a third over on the trot? Yes, indeed.

Another short ball, outside off. Riyan Parag plays off the back foot and punches it between long off and deep extra cover for a couple of runs.

Dropped short, on off, Shimron Hetmyer hangs deep and punches it wide of long off for a single.

On a length at the stumps, this is tucked off the back foot to long on for a single.

Fuller and on off, Shimron Hetmyer lets the ball to turn and cuts it to deep point for a single. 100 UP FOR RR!

The KKR spinners are having a feast now. Shimron Hetmyer walks out to bat and Royals have two new batters at the crease right now.

OUT! HIT FLAT AND CAUGHT! Narine fishes out Jaiswal and this is a huge moment in the game. Narine dangles up the carrot and offers a good bit of flight around the off stump, on a fuller length. It is the off break and Yashasvi Jaiswal sees a bit of width, presses in front to crash that over cover, but ends up hitting it too hard and early, off the toe end. It goes flatly to Ajinkya Rahane at extra cover, who takes a good, sharp catch to his right. 81/0 becomes 99/3 for the Rajasthan Royals.

Much fuller, just outside off. Riyan Parag smothers it to the point region and they cross over.

Sunil Narine is back on, replacing Ramandeep Singh.

Short and on off, Parag goes deep in the crease and punches it to long on for a run. A very successful over for KKR. A wicket and just 3 runs from it.

Off break, short and on middle. Blocked onto the pitch.

Full length ball, turning into the middle stump line. Parag nudges it to short mid-wicket.

A couple of quick wickets for the Knight Riders. This brings in the Royals' skipper, Riyan Parag, to bat.

OUT! STUMPED! KKR gradually clawing their way back in the middle phase as Varun has two to his name. Good piece of glove work by Seifert. Full and around off. Jurel attempts the reverse sweep, loses his balance and topples over. Seifert is quick to gather and whips the bails off and is confident that Jurel is out of the crease. The umpires send it for a review. The replay confirms that Jurel is out by a fair margin. Rajasthan Royals are 97/2.

Is that stumped? Tim Seifert seems confident and the third umpire is called in. The replays clearly indicate that Jurel's back leg is outside the popping crease. OUT comes up on the big screen.

Flatter ball, full and on middle and leg. Jaiswal sweeps it to deep square leg for a single.

Pushed fuller and on off. Dhruv Jurel presses ahead and eases it into the point region for a quick single.

Halfway mark in the first innings. The Royals have set a solid platform and will look to cash in now. KKR, on the other hand, will try to pull things back in this middle phase.

Slower delivery, on a length, on off. Jurel hangs back and tucks it through mid-wicket for a single.

Slower dipping full ball, around off, Jaiswal smashes it down to long off for a run.

WIDE! Short and way too wide outside off. Jaiswal leaves.

SIX! Innovative and mighty effective! Full from Tyagi, on the off pole. Yashasvi Jaiswal shuffles across the stumps, gets low and scoops it aerially behind. Gets a good piece of wood on it and it clears the fence behind the stumps towards fine leg for half a dozen runs. Despite falling over on the pitch, Jaiswal manages to stay in control of the shot.

WIDE! Too full and too wide outside off. Jaiswal leaves it alone. Wide called.

Fuller one, around off, nipping away slightly. Dhruv Jurel gets on the front foot and laces it down to long off for a single.

Top effort from Tyagi! Short and angled into the body at 124 kph. Jurel swivels and controls the pull, working it behind square on the leg side for a couple to get off the mark. Tyagi does well running to his right from deep square leg, sliding near the rope and flicking it back into play. The TV umpire has a look to see whether he had any body part or his left boot is in contact with the cushions, while holding the ball. But after checking a few replays, it is deemed a clean save. Two taken.

Short and outside the off stump. Jaiswal waits for the slower one and rolls his wrists as he pulls it to deep square leg for a single.

A length ball, on the stumps, tucked to the mid-wicket region.

Tossed up around off, Dhruv defends it on the off side.

The opening stand is broken and will we see a promotion for one of the pinch hitters? Business as usual for RR as Dhruv Jurel walks in next.

OUT! IN THE AIR AND GONE! Another breezy knock from Sooryavanshi, but he misses out on his half century by a whisker. And that's 200 T20 wickets for Varun Chakaravarthy as well, according to the on-air commentators. Dishes out a googly at 97.8 kph, full on middle. Sooryavanshi crouches and swings hard across the line, looking to go against the spin. Loses shape completely, gets a thick top edge, and it balloons high towards deep mid-wicket where it is taken by Ramandeep Singh. The ball was swirling in the air and despite tumbling to his left, Singh manages to cling on to it. Rajasthan Royals are 81/1.

