The Kolkata Knight Riders finally got their season 18 campaign off the ground with a convincing 8-wicket win over the Rajasthan Royals. Quenton de Kock stole the show with an unbeaten 97, including 6 sixes and 8 fours. His partner at the top, Moeen Ali, made a solid start after replacing Sunil Narine in the playing 11.
KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and chose to bowl first at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium. Narine’s absence was a surprise, but Rahane explained that it wasn’t due to injury – the veteran spinner just wasn’t feeling well. Moeen Ali took his chance, picking up 2 wickets for just 23 runs in his 4 overs.
This was the first time in 1628 days that Narine wasn’t part of KKR’s playing 11. But his absence didn’t hurt the team, as they restricted the Royals to just 151 runs. The Royals’ bowlers, on the other hand, struggled to contain the KKR batsmen. De Kock’s masterclass earned him the Man of the Match award, and the Knight Riders picked up their first 2 points of the season.