KKR Player Ratings vs RCB: Captain Rahane walks the talk, Harshit Rana-Venkatesh Iyer disappoint

Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have started their defence on a worst possible note. The IPL 2025 opener has seen them lose, that too, quite comfortably against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Virat Kohli’s unbeaten knock and Krunal Pandya’s superb bowling display humbled KKR in front of their home ground at Eden Gardens.

1. Quinton de Kock – 1/10

Quinton de Kock’s debut for KKR wasn’t a great one. He was paired with Sunil Narine and hit a boundary through point to kickstart the innings. However, an inside edge saw him go straight back to the pavilion. With Rahmanullah Gurbaz waiting on the bench, pressure will be on the Protea keeper to hit his straps soon.

2. Sunil Narine – 9/10

It was a near-perfect game for Sunil Narine, who set the tone early doors and even bowled decently. Despite a slightly sluggish start, Narine made up and hammered 44 off 26 balls. In the bowling, there wasn’t much going on for KKR bowlers but Narine took a wicket of Devdutt Padikkal and had an economy of 6.80.

3. Ajinkya Rahane – 9/10

Here comes the shining light for KKR. Skipper Ajinkya Rahane would’ve definitely been under pressure before the match. Leading the hosts with a huge crowd and then coming out to bat after an early wicket, Rahane did emphatically good. He played a superb knock, smashing 56 off 31 balls. Rahane found a new life during his time at CSK and is looking to continue the same at his new franchise.

4. Venkatesh Iyer – 1/10

With a baggage of Rs 23.75 crore amount, Venkatesh Iyer had a game to forget. KKR’s Iyer batted poorly, having been dismissed for 6 runs off 7 deliveries by RCB’s Krunal Pandya. Pandya’s clever bouncer caught Iyer off guard, and the next ball, he was castled by a delivery that angled in slightly.

5. Angkrish Raghuvanshi – 8.5/10

Now, Angkrish Raghuvanshi also batted decently. Yes, he didn’t make a fifty but his 30 was vital for KKR to post 170+. Some of his shots were a delight to watch, especially those inside-out lofted drives to Suyash Sharma. Raghuvanshi wasn’t batting in his preferred slot as well and yet made a difference.

6. Rinku Singh – 3/10

A tough start for Rinku Singh. He was in around the 13th over mark – a perfect chance to go big. But he couldn’t. He went to hoick Krunal Pandya but was beaten all ends up. Rinku made 12 off 10.

7. Andre Russell – 1/10

Andre Russell comes into IPL 2025 with a rejuvenated mindset. However, once again, he was trumped by a leg-spinner. Suyash Sharma bowled a googly and Russell was beaten all ends up. It was a slower delivery and Russell doesn’t even average more than 20 against googlies lower than 90 kmph.

8. Ramandeep Singh – 3/10

Ramandeep Singh remained not out at 6 but faced 9 balls. Although he lost quite a few partners, we couldn’t quite see Ramandeep’s flair tonight.

9. Harshit Rana – 4/10

Harshit Rana was hammered by Rajat Patidar quite emphatically. Rana dug in short mostly but was hit through the line by RCB batters. Rana was brought in at the last over of the powerplay and leaked 32 runs in 3 overs.

10. Spencer Johnson – 4.5/10

Coming in as a replacement for Mitchell Starc, Spencer Johnson did move the ball early on. However, he was unsuccessful. He gave away at an economy of 13.3 and was hit for boundaries.

11. Varun Chakaravarthy – 6/10

Straight out of a superb Champions Trophy, Varun Chakaravarthy was taken care of by Phil Salt, who peppered 21 runs in one of his overs.

12. Vaibhav Arora – 4/10

Coming in as an Impact Player, Vaibhav Arora was expected to take wickets early. However, Phil Salt’s charge even took down his inswinging strategy, with Arora leaking 42 off 3 overs. His only wicket came in the form of Rajat Patidar but the match was inconsequential by then.