Thu Apr 03 15:00:00 UTC 2025: ## KKR’s IPL 2025 Stumbles Begin: De Kock’s Poor Form and Early Wickets Plague Champions
Kolkata, India – Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have gotten off to a rocky start in IPL 2025, largely due to struggles at the top of their batting order. The team’s decision to replace Phil Salt with Quinton de Kock has backfired spectacularly. De Kock, boasting a dismal average of 8.75 in his last eight matches at Eden Gardens, has managed only 4(5) and 1(6) in his two appearances this season at the venue, the latter coming in tonight’s match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
This poor form contributed to a shaky start against SRH. The loss of De Kock in the second over, followed immediately by the dismissal of Sunil Narine, left KKR reeling at 16 for 2. However, captain Ajinkya Rahane and young Angkrish Raghuvanshi steadied the ship with a crucial 80+ run partnership, leaving KKR at 71 for 2 after 8 overs at the time of writing. This partnership is crucial for KKR in order to recover from their troubled start. The contrast between de Kock’s struggles and Salt’s impressive 58 average in the same number of matches at Eden Gardens highlights the impact of the player change.
First Piper 