Kohli-Salt opening duo unleash fireworks as RCB thrash KKR in IPL 2025 curtain-raiser

RCB got off to a rollicking start to IPL 2025 as they steamrolled the reigning champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, in the curtain-raiser at the Eden Gardens. It was a show of all-round brilliance from the Royal Challengers, propelling them across the finish line despite a formidable asking rate on board.

Winning the toss, RCB opted to bowl first. Josh Hazlewood’s opening over saw KKR enmeshed deeply in the early jitters. Despite being pummeled away for a boundary earlier, Hoff produced a couple of rippers that saw Quinton de Kock (4) skying one that was dropped followed by an inswinger that took a faint nick off his inside-edge and flew into the gloves of Jitesh Sharma.

The fall of de Kock, however, didn’t dampen the Kolkata spirits as Ajinkya Rahane (56) and Sunil Narine (44) put up a fiery show for the second wicket. Adding 107 runs off just 49 balls, KKR looked to be in cruise control until Rasikh Salam Dar produced an important breakthrough in the form of Narine.

Narine’s fall smashed open the floodgates and Krunal Pandya took the opportunity to storm through. The very next over saw Rahane’s valiant effort to try and pull Pandya land in the safe arms of Rasikh Salam Dar. From thereon, RCB took over the charge and started pushing KKR on the backfoot.

Pandya spearheaded the charge with a three-fer, scalping Venkatesh Iyer and Rinku Singh next. He had support from Hoff who registered a brace while Yash Dayal, Rasikh Salam and Suyash Sharma claimed a wicket apiece. Despite soaring at 107/1 at the fag end of the first half of the innings, KKR could only manage 174/8 at the end of 20 overs.

RCB didn’t want to waste any time whatsoever as their openers, Virat Kohli and Phillip Salt started off with a banger. The duo cruised to 95 runs in the first nine overs before KKR could apply the brakes. Salt led the charge in Kolkata, sparking a thunderstorm of boundaries and over-boundaries. Kohli played the silent anchor in the first over that he faced but was soon back to his destructive mode, obliterating the Knights in his own smooth fashion.

Salt smashed 56 off 31, hammering nine fours and two sixes before Varun Chakravarthy could finally get him to mishit. Devdutt Padikkal couldn’t really conjure the impact that RCB would have anticipated but Captain Rajat looked in terrific touch for his breezy cameo.

He smashed 34 off just 16 balls, rocking five fours and a six before Vaibhav Arora could finally get him out. Despite losing Patidar in the final stretch of the chase, it was a matter of mere moments for RCB from thereon, Liam Livingstone was next to walk out and what followed thereafter was an explosive burst of boundaries to quell the game once and for all.

Virat Kohli stayed unbeaten for 59 off 36 while Livingstone wreaked sheer carnage with an unbeaten 15 off just five balls. RCB registered a monumental win by seven wickets and 22 balls to spare. Krunal Pandya won the Player of the Match award for his defining bowling performance.