IPL 2025: Quinton de Kock burst lights up Guwahati skyline

Add as a preferred source on Google

IPL 2025: Don't underestimate these retired cricketers who say goodbye to their international careers and sign up for the Indian Premier League (IPL). What one witnessed from Quinton de Kock on Wednesday night in Guwahati was mayhem as the Kolkata Knight Riders' fresh signing was on beast mode.

During his hey days for South Africa, do Kock had that swagger and style. He has spent little time with the KKR camp, or so we are made to be believe.

Watching the southpaw burst into brilliance against the impotent Rajasthan Royals bowling attack, it became clear, de Kock has not forgotten the grammar of his batting. It's just about three months since he has been resting from cricket after playing for SA but the welcome for de Kock from the Kolkata side has been rousing.

Playing in a fairly new IPL venue, the Guwahati wicket has not been batter-friendly. This is where De Kock showed how much experience counts on a track which helped the tweakers. De Kock spoke of not feeling any pressure and how to be in a new franchise and feel comfortable is good.

Those who have been with KKR say it is a good team to be in, though former skipper Shreyas Iyer, feels differently. Quinton de Kock batted with aggression and disdain. The way he raced to runs in Guwahati was a record of sorts, eclipsing what Shikhar Dhawan had done in the 2023 IPL season for Punjab Kings. Dhawan has retired from cricket, though he plays the seniors' event. De Kock is still active, in the IPL sense and collared the RR attack with a monstrous approach. There was timing and power as he lit up the night with his bat looking like a rapier.

There is something about the left-handers when they bat. People talk of a lazy elegance when describing David Gower, one of the classiest left-handers the world of cricket has seen. That was in pure and pristine Test cricket.

In the T20 format, where people look for instant gratification and runs, scoring has become so different, fast and frurious. Even on challenging tracks the batter has to step up. That is what de Kock did, showing a great eye and timing to hammer eight fours and six sixes. Knocks like these can break the back of the bowling side.

Sure enough, Rajasthan Royals would have returned to their hotel rooms, holding their heads in despair, and, perhaps, rubbing 'iodex' on their bodies. The spine and spirit of Rajasthan Royals has been blown to smithereens in two matches in IPL 2025.

Fans who watch the IPL and discuss on social media are already saying RR messed it up in the IPL auction when they let quality spinners go away, like R.Ashwin, happy to return to Chenai Super Kings and Yuzi Chahal, now more in the news for coughing up a decent sum from his earnings to part ways with Dhanashree Verma.

RR fans are also upset with the auction dynamics which played out in Saudi Arabia, where Jos Buttler also went out. The decision to go in for Sri Lankan spinners in the form of Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana has been a poor one.

They went for runs and were unable to make an impact. With mentor/coach Rahul Dravid also now watching proceedings from a wheelchair with his one ankle/leg strapped due to an injury he sustained playing in Bengaluru, the misery is complete for RR.

Add to it the decision to push Riyan Parag as captain ahead of Sanju Samson, returning from an injury, Rajasthan Royals are in serious trouble. To lose two matches in a row is not good at all. This IPL has been fiercely competitive, also measured by how KKR have been able to recover from one loss and return to winning ways.

They are led by shrewd Ajinkya Rahane and have in Varun Chakravarthy in Moeen Ali spinners who are so meagre. And this, after Sunil Narine was ruled out. Guwahati as a second RR base has celebrated good cricket. Just that the winning show came from KKR, the defending champions of IPL 2024.