A slight appeal for LBW, but the umpire is unmoved. Googly at 95.5 kph, full and down leg. Jaiswal shapes for the reverse sweep, fails to connect, and takes one on the pads. The ball rolls away to short fine, a leg bye taken. KKR don't review.

Another googly, on a length outside off. 93.7 kph. Jaiswal looks to force it through the off side off the back foot but is beaten on the outside edge.

A googly to begin with, on off, Vaibhav heaves it to long on's left for a single.

Pitched up, around off, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi drives this to sweeper cover for a run to end this over.

Short and wide of off, Yashasvi Jaiswal gets right on top of the bounce and punches this to deep point for a single.

Good length on middle and leg, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi tucks this to the left of long on for one. Rovman Powell puts in a good effort gliding to his left to keep it down to one.

FOUR! A teaser for Rinku Singh in the deep and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi benefits from it. Full and wide of off, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stays on his back foot and slices this towards the deep point region. The ball is within catching distance to Rinku Singh as he runs in from the fence and puts in a dive, but fails to either gather it or field and has to pick it up from over the fence.

Hard length from Tyagi, around middle and off. Yashasvi Jaiswal pats this in front of mid off and they cross over for a single.

On a length, around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal looks to drive this on the up but misses out completely and the ball bounces just in front of Tim Seifert behind the stumps.

The run rate is just above 10s an over now for the Royals. Kartik Tyagi replaces Cameron Green. 1-0-9-0 so far.

Narine cramps Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as he bowls this a tad fuller and around middle and leg. VS punches this back to the bowler.

Length dragged back by Narine, around off. Yashasvi Jaiswal punches this through the covers for one run.

Tossed up, on middle and leg, Yashasvi nudges this through square leg for a brace.

FOUR! Hammered away in the gap for four. Flighted, around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal prods in front, gets right on top of the bounce and drives this to the left of sweeper cover for a boundary.

Tossed up, around leg. Yashasvi Jaiswal presses in front to flick this away but misses and gets hit on the front pad.

Short of a length, around off, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi hits this through mid-wicket and rotates the strike.

STRATEGIC BREAK. First 3 overs, 20 runs, no wicket, and then, 43 runs came in the next three overs of the Powerplay. The Royals have made a good leap and have all the momentum with them right now. KKR needs a breakthrough somehow to stop them from motoring away. They haven't been effective in the first six overs this season, and although they started well this afternoon, the end result remains the same. Let's see if they can bring in some control as the field spreads. Sunil Narine to continue after the break.

Short and around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal looks to cut this off his back foot but misses out. Finally, the 10-ball over comes to an end from Cameron Green.

WIDE! Fourth wide from Green in this over as he bowls this full and wide outside the off stump.

FOUR! Innovative from Yashasvi. Full and wide outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal shuffles a long way across looking for a ramp at first but once the ball was bowled a bit close to him, Jaiswal changes his mind and scoops this over the fielder at short third for a boundary.

Back of a length, around off, Sooryavanshi cuts this a bit uppish but on the half-volley to the right of Vaibhav Arora at point and rotates the strike.

WIDE! Green comes over the stumps and bowls it wide outside the off stump again. Vaibhav leaves it and the umpire calls it a wide yet again.

WIDE! Another one that goes wide outside the tramline on off. Called wide again.

SIX! Vaibhav Sooryavanshi goes big again. Pitched up, around middle and off, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stays deep inside the crease and gets right underneath it before clubbing this onto the boundary cushion at the long on region for a biggie. The on-field umpire wants to have a look whether it landed on the cushions on the full and it is confirmed that it's a six through the replay.

Wide yorker, around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal guides this to the short third fielder and takes a quick single. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi would have been in real trouble had the ball hit the stumps at the striker's end with the throw coming in from the fielder. A bit lethargic there, Sooryavanshi. Vaibhav was charging across the crease at an angle when the direct hit attempt whistled past. Had the throw been on target, he was gone for all money.

WIDE! Full toss landing outside the tramline around off. Yashasvi Jaiswal doesn't offer any stroke at it.

SIX! Dispatched from the get-go. Green bowls a short-pitched delivery, around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal picks the length early, settles himself deep inside the crease and pulls this out of the park towards the deep mid-wicket region.

As frugal as ever, Narine. Change of ends for Cameron Green (1-0-5-0). He replaces Vaibhav Arora.

Quicker one, into the sticks, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi backs away a shade and thumps this to covers for a dot. Just one scoring stroke off this over, which was a biggie.

