A statement win from Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League 2025 season opener against champions Kolkata Knight Riders was a ride for fans. RCB blew KKR away at Eden Gardens on Saturday, making themselves heard in what was a sturdy show with bat and ball. At one stage, KKR looked like getting 220-230 on the board after being 107/1 at one stage. However, the Knight Riders lost shine thereafter and were restricted to 174/8 in 20 overs. They lost 7 wickets for 67 runs and didn’t find any sort of momentum. In response, RCB were off to a massive start and they kept the momentum with Phil Salt and Virat Kohli shining. They won the contest in 16.2 overs, scoring 177/3.
Earlier, KKR struggled in the first 3 overs, scoring 9/1. Skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Sunil Narine then added a free-flowing 103 runs for the 2nd wicket. Just when things were looking bright, Narine and Rahane departed in quick succession. KKR were abysmal after that with the bat and struggled to find any grip as RCB bowlers mastered their offerings. Krunal Pandya and Josh Hazlewood were the superstars for RCB, sharing 5 scalps.
And then during the run-chase, RCB showed meat. Former KKR man Salt decimated the bowlers as Kohli too played an attacking game. Their 95-run stand and 80 runs in the power play saw RCB master this chase. Skipper Rajat Patidar did well with a brisk 34. Salt and Kohli both slammed fifties.
A win with 22 balls to spare was superb for RCB as it will boost their NRR massively. The dew coming down did not help KKR but they were well short with bat and ball. Their bowling was dismal as a unit and this helped RCB largely.
Here we analyse three heroes and three zeroes from the KKR-RCB contest.
Heroes
Krunal Pandya: The veteran left-arm spinner started the game on a poor note, giving away 15 runs. This was during the power play. Patidar waited to bring Krunal back and once Narine was dismissed, he was brought back instantly and the move paid off. Krunal dismissed the set Rahane for 56 runs. It was the 4th time he got the batter out in the IPL. And then KKR were handed more blows in the form of Venkatesh Iyer and Rinku Singh. Both left-handers failed to read Krunal and paid the price. Krunal ended up with 3/29 from his 4 overs. He raced to 11 wickets versus KKR in the IPL and 79 overall.
Ajinkya Rahane: KKR may have bit the dust at Eden Gardens but the biggest positive was Rahane leading from the front as a batter. After enjoying good form in the domestic cricket circuit, Rahane was on song from ball number 4. After three dots, he changed gears and played a solid brand of cricket. His stand of 103 with Narine helped KKR gain from a position of discomfort. Rahane led the charge and struck at 180-plus. He scored 56 from 31 balls and slammed 6 fours and three sixes. This can be a massive season for Rahane in KKR colours.
Phil Salt: The England opener smashed the first ball he faced for a four and RCB didn’t look back. Salt, who was in elegant touch last season for KKR, saw the franchise miss out on his services in the mega auction. He made KKR pay for the same and struck 56 from 31 balls. His elegant shots saw him hammer 9 fours and two sixes. Salt showed why he and Kohli can be massive for RCB this season as an opening pair. He toyed with the bowlers and looked in control. This was his 7th IPL fifty.
Zeroes
Venkatesh Iyer: The southpaw garnered loyalty at an expense during the auction. KKR spent 23-plus crore (INR) for Iyer, who was also chased by RCB. And when all eyes were on him, the vice-captain of KKR failed to showcase his credentials at a crucial juncture. He came in when his side was 107/2. What followed was a brief stay at the crease where he perished for 7 runs from six balls. He dragged a flatter delivery of Krunal onto his stumps. He misread the line and paid the price.
Vaibhav Arora: The KKR right-arm pacer was off the mark. Coming on as an impactful player, Arora never looked like threatening RCB. He conceded 12 runs off his first over and gave away another 30 runs off his next two. He earned a consolation wicket towards the end. He looked predictable and easy to deal with, which helped the RCB batters to target his offerings. He bowled too full and asked for punishment and Salt obliged. Arora also missed the trick of bot bowling as per the field.
Andre Russell: The stage was set for Andre Russell to make the difference for KKR. He came in when his side was 145/5 after 15 overs. Russell faced just three balls and scored 4 runs. He was out to Suyash Sharma, who leaked the most runs for RCB. Seeing the side lose its way, Russell had just hit Suyash for a four. However, greed got the better of him as he went for a slog against a tossed up googly. The slog shot off a ball that lacked pace saw Suyash rattle the stumps. Russell’s wicket left KKR dry and cold at 150/6.