Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will play Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the sixth match of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) on Wednesday, March 26, at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati

Rajasthan Royals is ready to get back on track against Kolkata Knight Riders in the exciting sixth match of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL), which will be held on Wednesday, March 26, at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. Both sides come into this encounter having lost their first matches.

The Royals were against the Sunrisers' pioneering performance, yet even after securing a score of 242/6, could not recover from a 44-run first-innings loss. The Knight Riders, meanwhile, were thrashed by seven wickets by RCB in their first match.

Riyan Parag and his side will be hoping to turn the script around and play well with a ball that has been battered, particularly after batsman Jofra Archer had given away the worst 76 runs in league history. But the comeback by the batters, Sanju Samson (66), Dhruv Jurel (70), Shimron Hetmyer (42), and Shubham Dubey (34*), gave the Royals ample confidence going into their first win.

In contrast, KKR can draw inspiration from their new captain Ajinkya Rahane's excellent beginning (56) and Sunil Narine's blistering 44 at the top. Yet, the middle-order collapse wasn't helping their cause, as Iyer, Rinku, and Russell were all found wanting. While the bowlers also had a disastrous run apart from Sunil Narine's 1/27 every single one of them was taken to the cleaners. Varun Chakravarthy will have to rediscover his mojo along with the pacers if KKR are going to get onto the points table.

Match Preview

Rajasthan Royals

The batting is spearheaded by the talented Yashasvi Jaiswal, who hopes to carry on his excellent form in the IPL. Sanju Samson, and his left-handed counterpart, brings stability and panache to the top order. The lightning-fast batsman began his IPL career in 2025 with a half-century.

New skipper Riyan Parag adds fierce talent and leadership, having improved in confidence year by year. The right-hand batsman has made 1,177 IPL runs, with six half-centuries.

Nitish Rana's left-handed ability provides depth to the middle order. Dhruv Jurel's accurate handling and aggressive hitting make him an important asset behind the wickets as well as after the powerplay. Against Sunrisers Hyderabad, he made a quick 70 runs off 35 balls. Shimron Hetmyer's aggressive middle overs batting can turn momentum in a flash, and it will be supported by the promising finishing skills of Shubham Dubey. Hetmyer and Dubey began their previous match with scores of 42 and 34 not out, respectively.

The returning Jofra Archer impresses with his speed and white-ball experience, even after a heavy loss in his previous IPL game. The clever variations of Sri Lankan spinner Maheesh Theekshana might unsettle some visiting batsmen. The spinner picked two wickets in Hyderabad.

Tushar Deshpande provides local raw energy and wicket-taking talent. He has taken three wickets in the previous match. Sandeep Sharma, with his fresh momentum, provides experience and control in the powerplay. He has taken 138 IPL wickets.

Kolkata Knight Riders

Foreign wicket-keeper batter Quinton de Kock is a seasoned IPL player, having showcased his skills across various franchises. With years of experience under his belt, the left-handed batter is set to bring a wealth of knowledge to the team, pairing up with the ever-mysterious Sunil Narine to provide stability at the top of the order.

The West Indian is a dual threat, capable of making an impact with both bat and ball. He recently scored 44 runs in his last innings. Captain Ajinkya Rahane will anchor the innings with his calm demeanor and leadership. Rahane also made a solid contribution with a half-century in his team's opening match of the season.

Venkatesh Iyer adds explosive power as a floater outside the powerplay, while the young Angkrish Raghuvanshi injects fresh energy and exciting potential into the squad. He proved his worth with a quickfire 30 off 22 balls against Bangalore. Rinku Singh remains a fan-favorite finisher, known for his ability to perform under pressure, boasting over 900 IPL runs to his name.

Andre Russell's all-rounder talents continue to be KKR's secret weapon. He can take the game away with his batting, but his impressive tally of 13 wickets in the last eight IPL matches shows he can also be a threat with the ball. Ramandeep Singh brings strength to the lower order with his aggressive approach, ensuring the Knight Riders can still make a big impact in the death overs.

On the bowling front, Harshit Rana's aggression and pace will work well alongside the sharp skills of Aussie left-armer Spencer Johnson, who has taken 25 IPL wickets. Varun Chakravarthy's enigmatic spin will be vital during the middle overs, especially on a dry pitch, as the leg-spinner has claimed 15 wickets in his last nine IPL outings.

Pitch Report

The Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati is known for its batting-friendly pitch during the IPL, providing little assistance to bowlers and often leading to high first innings scores around 180 to 190 runs. In recent IPL seasons, this venue has consistently seen impressive totals, and the heavy dew during evening matches tends to favor the batsmen even more.

Toss Prediction

At the start, the conditions can be tough for batsmen, but they tend to get better as the game goes on. Historically, teams chasing a target have had more success at this stadium. Both captains will likely look at previous results and prefer to bowl first.

Weather Report

With only a 5% chance of disruption, we don't anticipate the weather will have much impact on the game. The temperature is expected to reach a high of 32°C and drop to a low of 19°C during the match.

Head to Head

The last five matchups between Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata have mostly gone in favor of the Royals, who have clinched three victories out of those five encounters. Meanwhile, Kolkata managed to snag just one win and struggled to put runs on the board in their last outing.

Venue Details

The Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati is quite spacious, but it’s not the easiest venue for scoring big runs. Fast bowlers tend to take advantage of the pitch early on in the match, while batsmen who take their time to build their innings usually find success. Spinners who can turn the ball sharply have also done well here.

Match Prediction

The Rajasthan Royals boast a solid batting lineup, but they’ve struggled to cover the gaps in their bowling attack. They’ll need their bowlers to step up in this match to have a fighting chance. On the other hand, the Kolkata Knight Riders have a more robust bowling unit that can handle these conditions. We’re anticipating a tight contest, but we believe the Kolkata Knight Riders will emerge victorious.

Kolkata Knight Riders for the win!

Betting Tips

Both teams are feeling the heat after tough losses to Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore, and they'll be eager to turn things around early in the season. The reigning champions have the advantage of experience from their title-winning run and are expected to come back stronger.

Currently, RR holds a win percentage of 54% against KKR, which is a positive sign for them.

Probable Playing XI

Rajasthan Royals Playing XI

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag (c), Nitish Rana, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma.

Kolkata Knight Riders Playing XI

Sunil Narine, Quinton De Kock (WK), Ajinkya Rahane (C), Venkatesh Iyer, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Spencer Johnson, Varun Chakravarthy.

Top Fantasy Picks Dream11 Prediction

Rajasthan Royals Key Players

Riyan Parag didn't have a good beginning to the season against SRH. Still, we are supporting him again, as he was his side's highest scorer with 573 runs in last season and remains our first choice for the upcoming game.

Tushar Deshpande The RR bowler has taken three wickets and will look to destroy the KKR batting order in this match. He can be kept as a budget option.

Sanju Samson The star batter had scored 66 runs for RR in the previous match and will be trying to extend his good form in this match.

Kolkata Knight Riders Key Players

Ajinkya Rahane began this season with a great performance for Mumbai in domestic competitions. He hit a great half-century in the first game, so he is our best bet for this game.

Sunil Narine The all-rounder of KKR scored 44 runs in the first match against RCB. He also got a wicket in the previous game and will now focus on destroying RR in this match.

Varun Chakaravarthy failed to make an ideal start for the tournament and had a torrid time in the match against RCB. He was last season's KKR's best consistent bowler and also the team's best wicket-taker, hence our first choice for the coming match.