KKR vs RR, IPL 2025: Narine Sidelined by Illness, Hasaranga Debuts for Royals

Ahead of the clash in Guwahati, KKR's decision to bowl first set the stage. The absence of Sunil Narine due to illness forced a key change, bringing Moeen Ali into the XI. KKR also kept faith in Spencer Johnson over Anrich Nortje, though Nortje was named among the Impact Substitutes alongside potential batting impact player Angkrish Raghuvanshi.

Rajasthan Royals handed a debut cap to Wanindu Hasaranga, integrating the Sri Lankan spinner and capable lower-order hitter into their lineup at the expense of Fazalhaq Farooqi. This move reunites Hasaranga with his compatriot Maheesh Theekshana. Despite an expensive outing in the previous match (0/76 in 4 overs), RR retained Jofra Archer in their pace attack. Akash Madhwal and Shubham Dubey were listed among RR's Impact Subs, offering tactical flexibility later in the game.

KKR Bowling First XI: Quinton de Kock (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane (capt), Rinku Singh, Moeen Ali, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Spencer Johnson, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy.

RR Batting First XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Thushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma.

Why is Sunil Narine not playing for KKR?

Sunil Narine missed the match due to illness.

Who replaced Narine in the KKR playing XI?

Moeen Ali replaced Sunil Narine.

Who did Wanindu Hasaranga replace in the RR XI?

Wanindu Hasaranga replaced Afghanistan's Fazalhaq Farooqi.

How much will Sunil Narine's absence affect KKR's chances? Will Hasaranga make an immediate impact for RR? Let us know your thoughts!

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