Eden Gardens lit up as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by seven wickets, marking a roaring start to their IPL 2025 campaign. With a clinical display of batting and bowling, RCB achieved the target of 175 with 22 balls to spare.
Winning the toss, RCB’s captain Rajat Patidar opted to bowl. KKR’s innings was fueled by a stellar 103-run stand between Ajinkya Rahane (56 off 31) and Sunil Narine (44 off 26). However, tight bowling from Krunal Pandya (3/29) restricted KKR to 174/8.
RCB’s chase began in style as Phil Salt hammered a fiery 56 off 31 balls, giving them an explosive start in the powerplay. Virat Kohli, in his 400th T20 appearance, anchored the innings with an unbeaten 59 from 36 deliveries, displaying his signature class. Patidar’s rapid 34 off 16 balls and Livingstone’s quick 15* off 5 sealed the deal in just 16.2 overs.
For KKR, this loss emphasized their bowling struggles, unable to defend a competitive total. As for RCB, they’ve asserted their dominance early, promising an exciting season ahead.
