Made Archer look like he was bowling quite slow: Moeen Ali's special praise for Quinton de Kock

In a dominant display at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Wednesday night, the Kolkata Knight Riders cruised to victory, chasing down the Rajasthan Royals' 151 with eight wickets and a comfortable 15 balls to spare. For Moeen Ali, making his debut for KKR, the win was a testament to the team's warmth and collective spirit.

His own contribution was crucial, claiming two wickets while bowling with remarkable control. "My job was to try and bowl tight as I can," he explained at the post-match press conference.

"I'm used to bowling with somebody who's better than me and has more mystery," he added while praising the prowess of Varun Chakaravarthy.

Moeen was full of praise for de Kock, whose innings decisively sealed the match. He called it 'an amazing inning' and noted how the South African wicketkeeper made batting look effortless: "Quinton is an experienced player who has been around for a while now. It was an amazing inning, and he made the Rajasthan Royals bowlers, especially Jofra Archer, look like they were bowling quite slow."

Quinton made Rajasthan's home turf in Assam his favourite playground with his searing strokeplay. He toyed with the Royals' bowling unit, handpicked his favourite shots and executed them according to his will.

For Moeen, the victory was particularly sweet after losing their previous game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

"It's just nice to get a win within your first couple of games, so you don't overthink things," he said. The pitch, which offered something for everyone, played into KKR's strengths, with Moeen describing it as having 'a bit of swing, a bit of seam' and just enough spin.

Reflecting on joining a championship-winning franchise, Moeen was emphatic with his words: "When you go to teams that have won the trophy, they know what they're doing. They've won it three times. Everything is calm."

With this comprehensive victory, Moeen Ali and Quinton de Kock have already shown they are perfectly at home in the Knight Riders' winning culture. The side will now fly out to Mumbai for their third match of the IPL 2025 against the Mumbai Indians on Monday, March 31. (ANI)