Flicker this time, on middle and leg. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi pushes this straight back to Narine.

Narine drags the length back, around off, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gets onto his back foot and cuts this square but straight to point.

Quicker one, around off, Vaibhav once again goes for a big slog over mid-wicket but gets beaten this time.

SIX! Up and over for a biggie. Floated full, around middle and leg, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi clears his front foot and plants it towards the leg side and slogs this over the fence to the left of deep mid-wicket for a biggie.

A lot fuller, around off, going across the batter. Vaibhav strides onto his front foot and looks to go for a push towards the off side but gets beaten on the outside edge.

How far is Narine from rolling his arm over? Talk about him and he's here. Sunil Narine replaces Cameron Green.

Back of a length, around off, punched down towards cover for one.

FOUR! Cleverly done, 14 off the over already. Too short, on leg and angling across. Sooryavanshi has the smarts to sway out of the line and gets low to ramp it down to the vacant deep third fence for another boundary.

That's well fielded by Anukul Roy. Fractionally short again, not all that wide, cut away down into the turf and to the right of backward point, where Roy makes a half stop. The batters get a single.

Arora keeps the length short but shifts the line towards middle and leg, Sooryavanshi nudges it across to mid-wicket and picks up a single.

FOUR! That's gone through as well. Shortish length, outside off, Sooryavanshi looks to play a controlled cut but does so uppishly and down past the left of the backward point fielder for four more runs.

FOUR! That's flown away to the fence. Short and wide outside off, Sooryavanshi frees his arms and smashes it wide to the left of the deep backward point fielder and picks up a boundary.

3 overs, 20 runs with this opening pair in the middle. KKR would take that. But they will look to break this stand as quickly as possible before any one of these two breaks free. Vaibhav Arora is back on, replacing Kartik Tyagi.

Pitched up even fuller and just outside off, Jaiswal plays a punchy drive but straight to cover. Four dots in a row to close out the over.

Fuller this time, closer to the off stump, Yashasvi Jaiswal looks to drive on the up but gets an inside edge back onto the pads.

Slower one, into the pitch and outside off, Jaiswal looks to cut but ends up jammig it back into the turf.

Good stop. Full and angled into the pads, flicked away towards square leg for a dot ball.

FOUR! Oh, that's nicely played. Shorter now, angled back in from outside off, Jaiswal leans back and lets the ball come on before ramping it down to deep third for a boundary.

Back of a length and outside off, bashed into the pitch, Sooryavanshi hangs back and taps it through the short third region for a run.

Cameron Green replaces Vaibhav Arora. Didn't bowl in the previous game.

On a good length, at 146.8 kph and just too straight in line. Sooryavanshi works it off the pads and to deep mid-wicket for a single. Steady start for the Royals, 15/0 after 2.

Keeps the line around leg and bowls it on a hard length at 140.1 kph, Sooryavanshi looks to turn it away but ends up getting it off the handle of the blade and back onto the pitch.

Tyagi hits the length hard and bowls it on leg, Sooryavanshi tucks it down to mid-wicket.

FOUR! Oh, that's frustrating for the bowler as the slip just moved out before this delivery. Pitched up in the channel, shaping away, Sooryavanshi leans on to stroke it on the up but gets an outside edge that goes through the vacant slip cordon and into the deep third fence.

Dug in shorter now, on off, Sooryavanshi leaps up with the bounce and keeps it down into the off side.

FOUR! Nicely timed. A full ball on leg stump, shapes in, Sooryavanshi keeps his shape well and just clips it across through mid-wicket for a boundary.

Just 6 runs off the first over from Vaibhav Arora. Will we see spin from the other end with two left-handers batting at the crease? No, we won't as ex-RR player, Kartik Tyagi, marks his run-up to bowl from the other end.

Tidy first over from Vaibhav Arora, just 6 off it. Fullish length, pushed across middle and leg, Jaiswal stays back to defend it off.

On a good length, angled across from around middle stump. Jaiswal waits back and plays it late, dabbing it down to short third.

FOUR! Hammered away. Marginally short but way too wide of the off stump, Jaiswal throws his hands at it and smacks it past point for the first boundary of the game.

Top delivery! Good-length delivery, on off and middle, this one skips through with good bounce and holds its line as well. Jaiswal is beaten on the inside edge as he looks to drive.

Tap and run, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is off the mark as well. Back of a length again, on off, Sooryavanshi dabs it gently into the off side and jogs across for an easy single.

Off the mark straightaway. Arora begins with a back-of-a-length delivery, angling it across the batter. Yashasvi Jaiswal hangs back and taps it behind point for a single.

