The Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL 2025 opener was fairly a one-sided affair with Virat Kohli main the cost. The chase-master scored an unbeaten 59 (36 balls) as RCB chased down a 175-run goal in simply 16.2 overs. The match additionally noticed the Virat Kohli’s reputation. The night began with Shah Rukh Khan dancing with Virat Kohli on a tune from the film ‘Pathaan’, then BCCI felicitated him on the event of IPL turning 18. In the course of the match, a fan breached safety and went inside he floor to satisfy him. He touched Kohli’s ft and refused to let go of the star till the stadium safety officers intervened.
MrBeast wasn’t improper when he mentioned Indians worship Virat Kohli. pic.twitter.com/XHVwYd5tQY
— Nikhil (@TheCric8Boy) March 22, 2025
Speaking in regards to the recreation, half-centuries by Virat Kohli (59 not out) and Phil Salt (56) went arduous in power-play to set the bottom for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to chase down 175 and beat defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by seven wickets within the first recreation of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on the Eden Gardens on Saturday.
After Krunal Pandya’s 3-29 and Josh Hazlewood’s 2-22 helped RCB stage a comeback and prohibit KKR to 174/8, Salt and Kohli have been blazing from the phrase go to sew a 95-run opening partnership. Although Salt fell simply earlier than the midway mark of the chase, Kohli remained unbeaten on 59 off 36 balls, as RCB wrapped the emphatic win with 22 balls to spare.
Salt started the chase with a scorching cowl drive off Vaibhav Arora earlier than Kohli flicked him by way of mid-wicket within the opening over. Salt then drilled a canopy drive off Spencer Johnson, earlier than lofting Arora over mid-on on back-to-back balls for a 4 and 6 respectively.
After Kohli swiped Arora by way of the road for 4, Salt ended the third over by upper-cutting the pacer for six. Salt’s onslaught continued as he used his wrists to hit Varun Chakaravarthy for 2 fours and a six down the bottom, earlier than pulling him over the deep square-leg fence for 4 extra, as 21 runs got here off the fourth over.
Kohli produced a wow second of the innings by straight-lofting Johnson for back-to-back sixes down the bottom earlier than Salt guided him by way of backward level for 4. After Kohli’s catch off Harshit Rana was spilled by deep cowl, he slog-swept Chakaravarthy for six, earlier than Salt bought his fifty in 25 balls.
However Chakaravarthy lastly bought Salt because the batter reached out for the leg-break, however the outdoors edge was caught by quick third man. Shortly after, Devdutt Padikkal picked out a deep mid-wicket off Narine. However Kohli marched ahead to get his 56th IPL fifty in 30 balls through a elegant drive off Harshit Rana within the thirteenth over.
Captain Rajat Patidar seemed in nice contact by lofting Narine for six, earlier than lofting, flicking, square-driving, and late-cutting Rana for 4 boundaries. Although Patidar holed out to deep mid-wicket off Arora, Liam Livingstone pulled for a 4 and 6 every, earlier than smacking previous mid-on to get the profitable boundary and an announcement victory for RCB.
With IANS inputs
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