Phil Salt struck a blistering 56 as Royal Challengers Bengaluru thumped champions Kolkata Knight Riders in a successful begin to their IPL marketing campaign.
Chasing 175 for victory, the three-time runners-up rode Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 59 and Salt’s 56 on the prime of the innings to comfortably attain their goal in 16.2 overs.
Salt smashed ace spinner Varun Chakarvarthy (1-43) for 21 runs in a single over contained in the powerplay and Bengaluru’s ever-present talisman Kohli additionally confirmed loads of aggression, lifting Australian quick bowler Spencer Johnson for 2 back-to-back straight sixes.
Varun Chakarvarthy offered the belated breakthrough when Salt was caught at quick third as he tried one other huge hit towards the spinner within the ninth over.
Kohli, taking part in in his 18th IPL marketing campaign and four-hundredth Twenty20 match total, continued to heap strain on the Kolkata bowlers with new skipper Rajat Patidar (34) earlier than Liam Livingstone (15 not out) hit the successful runs.
Salt mentioned he was most happy by his 95-run partnership with Kohli which set the tone for the victory.
“We haven’t batted much together, Virat and I, so to go out and put a partnership together was the most important thing for us in game one,” Salt mentioned.
“It’s a ground I know very well. I had a clear and simple game plan and I would have liked to go on a bit longer, but it wasn’t to be.”
Earlier, seamer Josh Hazlewood (2-22) marked his return from a hip damage that pressured him out of Australia’s Champions Trophy marketing campaign by taking the wicket of Quinton de Kock within the opening over after Bengaluru received the toss and opted to bowl.
The pre-match menace of thunderstorms didn’t materialise nevertheless it rained fours and sixes at Eden Gardens thereafter as Kolkata seemed to be on a mission to develop into the primary crew within the league’s historical past to breach the 300-run barrier.
Veteran batsman Ajinkya Rahane led the way in which as Kolkata’s new captain with brutal ball-striking in his 31-ball 56 and though his dismissal together with that of Sunil Narine for 44 stalled the house aspect, they nonetheless had loads of firepower left.
Nonetheless, a few wickets in fast succession by way of Krunal Pandya (3-29) because the ball started to grip the floor meant that the hosts in the end ended up with a below-par 174-8 because of teenager Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s 30.
“We have to learn from our mistakes,” mentioned Rahane. “We have the batting power to go out and express ourselves. We tried our best but it didn’t work out today.
“We thought that 210-220 on this wicket can be achievable, however two to a few wickets within the center overs modified the momentum.”
Watch all 74 matches from the 2025 IPL dwell on Sky Sports activities Cricket, as much as and together with with the ultimate in Kolkata on Sunday Could 25.
