Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Highlights, IPL 2025: Virat Kohli's '1000-Run' Feat Helps RCB Drub Defending Champions KKR
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Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Highlights, IPL 2025: RCB beat reigning champions KKR by 7 wickets, reaching their target in just 16.2 overs.
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Highlights, IPL 2025: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) demolished reigning champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by seven wickets in the opening game of IPL 2025 at Eden Gardens on Saturday. KKR managed to post a total of just 174, which RCB chased down in just 16.2 overs. Krunal Pandya (3/29) and Josh Hazlewood (2/22) starred with the ball, before Phil Salt and Virat Kohli showed their class, smashing half-centuries en route to a dominant win. For KKR, captain Ajinkya Rahane's half-century was the only positive. (LIVE SCORECARD)
Virat Kohli on Saturday became the third player to complete 1000-plus runs against Kolkata Knight Rider. With this knock, the stalwart batter completed the 1,000-run mark against the three-time champions. The other two batters to achieve this landmark are former Australia opener David Warner (1093) and former Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma (1070).
IPL 2025 Highlights - Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Straight from the Eden Gardens in Kolkata:
23:12 (IST)
IPL 2025 LIVE: Thank you!
That's a wrap for our coverage of the KKR vs RCB game, but the IPL 2025 festival has only just begun. We have a double-header tomorrow!
KKR vs RCB LIVE: Krunal Pandya wins 'Player of the Match'
Well-deserved award for the all-rounder. The 33-year-old came in when Narine and Rahane were going berserk, and picked up three crucial wickets of Rahane, Venkatesh and Rinku. Turned the tide of the game. Continues to prove his worth year-after-year.
RCB had lost all four of their games against KKR in the last two editions of the IPL, so this will be a welcome win for them. It now reads 15-20, still in favour of the men in purple.
KKR play again in four days' time, as they take on Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati, where RR's stand-in-captain Riyan Parag will feel right at home. KKR will need a much better performance on all aspects.
In a tournament that is decided by small margins, this will be a big net-run-rate setback for KKR. Similarly, a huge boost for RCB. The men in purple will need to put together some big wins to erase the effects of this crushing defeat.
It could've all panned out so differently had KKR managed to build on their start. They were 107/1 in 9.5 overs, remember. There onwards, only one team dominated. Excellent work by Krunal Pandya and Josh Hazlewood, as KKR's middle order fell apart.
FOUR AND VICTORY! RCB beat KKR by 7 wickets, and it is a dominant victory! Liam Livingstone slams it through mid-on for 4, for the winning runs. Virat Kohli stays unbeaten till the end, on 59 off 36 balls.
Huge hit by Liam Livingstone! Short by Spencer Johnson, Livingstone uses the pace and pulls it away over fine leg for a 63m maximum. RCB need 2 more runs to win. This will be huge for their net run rate!
Liam Livingstone has been given a clear message: finish the game as quickly as possible. Pitched short and pulled away by the powerful Brit for 4. Great start, gets applause from Virat Kohli.
Rajat Patidar has done his job! An excellent innings of 34 off 16 balls, but he departs. Rinku Singh takes the catch at deep mid-wicket. Patidar slammed five superb boundaries, and a six, but he won't see his team home.
Rajat Patidar seems to be in a hurry to finish off this run chase. FOUR boundaries off Harshit Rana in the 15th over. RCB need just 18 more in five overs. This will be a statement victory by RCB, at the home of the reigning champions.
Virat Kohli is set to guide his team to victory in another run chase. What a knock he's played. Attacked from ball 1, given the perfect support to Salt, and now leading his team home. The Orange Cap winner of 2024 will wear it from the first match in 2025.
Captain Patidar into the act! Tossed up by Sunil Narine, Patidar sends it well over the ropes for a maxium. First big shot for him. RCB now need only 37 runs in 36 balls. Seems like an easy victory for them at this stage.
Virat Kohli has scored more than 1,000 runs in IPL against 4 different teams: CSK, DC, PBKS and now KKR. His four times is way more than anyone else, with the next best being David Warner against two teams.
VIRAT KOHLI 50! Slams it through the covers for a boundary, reaches his half-century in 30 balls. The 'chasemaster' is at work, and he has been excellent today. Built his innings up perfectly, four 4s and three 6s.
KKR haven't taken a new ball yet. Whether they want to or not is still not clear, but it is up to the umpire's discretion whether it can be implemented.
RCB have Virat Kohli and captain Rajat Patidar at the crease now. They need 56 runs in just 48 balls. These two are the perfect men to have in charge of such a run chase. RCB should get to their target comfortably today.
NARINE STRIKES! Devdutt Padikkal comes down the track, looking to go big. Finds Ramandeep Singh's safe hands at deep mid-wicket. KKR need many more wickets, and quickly, if they are to try and win today.
