Kolkata Knight Riders delivered a strong performance on Wednesday night, defeating Rajasthan Royals by 8 wickets in a lopsided match in Guwahati. After limiting the Royals to 151/9, the Knight Riders successfully chased the target with 15 balls remaining, thanks to Quinton de Kock's impressive unbeaten 97. Jofra Archer, the top bowler for RR, had another tough outing, giving up 33 runs in just 2.3 overs.

In their opening match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Archer had a rough time, allowing 76 runs in four overs, setting a record for the most runs conceded in IPL history. Despite this, the team management kept faith in him for the second match. However, former Australian spinner Brad Hogg highlighted a moment after the game that he felt showed a lack of “empathy” towards Archer.

Hogg posted a screenshot from the post-match scene where Shimron Hetmyer was seen laughing and hugging de Kock, suggesting that the RR player should have shown more restraint, especially considering how poorly Archer had performed.

“There’s something that really bothers me. Jofra Archer bowled the last over and gave away 18 runs off just 3 balls—there was a four, a six, two wides, and another six. The game was over, and de Kock played brilliantly. But right after that final six, one of the Rajasthan Royals players (Shimron Hetmyer) went over to de Kock, laughing and hugging him. What’s going on?” Hogg expressed on his YouTube channel.

“You’re part of a team, and your teammate just got hit hard. Jofra Archer has had two tough games in a row, and he’s your main strike bowler. Yet, you have teammates celebrating with the opposition right after the match. That’s not right. You need to show a bit more empathy for your bowler. Sure, shake hands, but wait a bit before having a laugh.”

RR hasn't secured a win yet

The Royals haven't found their rhythm in the 2025 season, suffering defeats in both of their matches so far. They are missing their captain, Sanju Samson, on the field; although he has batted in both games, Riyan Parag is stepping up as captain since Samson hasn't been fully cleared to take on wicketkeeping responsibilities.

The Royals are set to play again on March 30 against the Chennai Super Kings.

Read Also: Ravichandran Ashwin Criticizes IPL's Batting Bias in Awards: 'Bowlers Might Run Away with the Ball!'

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