RCB Crushes KKR in IPL 2025 Opener
The IPL 2025 season kicked off with a bang, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) made a serious statement. They absolutely dominated the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), winning by seven wickets with plenty of balls to spare. It was a night where RCB's new recruits truly stepped up, showing the impact of their off-season moves.
RCB's New Faces Make Immediate Impact
After a much-anticipated mega auction, all eyes were on how the new squads would perform. For RCB, the answer was: brilliantly. Josh Hazlewood was superb with the ball, using the bouncy pitch to his advantage, finishing with figures of 4-0-22-2, curtailing KKR's scoring both early and late. Krunal Pandya also had a great outing, taking three crucial wickets, including breaking the promising partnership between Ajinkya Rahane and Sunil Narine. Even Suyash Sharma, though expensive at times, picked up the vital wicket of Andre Russell.
Salt and Kohli Sealed the Deal
Chasing 175, Phil Salt, a new addition to the RCB lineup, smashed a quickfire 56 off just 31 balls, taking the pressure off immediately. Then, in true King Kohli fashion, Virat Kohli himself took charge, scoring an unbeaten 59 off 36 balls to guide RCB to a comfortable victory.
KKR's Flashes of Brilliance Not Enough
KKR did have periods of dominance. The opening pair of Rahane (56) and Narine (44) stitched a quick 103 run partnership. However outside of these seven overs, the team struggled.
In short, it was a perfect start for RCB, and a wake-up call for KKR. The new IPL season is underway, and it's already delivering exciting cricket