Virat Kohli clears the ropes! In the slot on this occasion by Varun Chakravarthy, Kohli goes over long on for a clean 6. Up to 45 now, in what has been a classy knock today.
Virat Kohli has now reached 1,000 runs vs KKR in IPL history, but the run almost went wrong! They were trying for two, and Devdutt Padikkal slipped. But the throw from the deep was poor. Padikkal pounced on his lifeline, and got 4 next ball!
Varun Chakravarthy strikes! Salt trying to go for a maximum, gets no timing on it, and a great sharp catch taken by Spencer Johnson at short third man. But Salt has done a fantastic job. He departs for 56 off 31 balls.
Sunil Narine bowls a clean first over, gives away just 5 runs. But this will not be enough. RCB's required run rate is only 7, and they'll cruise to victory at this rate. Still not a single wicket lost by them. KKR need wickets, KKR need an RCB collapse.
Half-century for Phil Salt in just 25 deliveries! Same as Ajinkya Rahane in the first innings, but crucially for RCB, no wicket lost yet. They're cruising towards their target here. Cracking knock by Salt, eight 4s, two 6s.
Amidst Phil Salt's innings, Kohli's incredible start seems to be going under the radar. Takes the offence to Varun immediately, picks the gap between two fielders on the leg side. 34 off 16 now, Kohli.
Harshit Rana with a tight over, gives away only 5 runs. Ramandeep Singh is back up, and seems to be on the field still, which is great news. Time for a strategic timeout, but KKR need a miracle.
Ramandeep Singh seems to be hurt. Mistimed by Kohli, Ramandeep dived to try and take a diving stunner. The ball ricochets off his hands, and he seems to be in a lot of pain here. Let's hope it is nothing serious for Ramandeep.
Phil Salt plays it beautifully, delicately. Short ball, swinging back in. Salt cuts it through third man. Places it exquisitely between two fielders, picks up 4 more. Up to 48 in just 21 balls. RCB are going at 15 runs an over!
VIRAT KOHLI! Incredible hitting. Spencer Johnson bowls two in the slot, Kohli sends them both back over his head, straight and sweet for two 6s! Unreal hitting, RCB are cruising to victory here.
Phil Salt has gone berserk! 21 runs off Varun Chakravarthy's over. RCB have reached 58 in just 4 overs. Incredible, incredible hitting. KKR look clueless at the moment.
Phil Salt is in no mood to respect the opposition bowling! Clears the circle, good hit, 4 runs. Over mid-off. Next ball, hit even cleaner! 6 more, same area. 50 up for RCB in just 3.4 overs. The run chase is looking easy now.
Three boundaries and a six off Vaibhav Arora's second over. RCB are motoring along in fine pace here. Phil Salt the aggressor, but Virat Kohli has found the boundaries as well. Great start by the chasing team.
Phil Salt is making his old team pay! A man so instrumental in KKR's title win last year, now Salt is in the groove against them. First 4, then a big 6 over long-on. Vaibhav Arora going for plenty of runs early on.
Spencer Johnson bowls a neat over. Tightens his line, not giving Salt the room to free his arms. Clever bowling by the Australian left-arm seamer. Just 5 runs off it. KKR need wickets, though. At least a couple in the powerplay to stand a chance.
Spencer Johnson into the attack. Swings it away from Salt in the first two balls. Puts one back in on the third and Salt punishes. Opens the face of the bat, slams it through the covers.
Virat Kohli off the mark with 4! Kohli flicks it over the 30-yard circle. The ball lost momentum as it went towards the boundary, Harshit Rana dived in but it wasn't enough. 12 off the first over, RCB up and running.
BANG! Driven, hard, sweet crunch. Phil Salt starts off in style, with force, with power. RCB off to the best start. Next ball is very wide by Arora, and de Kock does brilliantly to grab it. Not an ideal start for the men in purple.
Remember, we might see a second new ball after the 10th over to counter the dew factor. Could that help KKR defend this total? Vaibhav Arora and Spencer Johnson expected to bowl the opening overs here, with Harshit Rana entering first change.
Virat Kohli and Phil Salt will open the batting for RCB, as expected. KKR bowlers have a tough job ahead of them, with only 175 to defend. Pacer Vaibhav Arora comes in as the impact player for KKR, with Angkrish Raghuvanshi taken off.
Krunal Pandya picked up three huge wickets, getting Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer and Rinku Singh. His 3/29 helped RCB put the brakes on KKR in the middle overs. Fine spell by Hazlewood at the top and the death, ending with figures of 2/22.
KKR were running away with it at 107/1 in 9.5 overs, led by Ajinkya Rahane and Sunil Narine. But crucial wickets by Krunal Pandya and excellent death bowling by Josh Hazlewood and Yash Dayal has meant that they've managed only 174.
