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IPL-2025: RCB crushes KKR on opening night
RCB crushes KKR on opening night
Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 7 wickets at the Eden Gardens in the IPL season opener.
The first IPL after the latest big auction brought plenty of excitement, with new teams and players making waves. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) started their 2025 campaign on a high note, defeating defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in style.
Josh Hazlewood took advantage of the bouncy Eden Gardens pitch to disrupt KKR's plans, finishing with figures of 4-0-22-1. Krunal Pandya impressed by dismissing Ajinkya Rahane after his brisk fifty and ended with 4-0-29-3. Suyash Sharma had a tough night but managed to grab Andre Russell's key wicket. Phil Salt shone in the chase, smashing 56 off 31 balls, matching Rahane's earlier score. Virat Kohli, a stalwart for RCB, then wrapped up the game with a composed 59 off 36 balls, leading RCB to chase down the target of 175 with 22 balls to spare.
KKR, known for their bold moves, opted for a cautious approach in their captaincy choice after the auction. Ajinkya Rahane, now their captain, faces the challenge of proving his worth with the bat consistently. He made a promising start alongside Sunil Narine, as the duo powered KKR to 98 runs between the fourth and tenth overs. However, apart from those seven overs, KKR struggled to keep up through the rest of the game.
Hazlewood's Bowling Masterclass
Josh Hazlewood, returning to IPL action after missing the previous season, showcased his brilliance upfront. Acquired again by RCB in the auction, Hazlewood didn’t show any signs of rust despite a long injury break. Utilizing his height and skills perfectly, he bowled hard lengths with good pace and extra bounce. In just two overs at the start, which account for 10% of a T20 innings, he rattled KKR's top order. Quinton de Kock was dropped off his bowling in the first over but was dismissed two balls later. Hazlewood then made Sunil Narine struggle with his sharp deliveries in the third over. It was a dominant spell that set the tone for RCB's success.
Ajinkya Rahane started strong with a high-energy innings, capitalizing on straight deliveries from RCB's bowlers. He scored his first 30 runs exclusively on the leg side. Sunil Narine, after a shaky start dealing with the pitch's uneven bounce, joined Rahane's scoring spree, making KKR's slow start a distant memory. A highlight moment was Narine taking on his former teammate, Suyash Sharma, and smashing 22 runs in the ninth over, favoring shots over the off side.
Krunal Pandya Turns the Tide for RCB
With KKR at 107 for 1 in under 10 overs, Narine fell to extra bounce from Rasikh Salam, opening the door for RCB's comeback. Krunal Pandya took charge with his clever bowling variations. In each of his first three overs, he struck with quicker deliveries, dismissing Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer, and Rinku Singh. Rahane was caught at deep midwicket, while the latter two were bowled.
Andre Russell then came to the crease, prompting RCB to employ leg-spin bowling. Russell's known struggles against wrong'uns persisted, as he misread one from Suyash Sharma and was bowled, losing his middle stump. Since 2018, Russell has averaged 13.41 and struck at 123.24 against wrong'uns, making this dismissal a crucial breakthrough worth approximately 40 runs for RCB.
Salt Shines Against His Former Team
Phil Salt, who was instrumental in KKR's title win last year with his exceptional performances, reminded them of their mistake in letting him go. He set the tone for RCB's chase by smashing the very first ball through mid-off for four. His aggressive intent didn't waver, and with Virat Kohli also in top gear during the powerplay, RCB piled on the pressure. KKR brought in Varun Chakravarthy as early as the fourth over, but Salt hammered him for 20 runs, benefiting from the ball losing grip due to the dew.
By the time Varun dismissed Salt, RCB were comfortably placed at 95 in just 8.3 overs. With the asking rate down to under seven, Kohli ensured there were no slip-ups. What excited RCB fans even more was Kohli's determination to boost their net run rate. He displayed intent by slog-sweeping Varun for six in the spinner's final over when playing it safe might have been enough. New captain Rajat Patidar also chipped in with a quickfire 34 off 16 balls, helping RCB seal an emphatic victory.
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