Virat Kohli and Phil Salt matched each other’s batting tempo in the opening match of IPL 2025 against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens. Virat, who generally takes a back seat if the batter from the other end deals in fours and sixes, was aggressive against Ajinkya Rahane’s team from the start.
Kohli and Salt slammed the fifties and added 95 runs in 8.3 overs while chasing 175. Virat remained unbeaten on 59 runs off 36 balls as RCB won the match by 7 wickets. Salt managed 56 runs off 31 deliveries.
Their aggression impressed India and CSK player Suresh Raina, who made a bold prediction about the two batters. Salt was not retained by KKR before the mega auction, and he punished his former franchise for not trusting him.
“It was a trailer by Virat Kohli and Phil Salt. When this tournament finishes, they will be the most dangerous opening pair of IPL 2025. For me, they are the best openers in this edition of the league,” Suresh Raina said in Star Sports.
Robin Uthappa agreed with what Raina said. “If they keep batting on these kinds of surfaces, they will score many runs,” he said.
Meanwhile, Krunal Pandya was named the Player of the Match for dismissing three key batters – Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer, and Rinku Singh.