GUWAHATI, India: South Africa’s Quinton de Kock struck an unbeaten 97 as holders Kolkata Knight Riders registered their first win of the IPL season with an eight-wicket hammering of Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday.
Spinners Moeen Ali and Varun Chakravarthy combined to help restrict Rajasthan to 151-9 after KKR elected to field first in Guwahati.
De Kock bossed the chase with his 61-ball innings laced with eight fours and six sixes as Kolkata achieved their target with 15 balls to spare.
De Kock, who has retired from Tests and one-day international cricket for South Africa and whose T20 international future remains uncertain, showed no signs of rustiness.
“To be fair, haven’t felt any challenges yet,” De Kock said.
“Have had three months off which felt nice. Had about a 10-day build-up to this season. Only my second game here, just taking it as I see it.”
Kolkata signed De Kock in November’s auction after he was released by Lucknow Super Giants.
He handed his team a quick start, hitting two fours but then lost opening partner Moeen, run out for five.
Skipper Ajinkya Rahane fell after a brisk 18 but De Kock stood firm and along with impact substitute Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who made 22, steered the team home in an unbeaten stand of 83.
De Kock finished with a six off Jofra Archer as Kolkata bounced back from their opening loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Rajasthan suffered their second straight loss.
Earlier, Kolkata fast bowler Vaibhav Arora dismissed Sanju Samson, bowled for 13, and Chakravarthy and Moeen soon took two wickets each.
Wicketkeeper Samson is Rajasthan’s regular captain but has been forced to play only as a batter in the first three matches due to an injury.
Chakravarthy, who starred in India’s recent Champions Trophy triumph, got stand-in-skipper Riyan Parag out caught behind for 25.
Former England all-rounder Moeen, in for the unwell Sunil Narine, stifled the opposition with his off-spin and was rewarded with the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal for 29.
The 37-year-old and Chakravarthy both struck again as Rajasthan slipped to 82-5 in 11 overs.
Wickets kept tumbling for Rajasthan and despite wicketkeeper-batsman Dhruv Jurel’s 33 and 16 from Archer, they settled for a below-par total.
“I think 170 was a reasonable score but we fell short by 20 runs,” said Parag. “The plan was to get Quinny out early but he didn’t so we shifted to containing them in the middle overs.”
Arora and fellow quick Harshit Rana also took two wickets each.
Kolkata, under Shreyas Iyer who is now Punjab Kings captain after a $3.17 million move in the auction, won their third IPL title last year.
De Kock fireworks see Kolkata thrash Rajasthan in IPL
https://arab.news/495tn
De Kock fireworks see Kolkata thrash Rajasthan in IPL
- Spinners Moeen Ali and Varun Chakravarthy combined to help restrict Rajasthan to 151-9 after KKR elected to field first in Guwahati
- De Kock bossed the chase with his 61-ball innings laced with eight fours and six sixes as Kolkata achieved their target with 15 balls to spare
Top Saudi teams set for ESL Saudi Challenge 2026 finals
- Leading esports teams feature in competition
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s leading esports teams will go head-to-head later this week as the ESL Saudi Challenge 2026 reaches its decisive stages, underlining the Kingdom’s growing ambition to develop local talent and strengthen its professional gaming ecosystem.
Organized by ESL FACEIT Group, the tournament is designed to provide Saudi players with a clear pathway into elite-level competition while reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s position as a global hub for gaming and esports.
The online phase of the Overwatch 2 competition took place on Jan. 23-24, with the action set to culminate in a live LAN final on Jan. 30 at EFG Studios in Riyadh.
The competition features a total prize pool of $20,000, offering a significant incentive for emerging Saudi esports talent and reflecting the rising professionalism of the Kingdom’s national scene.
The lineup for the second stage has now been confirmed, blending established names with ambitious newcomers. Defending champions Twisted Minds return to defend their title against Kurohana, Newgens, and Lunar Crew, who secured their places through the qualification rounds. With only three teams progressing to the finals, the stakes remain high on the national stage.
Franck Guignery, senior vice president and managing director for the Middle East and Africa at EFG, said: “The ESL Saudi Challenge represents an important milestone in our ongoing commitment to the Saudi esports community.
“Through this competition we aim to empower Saudi players to refine their skills and demonstrate their potential within a high-stakes, professional environment, while contributing meaningfully to the development of a sustainable ecosystem that enables local talent to progress from national competition to global stages.”
The ESL Saudi Challenge aligns with the objectives of Saudi Arabia’s National Gaming and Esports Strategy, supporting talent development and the long-term growth of the Kingdom’s gaming and esports sector.
Positioned as a Saudi-focused competitive platform, the tournament forms part of EFG’s long-term approach to reinforcing professional standards, enabling talent progression, and fostering community-driven competition.
Through initiatives such as the ESL Saudi Challenge, EFG aims to ensure that Saudi esports talent is equipped to compete successfully not only at home, but also on regional and international stages.
