Bengaluru Starts IPL 2025 with a Stunning Win Over Kolkata

Royal Challengers Bengaluru made a spectacular start to IPL 2025 by defeating defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders in the opening match.

In the match held at Kolkata’s home ground on Saturday, Bengaluru secured a convincing 7-wicket victory. Chasing a target of 175 runs, Bengaluru reached the total in just 16.2 overs, losing only three wickets.

Virat Kohli led the charge with an unbeaten 59 off 36 balls, hitting four fours and three sixes. He shared a solid 95-run opening partnership with Phil Salt, who smashed 56 runs off 31 balls, including nine fours and two sixes.

Captain Rajat Patidar contributed 34 runs off 16 balls with five fours and one six, while Devdutt Padikkal was dismissed for 10. Liam Livingstone remained unbeaten with a quickfire 15 off 5 balls.

For Kolkata, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, and Sunil Narine took one wicket each.

Earlier, after losing the toss and batting first at Eden Gardens, Kolkata posted a total of 174/8 in 20 overs.

Captain Ajinkya Rahane top-scored with 56 off 31 balls, hitting six fours and four sixes. He shared a crucial 103-run partnership for the second wicket with Sunil Narine, who contributed 44 runs off 26 balls with five fours and three sixes.

Despite a strong start at 107/1, Kolkata’s middle-order collapsed, losing seven wickets for just 67 runs. In the last five overs, they managed only 29 runs while losing three wickets.

Angkrish Raghuvanshi added 30 runs off 22 balls with two fours and a six. For Bengaluru, Krunal Pandya took three wickets, while Josh Hazlewood claimed two. Yash Dayal, Rasikh Salam, and Suyash Sharma took one wicket each.