Quinton de Kock’s clinic against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2025 had former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson gaping in admiration. The South African wicket-keeper batter dished out an old-fashioned ton, scoring a blistering 97* from 61 balls, interspersed with eight fours and six sixes, to steer Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to an overpowering eight-wicket win.
Pursuing a humble target of 152, KKR made easy work of the total, reaching it in 17.3 overs. De Kock’s innings was a mix of aggression and calmness, and Watson couldn’t but be awed by his brilliance. The former all-rounder pointed to one specific moment—a stunning pull shot off Jofra Archer—that demonstrated De Kock’s impeccable timing and confidence.
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“It was an absolutely comfortable chase, and Quinton de Kock was just phenomenal tonight. That was classic Quinton—the kind of brilliance we’ve seen for over a decade, both in the IPL and at the international level. The way he executed his strokes, especially that pull shot off Jofra Archer over mid-wicket—wow! It was a reminder of how destructive he can be when in form. This innings will do wonders for KKR’s confidence, knowing they have a batter who can take apart any bowling attack,” Shane Watson said on JioHotstar.
De Kock’s match-winning contribution fetched him the appropriately rich Player of the Match award. In contrast, KKR were forced to make a key substitution before the game when their marquee all-rounder Sunil Narine was replaced by Moeen Ali because of an injury. Moeen didn’t let his team down, making a big difference with the ball, taking two wickets for a mere 23 runs in his four overs.
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He was well complemented by Varun Chakravarthy, who also bowled an impressive spell, picking up 2/17 in his four overs. Their tight bowling attack kept Rajasthan Royals to 151/9, with the lone resistance coming from Dhruv Jurel with a gritty 33 off 28 balls.
With the first win on board, KKR now focus on their next match against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium on March 31, a match which will be yet another thrilling match.
