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When the Rajasthan Royals played their first IPL 2025 match in Guwahati, their home away from home, Riyan Parag was the center of attention. On Wednesday, March 26, the hometown hero, who was filling in as the captain of the Rajasthan Royals, had the support of the Barsapara Cricket Stadium crowd from the very beginning. A fan ran onto the field during the second inning of the game, evading security. The fan rushed to the stand-in captain, touched his feet, and hugged him as Riyan Parag was sprinting in to bowl his fourth over of the day. As the fans cheered for the first Assamese IPL superstar, Riyan was taken aback by the gesture.
The pitch invasion led to a delay in play, but the security personnel immediately attended to the situation and escorted the fan off the field. Riyan had the greatest ovation during the toss even though the rub of green went Kolkata skipper Ajinkya Rahane's way.
On Wednesday, March 26, the Kolkata Knight Riders defeated the Rajasthan Royals by eight wickets in Guwahati, showing glimmers of the consistency that carried them to victory the previous season. Kolkata recovered spectacularly after a lackluster showing against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2025 opener, chasing down a challenging goal of 152 on a slow pitch in just 17.3 overs.
In Sunil Narine's absence, Quinton de Kock took over, leading the Kolkata Knight Riders to victory with an undefeated 97 off just 61 balls. On a surface that was bowler-friendly at Barsapara Stadium, none of the other hitters were able to find rhythm, but De Kock used all of his skills to lead the chase and get his team across the finish line.
Following their lackluster performance against RCB, the reigning champions' first victory of the IPL 2025 season will provide comfort and confidence to the coaching staff and players. However, Rajasthan lost badly for the second time in a row. The hometown hero, Riyan Parag, received a lot of support, but Rajasthan was unable to step up and put on a standout performance.
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