The match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals took place at Eden Gardens on Sunday May 4. Toss duties benefited KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane despite the bandages encasing his right hand as he stepped up for the flip. During the coin toss KKR obtained the initial right to choose batting after winning the decision. Rajasthan Royals became the only team to field their starting XI together yet Nitish Rana’s elimination proved to be the most prominent change. This season’s successful left-hand batting leader faces his first absence from matches because of the upcoming game.
Why Nitish Rana Was Dropped Out
Riyan Parag explained during the toss encounter that Rana faces minor injuries which force him to sit out of the playing XI. RR’s batting coach Nitish appeared to have received a leg injury up until their last Mumbai Indians home fixture and has now been replaced with Kunal Singh Rathore. Rana scored 217 runs across 11 innings for IPL 2025 at an average of 21.70 in his junior season. The current season shows two half-centuries in his batting record. The match starting line-up features Kunal Singh Rathore as a replacement for Rana after his debut in the IPL 2025.
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About Kunal Singh Rathore
The Rajasthan Royals signed this 22-year-old cricketer during the IPL 2025 mega-auction by choosing to pay his base price of 30 lakhs. The left-handed batsman launched his T20 career by appearing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy of the 2022-23 domestic season. He failed to score 147 runs while maintaining a stellar batting average of 36.75. He carried forward his successful run into the 2023-24 season while batting for 107 runs at a remarkable 35.66 average. Observational data confirms his enhanced speed of acceleration and stronger aggressive batting style during the vital middle overs period. He achieved 580 first-class runs in 15 matches with an average of 30.52 and a strike rate of 68.88.
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