The IPL 2025 season kicked off with a bang on March 22, 2025, at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) demolished defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 7 wickets with 22 balls to spare. Chasing 175, RCB rode on Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 59* and Phil Salt’s explosive 56, while Krunal Pandya’s 3/29 turned the game with the ball to earn Player of the Match honors. Here’s your full rundown of the KKR vs RCB IPL 2025 highlights—every six, wicket, and game-changing moment!
Match Snapshot
🏏 Match: KKR vs RCB, IPL 2025 Match 1
📅 Date: March 22, 2025
🏟️ Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
📋 Result: RCB won by 7 wickets (22 balls remaining)
🏆 Player of the Match: Krunal Pandya (3/29)
KKR Innings: Rahane’s Blitz Fades to 174/8
KKR, batting first after RCB won the toss, got off to a shaky start when Josh Hazlewood dismissed Quinton de Kock for 4(5) in the first over, caught brilliantly by Jitesh Sharma diving low. Captain Ajinkya Rahane (56 off 31, 6 fours, 4 sixes) and Sunil Narine (44 off 26, 5 fours, 3 sixes) then took charge, stitching a 103-run stand. Rahane’s wristy flicks and Narine’s power-hitting—highlighted by a 92m six off Rasikh Salam—had KKR eyeing 200+.
But RCB fought back. Krunal Pandya struck gold in the 11th over, trapping Rahane with a clever short ball, caught by Rasikh Salam at deep backward square. Narine fell soon after to Salam, and the collapse began. Krunal’s street-smart spin (3/29) dismantled KKR’s middle order—Venkatesh Iyer (6), Rinku Singh (12), and Andre Russell (4) all bowled—while Suyash Sharma’s googly cleaned up Russell. From 107/1 in 10 overs, KKR slumped to 174/8, with Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s 30(22) offering late resistance. RCB’s pace-off strategy and Jitesh’s three catches turned the tide.
Key Moment: Krunal’s 15th over—Rinku bowled for 12—shifted momentum decisively.
RCB Chase: Salt and Kohli Set Eden Ablaze
Chasing 175, RCB’s openers Phil Salt and Virat Kohli unleashed carnage. Salt smashed 56 off 31 (9 fours, 2 sixes), tearing into Vaibhav Arora (0/32) and Varun Chakravarthy (1/43)—a 21-run over off Varun in the 4th set the tone. Kohli, anchoring with 59* off 36 (5 fours, 2 sixes), reached 1,000 IPL runs vs KKR, his lofted cover drives and slogsweeps pure class. RCB raced to 80/0 in the powerplay—second only to their 92/1 vs GT in 2024.
Salt fell to Chakravarthy in the 9th, caught by Spencer Johnson, but Kohli kept the pedal down. Rajat Patidar’s quickfire 34 off 16 (5 fours, 1 six) sealed the deal, though he holed out to Rinku Singh off Vaibhav Arora. Liam Livingstone (15* off 5, 1 four, 1 six) finished it in style with a six and four off Spencer Johnson in the 17th, handing RCB a statement win with 22 balls left—their second-best chase of 175+ in IPL history.
Key Moment: Salt and Kohli’s 80-run powerplay blitz—KKR never recovered.
Standout Performances
- Krunal Pandya (RCB): 3/29 in 4 overs—broke KKR’s backbone, earning Player of the Match.
- Quote: “I had to narrow my focus against this crowd—glad I delivered.”
- Virat Kohli (RCB): 59* off 36—unbeaten, unflappable, and a milestone 1,000 runs vs KKR.
- Expert: “Kohli, like Muhammad Ali, knows when to pack a punch,” says Murali Kartik.
- Phil Salt (RCB): 56 off 31—destructive debut, dismantling KKR’s plans.
- Ajinkya Rahane (KKR): 56 off 31—fearless captain’s knock, but not enough.
Turning Points
- Krunal’s Triple Strike: Dismissing Rahane, Iyer, and Rinku in quick succession—KKR slid from 107/1 to 145/5.
- RCB’s Powerplay (80/0): Salt and Kohli’s onslaught left KKR’s bowlers shell-shocked.
- Russell’s Flop: Bowled by Suyash’s googly for 4—KKR’s big-hitter silenced.
Post-Match Buzz
- Rajat Patidar (RCB Captain): “A good day—Krunal and Suyash showed courage. Learning from Kohli is a privilege.”
- Ajinkya Rahane (KKR Captain): “We were good till the 13th over, but 2-3 wickets changed it. 174 was under-par.”
- Net Run Rate Boost: RCB’s 22-ball win gives them an early NRR edge.
KKR vs RCB IPL 2025 Highlights – What’s Next?
RCB’s emphatic win snaps a run of six losses in seven games against KKR since IPL 2021, signaling intent under new skipper Rajat Patidar. For KKR, it’s back to the drawing board after a batting collapse spoiled Rahane’s heroics. IPL 2025 rolls on with a double-header tomorrow—stay tuned to HealthNPlay for every thrilling moment!
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