IPL 2025: Chakaravarthy praises pitch conditions for his success
Click to start listening
Synopsis
In the IPL 2025 opener, Varun Chakaravarthy excelled with figures of 2-17 against the Rajasthan Royals, aiding KKR in restricting them to 151/9. His partnership with Moeen Ali was pivotal as they capitalized on pitch conditions to claim crucial wickets.
Key Takeaways
- Varun Chakaravarthy's impressive bowling performance.
- Kolkata Knight Riders' effective strategy against Rajasthan Royals.
- Moeen Ali's quick adaptation to the team.
- Importance of pitch conditions in match performance.
- Kolkata Knight Riders' potential for a successful chase.
Guwahati, March 26 (NationPress) After a challenging start with figures of 1/43 in the IPL 2025 opener against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Varun Chakaravarthy made a remarkable comeback, taking 2-17 and playing a crucial role in helping Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) limit Rajasthan Royals to 151/9.
Chakaravarthy joined forces with Moeen Ali (2-17), who stepped in due to Sunil Narine's absence because of illness, as they combined to claim four wickets in their eight overs, disrupting RR’s strategy at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Wednesday.
The impressive performance from Narine and Chakaravarthy meant that KKR didn't even require Andre Russell to bowl, as RR slipped from 67/1 to 82/5 during the middle overs.
“Today was an excellent pitch for me. It had some grip. While it wasn’t spinning excessively, it was just holding a bit, allowing me to maintain my lengths,” said Chakaravarthy.
“Having him (Moeen) is fantastic. He arrived on very short notice upon learning that Sunny (Narine) was unwell. His quick response was impressive,” Chakaravarthy remarked during a mid-innings interview with the broadcasters.
With 151/9 marking the lowest total of IPL 2025 thus far, Chakaravarthy expressed confidence that smart batting from KKR would enable them to chase down the target and secure their first victory of the tournament. “We couldn't have asked for a better target. The pitch is slow, and intelligent batting will be key. Riyan was looking really good,” he added.
“The six he hit off me was a result of my earlier delivery being a bit short. I aimed to bowl fuller and assess the pitch, but it ended up edging,” he concluded.
