Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals LIVE Scorecard, IPL 2025 LIVE: KKR Opt To Bat In Must-Win Game vs RR, Make Big Changes | Cricket News

KKR vs RR LIVE: The Jofra Archer test

One of RR’s best performers this season has been pacer Jofra Archer, who has regularly delivered wickets in the powerplay. For KKR to get off to a good start, Gurbaz and Narine must navigate the threat that Archer brings. Won’t be easy.

KKR vs RR LIVE: Can KKR openers step up?

Sunil Narine has the potential to tee off early on, but pressure will be on KKR’s Afghan star Rahmanullah Gurbaz. He had a good start in his previous game – 26 off 12 – but will be hoping to contribute with a big score today.

KKR vs RR Live: Impact subs of both teams

Here are the Impact substitutes for both the teams:

Rajasthan Royals Impact Subs: Kumar Kartikeya, Shubham Dubey, Tushar Deshpande, Kwena Maphaka, Ashok Sharma

Kolkata Knight Riders Subs: Manish Pandey, Harshit Rana, Anukul Roy, Rovman Powell, Luvnith Sisodia

KKR vs RR Live: RR Playing XI

Rajasthan Royals XI vs KKR: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Riyan Parag (c), Kunal Singh Rathore, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Maheesh Theekshana, Akash Madhwal.

KKR vs RR Live: KKR Playing XI

Kolkata Knight Riders XI vs RR: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Moeen Ali, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora.

KKR vs RR Live: Here’s what Riyan Parag said at the toss

“I was happy that I lost the toss, wasn’t sure. It’s very challenging, you got to be profession on the field. A lot of work goes into it. Need to play for our pride. Need to bring more energy into the field. We are hoping to put a collective effort. Three changes in our team. Nitish Rana has a niggle, he goes out. Hasaranga comes back for Kumar Kartikeya. Kunal Rathore and Yudhvir are in,” said Parag. 

KKR vs RR Live: Here’s what Ajinkya Rahane said at the toss

“We are going to bat first, looks a little dry. Not sure if it slows down in the second innings. We want to put a total on the board and defend it. Need to keep it simple. It’s all about taking one game at a time. Everyone’s contribution was good in the last game. Need to assess the conditions and adapt to it quickly. I am working really hard on my game, playing domestic has helped me a lot. Trying to enjoy my game. Moeen and Ramandeep are back in the side,” said Rahane. 

KKR vs RR Live: Toss

Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to bat against Rajasthan Royals in their IPL 2025 match on Sunday. 

KKR vs RR Live: Here’s what Moeen Ali said before the game

“We know what we have to do, we need to win all our games. It’s a big game today. They are a really good side and they have some brilliant players. We are looking forward to it. He (Rahane) is good, but he will hide somewhere in the field (due to the injury), that means I will be somewhere in the hotspot today. You need to keep yourself on the top of your game and need to keep practising well. They told me at the start that I will play certain games, depending on the wickets,” said Moeen Ali. 

KKR vs RR Live: Pitch report

“We are at the iconic Eden Gardens where KKR are taking on RR. It is an important game especially for KKR. The dimensions – 66 meters on one side, 60 on the other and 74 down the ground. Visually what you look at is the dry area here (points to a spot), there is a covering of grass but all the grass is dead. There is no grass on these dry areas. The one challenge for the groundstaff would have been to keep moisture on this surface for as long as you can. Even though aesthetically it looks dry and really dark, it doesn’t look like it is going to break up, still sticking together quite well,” reckon Deep Dasgupta and Eoin Morgan.

KKR vs RR Live: Playoffs scenario for all 8 teams

After Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings got knocked out, the playoffs race became more intense. Here’s the qualification scenario of the remaining eight teams. 

KKR vs RR Live: The Crucial Yashasvi Jaiswal

Yashasvi Jaiswal has carried the top order, but the middle-order trio of Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel and Nitish Rana has underperformed. Jurel has one fifty from 10 innings and 249 runs to show, while Hetmyer has scored 187 runs at an average of 20.77. Rana, who returns to face his former team, has failed to find rhythm and will be under scrutiny against the side he captained with distinction in 2023.

KKR vs RR Live: Poor batting show from RR

The 14-year-old sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s stunning 35-ball century was a rare moment of magic, but Rajasthan Royals cannot rely on such individual brilliance every time. The absence of Jos Buttler, who moved to Gujarat Titans, and captain Sanju Samson, who has missed most of the season due to injury, has left their batting looking thin.

KKR vs RR Live: RR’s debacle

For Rajasthan Royals, the tournament has slipped out of control. With just one win in their last seven games, the flaws in their auction strategy have been laid bare. A lack of depth in batting and bowling, combined with injuries, has led to their early exit.

KKR vs RR Live: KKR”s struggles at Eden

Eden Gardens, which once used to be Kolkata Knight Riders’ fortress, has yielded just one win from five matches this season — the latest a rain-affected washout against Punjab Kings. Their spinners have struggled to adjust to the grip and variable bounce, something the rival teams have exploited far more effectively.

KKR vs RR Live: Playoffs scenario for KKR

Kolkata Knight Riders currently sit seventh in the points table with nine points from 10 matches. They need to win at least three games and hope other results go their way.

KKR vs RR Live: Nothing to lose for RR

Rajasthan Royals have already been knocked out of the playoffs race after losing to Mumbai Indians by 100 runs in their previous match. With nothing at stake, RR will now look to spoil other teams’ chances of reaching the next stage and their mission begins against Kolkata Knight Riders. The likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, and the 14-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi will look to put up a dominating show today. 

KKR vs RR Live: KKR’s remaining campaign

The final leg of their campaign includes two home matches — against Rajasthan Royals (today) and Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday — followed by two away fixtures, against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 10 and an in-form Royal Challengers Bengaluru (May 17).

KKR vs RR Live: Must-win clash for KKR

With four league matches remaining, Kolkata Knight Riders’ equation is straightforward — win all four and reach 17 points, a total that should secure a spot in the top-four without relying on the other results. The challenge, though simple on paper, is steep in reality.

KKR vs RR Live: Dicey weather of Kolkata

KKR vs RR Live: Rain on the cards?

The match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals is likely to be hit by heavy rain. As per the Accuweather, there is 86% probability of precipitation in Kolkata during the day. 

KKR vs RR Live: Hello

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the IPL 2025 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals, straight from the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Stay tuned for all the live updates.