(National Times Bureau), March 22, 2025: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) started their IPL 2025 campaign in style, thrashing Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by seven wickets in the tournament opener. Led by Virat Kohli and Phil Salt, RCB chased down the 175-run target with ease, finishing the match with 22 balls to spare at Eden Gardens.
Kohli and Salt set the tone early, smashing 80 runs in the powerplay. Their aggressive strokeplay left KKR bowlers searching for answers. Salt raced to a half-century before falling, while Kohli anchored the chase with his own fifty. Rajat Patidar contributed with a quickfire 34, and Liam Livingstone finished off in style, ensuring RCB’s dominant start.
Earlier, KKR struggled to capitalize on a strong start. Captain Ajinkya Rahane held the innings together with a composed half-century, but the middle order crumbled under pressure. Krunal Pandya’s three-wicket haul and Josh Hazlewood’s disciplined bowling restricted KKR to 174/8. Despite hopes of a late flourish, RCB’s bowling attack never lost control.
With this emphatic victory, RCB announced themselves as early contenders in IPL 2025, while KKR will need to regroup quickly to bounce back.
