KOTA, Rajasthan — Kunal Singh Rathore, a 22-year-old with a quick grin and quicker reflexes, stepped onto the IPL stage on May 4, 2025, and made history. The wicketkeeper-batter from Kota, a city better known for coaching institutes than cricket pitches, debuted for Rajasthan Royals against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens. For a kid who grew up dodging parental pleas to hit the books instead of balls, it was a moment that screamed defiance and dreams.
Rathore’s journey isn’t your typical cricket fairy tale. Kota, a dusty hub in Rajasthan, churns out engineers and doctors, not sports stars. Yet, at eight, Rathore was already smacking balls in local gullies, idolizing Australia’s Brad Haddin. His parents, like most in Kota, wanted him glued to textbooks. Cricket? A distraction. But Rathore’s stubborn love for the game wore them down. By his teens, he was training at the Rajasthan Royals Academy camp in Nagpur, a lanky Under-17 player with big ambitions.
Fast-forward to November 25, 2024. The IPL 2025 mega-auction in Jeddah saw Rajasthan Royals snap him up for Rs 30 lakh. It wasn’t his first brush with the franchise—he’d been with them since 2023, grinding in the nets, waiting for a shot. That shot came when Nitish Rana, nursing a minor injury, sat out the KKR clash. Rathore stepped in, joining captain Sanju Samson and Dhruv Jurel as one of three wicketkeepers in the Royals’ squad. No pressure, right?
On the field, Rathore’s no rookie. He’s played 12 T20s for Rajasthan, racking up 254 runs at an average of 36.28, with a strike rate of 138. A half-century in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2022 turned heads, showing he could handle the big stage. He’s also got 15 first-class matches under his belt, scoring 580 runs at a 30.52 average. Earlier this year, in the DY Patil T20 Cup, he blasted 109 runs in three innings, averaging 54.5 with a strike rate north of 209. Numbers like that don’t lie.
His debut wasn’t just about him. For Kota, a city of 1.2 million where cricket takes a backseat to JEE prep, Rathore’s pink Royals jersey was a badge of pride. He’s the first from here to land an IPL contract, a trailblazer who’s got kids in the streets dreaming beyond exam halls. The match itself? KKR won the toss and batted first, but for Rathore, just being there was a win.
He’s not chasing glory alone. Rajasthan Royals, struggling to balance their batting lineup, needed his spark. Whether he’s anchoring or accelerating, Rathore’s shown he’s got the chops. His early domestic days were quiet—modest scores in Rajasthan’s Ranji and List-A sides—but his potential was clear. Scouts saw it. The Royals bet on it.
As the IPL spotlight swings his way, Rathore carries more than his bat. He’s got Kota’s hopes, a city watching one of its own rewrite what’s possible. No frills, no fuss—just a guy from Rajasthan, for Rajasthan, doing what he loves.