One of the underlying sub-plots of the IPL 2025 game between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati was Nitish Rana's reunion with his former franchise and the opportunity to prove to them that they made a wrong call by not retaining him. But the India batter was left red-faced following his dismissal for just eight runs, after which fans served him a brutal reminder of his old "loyalty" remark.
Rana, who spent seven IPL seasons with KKR and even led them in 2023 in the absence of then-regular captain Shreyas Iyer, was released by the franchise ahead of the mega auction in November last year. The decision hurt Rana and his family deeply. Hence, taking to social media, his wife Saachi Marwah indirectly criticised KKR, stating, "Loyalty is very expensive; not everyone can afford it." Rana then made his move by sharing an Instagram story, where he wore a pink shirt and captioned it: “Royal-ty is pink!”
On Wednesday, after Moeen Ali dismissed Rana for just eight runs off nine balls, fans on social media left the RR batter embarrassed by mocking him over that "loyalty" comment. Following the dismissal, KKR CEO Venky Mysore's reaction broke the internet, as he reacted with a witty smile while clapping from the stands.
RR restricted to 151/9; KKR chase it easily
KKR spin duo of Varun Chakravarthy and Moeen worked in perfect tandem to weave their magic, as a disciplined bowling effort restricted Rajasthan to a below-par 151/9. On a dry and sticky Barsapara pitch where the ball wasn’t coming onto the bat, KKR’s new spin combination - brought together due to Sunil Narine's injury - proved to be their game-changer. The two dismantled the Royals' middle order, picking up two wickets each in successive overs right after the powerplay, shifting the momentum in KKR’s favour
{{/usCountry}}KKR spin duo of Varun Chakravarthy and Moeen worked in perfect tandem to weave their magic, as a disciplined bowling effort restricted Rajasthan to a below-par 151/9. On a dry and sticky Barsapara pitch where the ball wasn’t coming onto the bat, KKR’s new spin combination - brought together due to Sunil Narine's injury - proved to be their game-changer. The two dismantled the Royals' middle order, picking up two wickets each in successive overs right after the powerplay, shifting the momentum in KKR’s favour
{{/usCountry}}Chakravarthy bowled out his quota with exceptional figures of 2/17, while Moeen finished with a tidy 2/23 from his four overs.
In reply, opener Quinton de Kock blasted the highest score by a KKR batter in a run-chase to take the side home with 15 balls to spare. De Kock hit an unbeaten 97 off 61 balls as KKR won the match with by 8 wickets to register their first points of the season.