The focus now shifts to the contest between the bat and ball. The umpires are making their way out in the middle, followed by the home side, KKR, whose players are taking their respective field positions. The dynamic duo of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi strides out to open for the team in Pink. It will be Vaibhav Arora to open the bowling attack for the home side.

Young RR batter, Lhuan-dre Pretorius - Lhuan-dre describes his IPL debut in Hyderabad as an amazing experience, even though the result didn't go in his team’s favor. He adds that the lessons learned from playing in front of a packed crowd. Pretorius notes that they have been focused on managing workloads and training through intense heat while using the downtime to gel and build strong relationships during this break. On their previous loss to SRH, Pretorius insists the team isn't overanalyzing the defeat, choosing instead to move forward without dwelling on the past.

KKR spinner, Varun Chakaravarthy - Varun says that he is feeling confident after the last game and he was on and off in the previous games due to some niggles, which are still prevalent. Adds that the support staff have kept the spirits up and it is now up to them to control the controllabes and they are putting in the hard yards and feels that this is one of the best KKR set-ups he has been a part of. Mentions that they are lacking a bit in the Powerplay, both with bat and ball and will look to correct that.

Rahane focuses on freedom - Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane says that he intended to bat first to encourage his players to compete with freedom despite their difficult position in the standings. Rahane adds that the team is doing well with the ball and has shown improvements in the middle and death overs. Ajinkya says that he has asked his squad to avoid overthinking past losses or future outcomes, creating a positive mindset and a commitment to staying in the moment. Rahane confirms that KKR is fielding an unchanged side for this encounter.

Skipper of Rajasthan Royals - Riyan Parag says that they will bat first because it looks like a dry wicket to him and feels that there will be more turn in the second innings. On falling short last year at this venue, Parag says that the opposition spinners got a lot of turn and will try to counter that. Adds that they have had a bit of rest and informs that Shimron Hetmyer is back and there's another change in the team as well

Impact players for Kolkata Knight Riders - Manish Pandey, Finn Allen, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Tejasvi Singh, Navdeep Saini.

Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI) - Ajinkya Rahane (C), Tim Seifert (WK), Cameron Green, Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Varun Chakaravarthy.

Impact players for Rajasthan Royals - Shubham Dubey, Sandeep Sharma, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Ravi Singh, Yash Punja.

Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI) - Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Riyan Parag (C), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi.

TOSS - Both skippers could be seen next to the pitch. KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane prepares to toss the coin as RR skipper Riyan Parag waits to make the call. Tails is the call from Parag and it lands as Tails. Rajasthan Royals have elected to BAT first .

PITCH REPORT - Ian Bishop is pitchside. He starts by saying that it feels a lot warmer than it actually is. Talks about the dimensions and says that the square boundary to his right is just 58 meters, but on the other side, it is significantly bigger at 70 meters, and it is 74 meters down the ground. Katie Martyn joins him and says that the surface has a nice green tinge to it but the grass has been shaved down a bit. It looks like a belter of a pitch.

Where the match could be decided - This afternoon's fixture at Eden Gardens could likely be won or lost in the Powerplay. If KKR’s new-ball bowlers can finally find early breakthroughs against RR's formidable top order, they might just stifle the Royals' momentum. Conversely, if Ravi Bishnoi and Ravindra Jadeja can exploit the middle-over vulnerabilities of a low-on-confidence KKR batting line-up, RR could breeze to another victory. Will the Knights rise to claim their first points of the season, or will RR find their mojo back again? Let's find out. Stay tuned for toss and team news...

Rajasthan’s bounce-back mission - Until very recently, the Rajasthan Royals appeared nearly invincible, stringing together four consecutive victories. However, they were jolted in their last contest against Sunrisers Hyderabad, where they were completely outplayed in a 57-run defeat. That match saw a rare and disastrous top-order collapse, with RR losing five wickets for just nine runs while chasing a massive 217. To regain their momentum, the Royals will look to their prolific openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal and the young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, to re-establish the platform that defined their early-season success. They will also focus on tightening their death bowling, as veterans like Sandeep Sharma have proved expensive in recent spells. The way Donovan Ferreira batted in the losing cause will also put the Rajasthan Royals in a selection dilemma, as his ball-striking was second to none. With him coming into that game in place of Shimron Hetmyer, who was rested, it will give the RR coaching staff a good headache. 

