Rajasthan Royals (RR) became the first IPL team to use the new second-ball rule during their match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on 26 March in Guwahati. However, the tactical move was not enough to change their fortunes, as RR fell to an 8-wicket defeat against Ajinkya Rahane’s side.
With KKR needing 27 runs off 24 balls, RR requested a ball change, hoping to shift momentum in their favour. While this rule allows teams to request a new ball after the 10th over of the chase to counter the impact of dew, the final decision rests with the umpires. In this case, the officials approved RR’s request, and the ball was changed—but it did not make a difference for them.
KKR chased down the target in 17.3 overs vs RR
Quinton de Kock was the star of the night, anchoring KKR’s chase with a brilliant 97* off 61 balls. Angkrish Raghuvanshi provided steady support with an unbeaten 22 off 17, as their unbeaten 83-run stand for the third wicket helped KKR chase down the target in just 17.3 overs. KKR was without Sunil Narine, who missed the match due to illness, leading to Moeen Ali making his debut for the team.
The spin duo of Moeen and Varun Chakravarthy wreaked havoc on RR’s batting lineup, sharing four wickets between them while conceding just 40 runs in their combined eight overs. After winning the toss and opting to bowl, KKR’s disciplined bowling effort restricted Rajasthan Royals to 151/9 in 20 overs.
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