IPL 2025: Virat Kohli leads Royal Challengers Bengaluru to clinical win over Kolkata Knight Riders

Royal Challengers Bengaluru delivered a dominant performance to kick off IPL 18 with a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on Saturday.

Virat Kohli, playing his 400th T20 match, scored an unbeaten 59, his 98th half-century in Twenty20, to keep RCB’s dream of a maiden IPL title on track. The Indian star, alongside Phil Salt, set the foundation for the chase after the defending champions posted a below-par 174 for eight in 20 overs.

Kohli’s 44-run partnership with skipper Rajat Patidar took the wind out of KKR’s sails before England all-rounder Liam Livingstone applied the finishing touches, sealing the win with 22 balls to spare.

Turning point: RCB fight back

Put in to bat, KKR threatened to take the contest away with skipper Ajinkya Rahane and West Indian all-rounder Sunil Narine guiding the hosts to 107 for one. However, the final ball of the 10th over proved to be the turning point.

Pacer Rasik Salam broke the 103-run second-wicket partnership by having Narine caught behind, before Krunal Pandya put KKR in a spin by removing Rahane—the first of his three wickets. Only young Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s 30 provided some resistance, but 174 was never going to be enough against RCB’s strong batting lineup.

Star-studded night at Eden Gardens

The full house at Eden Gardens got its share of entertainment—not just from the thrilling contest, but also from a dazzling Bollywood spectacle after the rain cleared at just the right time.

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan kick-started the ceremony, sending the crowd into a frenzy. He greeted spectators and shared his excitement for this year’s IPL before a stellar lineup of performers, including Shreya Ghoshal, Karan Aujla, and Disha Patani, took the stage.

Kohli, playing his 400th Twenty20 match, raced to his 98th half-century in just 30 balls, ensuring that Royal Challengers Bengaluru stay on track in their chase.

Wearing jersey No. 18 in Season 18, he extended his impressive Champions Trophy form, dismantling the KKR bowling attack and raising RCB fans’ hopes of a maiden IPL title. After Padikkal’s exit, skipper Rajat Patidar looked at ease, guiding RCB’s chase alongside Kohli.

After 15 overs, RCB are 157 for two after 15 overs, with Kohli unbeaten on 58 and Patidar on 30 off just 14 balls. For RCB, it’s as good as over—they need just 18 runs in five overs.

RCB enter a crucial phase of the contest, reaching 104 for one at the halfway mark. Salt, after scoring his first half-century for RCB, departed in the ninth over. But the left-right combination of Devdutt Padikkal and Kohli has kept the runs flowing. There is little to separate the two teams, as KKR were 107 for two at the same stage. However, quick wickets earlier didn’t allow their new batters enough time to settle.

RCB’s batting might was on full display as Phil Salt and Virat Kohli’s aggressive start ensured that the rest of the batters did not need to take undue risks after the powerplay.

The wicket has been gripping a bit once the ball gets old, but RCB’s openers made the most of the new ball, racing to 80 for no loss in six overs. The England opener is one run short of his half-century, having reached 49 off 23 balls, and continues to trouble the KKR bowlers with clean strikes.

The KKR spinners will pose a challenge once the field spreads, but with fewer than 100 runs needed in 14 overs, RCB simply need to bat sensibly to see the chase through.

Chase master Kohli, last season’s Orange Cap winner, has picked up right where he left off. However, Ramandeep Singh dropped a tough chance off the star batter—one KKR may come to regret. Kohli’s wicket remains the key for KKR.

RCB bowlers pegged back the KKR batters, restricting them to a chaseable target in the IPL opener. When Rahane and Narine were at the crease, it seemed Bengaluru would be chasing a total well beyond 220.

But the twin wickets of Narine and Rahane gave RCB the breakthrough they were looking for, and they never allowed the rest of the batting lineup to settle. Only young Angkrish Raghuvanshi managed to get some bat on the ball, scoring 30, as the Knight Riders finished their innings at 174 for eight in 20 overs.

Left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya spun a web with three wickets while Yash Dayal and Josh Hazlewood kept the run flow in check.

While RCB’s bowlers deserve huge credit for pulling things back, the pitch is not one where the old ball stops coming onto the bat. Hence, Virat Kohli—the chase master—will need to play the anchor role and ensure there is no repeat of their loss in the opener 17 seasons ago.

The Indian Premier League Season 18 got off to a blazing start with Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane leading the way with a quickfire half-century. But just when the hosts were taking control of the match, two quick wickets brought Royal Challengers Bengaluru back into the game on Saturday.

After 11 overs, Kolkata are...

Krunal Pandya forced Rahane into a false shot just after the 10-over mark. The KKR skipper fell for 56 off 31 deliveries.

Rain stays away as Bollywood stars dazzle

The heavy rains that were threatening to spoil the fun seemed to have stayed away, allowing the players and Bollywood stars to take centre stage. Superstar Shah Rukh Khan led the entertainment at a jam-packed Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

SRK kick-started the ceremony, sending the crowd into a frenzy. He greeted the spectators and expressed his excitement about this year's IPL tournament, followed by a stellar lineup of performers, including Shreya Ghoshal, Karan Aujla, and Disha Patani.

Rahane, Narine go big before RCB strike

After ICC President Jay Shah rang the bell to start the match between the teams that played the inaugural IPL game 18 years ago, Rahane and West Indian all-rounder Sunil Narine launched a six-hitting spree, smashing 11 sixes in the first 10 overs.

Just when RCB were losing hope, pacer Rasik Salam broke the dangerous partnership, dismissing Narine for 44. The left-hander edged a short-pitched delivery to Phil Salt, ending a 103-run stand for the second wicket.

RCB’s early gamble

After winning the toss and electing to bowl first, RCB’s new skipper must have hoped to capitalise on the damp pitch. The early wicket of Quinton de Kock seemed to vindicate his decision, but Kolkata's aggressive batting quickly put the visitors under pressure.

Teams:

Kolkata Knight Riders: Venkatesh Iyer, Quinton de Kock (wk), Ajinkya Rahane (capt), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Spencer Johnson.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Phil Salt (wk), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar (capt), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma , Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal.