Eliminated but not done! Why Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag made three bold changes vs Kolkata Knight Riders

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Updated: May 4, 2025, 18:00 IST

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Ajinkya Rahane, Kolkata Knight Riders' captain, chose to bat first after winning the toss against Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens. KKR brought in Moeen Ali and Ramandeep Singh, aiming to set a strong total. Rajasthan Royals, led by Riyan Parag, made three changes, including Hasaranga's return. Rajasthan Royals, already out of playoff contention, made three changes to their line-up.

Eliminated but not done! Why Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag made three bold changes vs Kolkata Knight Riders

Image credit: BCCI/IPL

NEW DELHI: Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and elected to bat against Rajasthan Royals in their IPL 2025 clash at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday. Rahane made two changes to the playing XI, bringing in Moeen Ali and Ramandeep Singh.
"We are going to bat first, looks a little dry. Not sure if it slows down in the second innings. We want to put a total on the board and defend it. Need to keep it simple. It's all about taking one game at a time. Everyone's contribution was good in the last game. Need to assess the conditions and adapt to it quickly," Rahane said at the toss.

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"I am working really hard on my game, playing domestic cricket has helped me a lot. Trying to enjoy my game. Moeen and Ramandeep are back in the side," he added.

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Rajasthan Royals, already out of playoff contention, made three changes to their line-up.

"I was happy that I lost the toss, wasn't sure. It's very challenging, you got to be profession on the field. A lot of work goes into it. Need to play for our pride. Need to bring more energy into the field. We are hoping to put a collective effort," said RR captain Riyan Parag at the toss.
"Three changes in our team. Nitish Rana has a niggle, he goes out. Hasaranga comes back for Kumar Kartikeya. Kunal Rathore and Yudhvir are in," he added.

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PLAYING XIs:
Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Riyan Parag(c), Kunal Singh Rathore, Dhruv Jurel(w), Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Akash Madhwal
Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Moeen Ali, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora

Here are the Impact substitutes for both the teams:
Rajasthan Royals Impact Subs: Kumar Kartikeya, Shubham Dubey, Tushar Deshpande, Kwena Maphaka, Ashok Sharma
Kolkata Knight Riders Impact Subs: Manish Pandey, Harshit Rana, Anukul Roy, Rovman Powell, Luvnith Sisodia

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TOI Sports Desk

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