The path to two points - To find their first win, KKR must address a million-dollar problem and a misfiring bowling unit. The team's Powerplay bowling average and economy rate are currently the worst in the league, frequently allowing opponents to get off to flying starts. A major boost arrives with the long-awaited availability of Matheesha Pathirana, whose arrival from Sri Lanka could finally provide the death-overs expertise they have lacked. Correcting their tactical instability is also paramount. Rahane also needs to improve his intent at the top, allowing the middle order to stabilize rather than suffering through constant shuffling.

Kolkata’s search for identity and a maiden win - KKR’s 2026 campaign has been defined by a lack of cohesion and role clarity that has seen them fall short in almost every outing. Despite possessing a roster with high-profile names like Cameron Green, Sunil Narine, Finn Allen, and Rinku Singh, the team has failed to find a settled combination. Their journey so far has been a sequence of missed opportunities, including a 32-run loss to CSK and a five-wicket defeat against the Gujarat Titans. Young batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi has shown glimpses of form. Still, the expensive acquisition Cameron Green has struggled significantly with both bat and ball, averaging just 27 with the bat across his first six innings.

A clash of contrasting fortunes - Hello and welcome to the fans of this beautiful game. As the tournament approaches its mid-way point, the points table presents a stark divide between these two former champions. Rajasthan Royals currently sit comfortably in the upper echelon, holding the third spot with four wins from their first five matches. In contrast, the Kolkata Knight Riders are languishing at the very bottom of the standings in 10th place. KKR has endured an uncharacteristically poor start, remaining winless after six games with their only point coming from a washout against the Punjab Kings. For Rajasthan, this is an opportunity to solidify their Top-4 standing, while for Kolkata, it has become a desperate battle for survival and pride on their home turf.

... MATCHDAY ...

A clash of opposites - The Eden Gardens plays host to Match 28 of the 2026 Indian Premier League, where the Kolkata Knight Riders square off against the Rajasthan Royals. The Royals have been the early pace-setters this season, while the Knight Riders find themselves languishing at the bottom of the standings. A season yet to take off - When you hit rock bottom, the only way is up, and that has to be the mantra for the Kolkata Knight Riders. It has been 6 games without a win, with just a solitary point coming via a washout. After the defeat to the Titans, Ajinkya Rahane said he wants to focus on the positives, and perhaps that is the only way to approach the position the three-time champions currently find themselves in. Encouraging signs - On the batting front, Cameron Green finally broke the rut, though not at his fluent best at the start or the finish, but he packed a punch through the middle phase. The question now is whether he can build on that. They will also take heart from the fact that they pushed the game to the final over, especially when GT looked set to wrap it up with an over or two to spare. Varun Chakaravarthy has shown signs of finding his rhythm over the last couple of games, while Kartik Tyagi has emerged as a bright spot in their pace attack. Powerplay concerns - The incisiveness in the Powerplay is still missing. KKR have picked up just 5 wickets in the Powerplay across their 5 innings so far, and have also leaked runs. Overall, they are still searching for that complete performance. Royals look to regroup - Rajasthan made an early statement this season, winning 4 in a row before stumbling against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. They will want to treat that as a minor blip and return to winning ways. That defeat was a rare instance where their top three of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel did not fire. A show of character - There are positives to take for the Royals from that defeat. After being reduced to 9/5, it could have been far worse than a 57-run defeat if not for the resistance shown by Donovan Ferreira and Ravindra Jadeja. That effort also tested their middle and lower order, which could hold them in good stead going forward. A key area to fix - Death bowling has been a mixed bag for the Royals, and they will be keen to tighten that aspect to become a more complete side. They have rotated between Tushar Deshpande and Brijesh Sharma, with Deshpande proving expensive so far, as has Sandeep Sharma. Ravindra Jadeja has been underbowled, having bowled just 7 overs across 5 games. Given KKR's struggles against spin in the middle phase, he could have a pivotal role to play alongside Ravi Bishnoi. Team form (Last 5 completed games, recent first) - KKR - LLLLL | RR - LWWWW. What do the conditions say? This is the first afternoon fixture of the season in Kolkata, and conditions could be a key factor. Interestingly, both afternoon games here last season were won by teams batting first, and even at the World Cup earlier in the year, 2 of the 3 afternoon matches followed the same pattern. The data does favour the side batting first, but with KKR, toss calls have been anything but predictable so far this season. A tough test at home - KKR's struggles at home from the 2025 season, where they won just 2 of their 6 games, have carried into this year, with defeats in both completed matches so far. That leaves them with just 1 win in their last 6 home games. However, they have had the upper hand in recent meetings, winning the last 2 encounters between these sides. One of those went down to a last-ball finish last season here in Kolkata. Let's hope we get something just as spectacular, if not better, this time around.