On a night packed with drama, milestones and momentum swings, five batters rose above the rest to set Kolkata's Eden Gardens alight in the IPL 2025 opener between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Saturday.
Virat Kohli marked his 400th T20 appearance with a vintage unbeaten 59, while Phil Salt torched his former team with a fiery 56.
Ajinkya Rahane answered his critics in style with a captain’s knock, Sunil Narine turned back the clock with a surprise blitz, and youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi impressed with a composed cameo.
As IPL 2025 kicked off with fireworks, it was the bat that spoke loudest.
Take a look at the best knocks from the match:
Virat Kohli Shines Bright in 400th T20
All eyes were on Eden Gardens for the IPL 2025 curtain-raiser, and Virat Kohli made sure the spotlight stayed firmly on him.
In his milestone 400th T20 appearance, he produced a masterclass in chasing, anchoring Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s emphatic seven-wicket win over defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders with a sublime 59 off 36 balls.
Chasing 175, it was Kohli’s calming presence and calculated aggression that stole the show. Opening the innings alongside Phil Salt, Kohli began with a signature flick for four -- his trademark announcement that he was in the mood. While Salt went on an early rampage, Kohli joined the six-hitting spree with precision and poise.
In a standout moment, he launched back-to-back sixes off Spencer Johnson, first a 63-meter strike over long-off, then an even bigger 75-metre hit, drawing roars from the Eden crowd.
Kohli was at his fluent best -- effortless in timing, sharp in placement and utterly in control.
RCB flew to 80-0 in the powerplay, their best-ever start against KKR, with Kohli and Salt stitching a blistering 95-run partnership in just 7.2 overs.
After Salt’s dismissal for 56, Kohli kept the intensity high. When he took on Varun Chakravarthy -- a contest many fans had anticipated -- he didn't disappoint. He slog-swept the leg-spinner over long-on before raising his bat to thunderous chants of 'Kohli! Kohli!' from the Kolkata crowd. It wasn’t just another half-century; it was his 30-ball fifty in a marquee clash, marked by clean, controlled aggression.
Along the way, Kohli also etched yet another record -- crossing 1,000 IPL runs against KKR, becoming the first player to achieve this milestone against four different teams.
His unbeaten knock, adorned with three sixes and four boundaries, was the glue in RCB’s chase. And, fittingly, Kohli was at the crease when Liam Livingstone (15 off 5) struck the winning runs in the 17th over, sealing a dominant win for the visitors.
The night -- loud, electric, and unforgettable -- belonged to Virat Kohli. In his 18th IPL season, the RCB icon did not just turn back the clock; he owned the moment! The poise, the passion, the precision... it was vintage Kohli in full flight.
With two points secured and their leader looking as driven as ever, RCB have sounded an early warning to the rest of the league.
The road to a maiden IPL title is long, but with Kohli setting the tone, Bengaluru’s 2025 campaign couldn’t have asked for a more emphatic start.
Phil Salt sizzles against former team
From the moment he took strike, Phil Salt looked like a man on a mission. Against his former franchise, the Englishman wasted no time in shifting gears, launching Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL 2025 campaign with an explosive 56 off just 31 balls, an innings that not only rattled Kolkata Knight Riders early but also laid the perfect foundation for RCB’s clinical chase.
Salt opened his account with authority, punishing Vaibhav Arora in his second over with two crisp fours and a towering six. His shot selection was fearless, his timing impeccable. But the real fireworks began when KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane turned to his trump card, Varun Chakravarthy, India’s in-form spinner and a recent Champions Trophy hero.
Unfazed by Chakravarthy’s reputation, Salt went on the offensive, dismantling the mystery spinner with ruthless efficiency. In a stunning 21-run over, he smashed him for 4, 6, 4, 4 in succession -- first a clean loft over mid-off, then a six thumped over the same region, followed by a sharp drive past mid-on, and a final slog-swept boundary to deep square.
It was calculated carnage. Salt wasn’t just surviving spin, he was dominating it.
His 25-ball half-century came in a blur, peppered with nine boundaries and two sixes, and helped RCB roar to 80-0 in the powerplay, their second-highest powerplay score in IPL history.
Salt’s aggression meant the required run rate dropped below seven, putting the pressure squarely back on the defending champions.
Just as he looked set for a much bigger score, Chakravarthy found redemption. But, by then, the damage was already done.
Salt's 95-run opening stand with Kohli was the beating heart of RCB’s chase. More than just a blistering cameo, his knock sent a clear message: he’s not just a top-order option; he’s a game-changer!
“Batting with Virat was special,” Salt later said. “We haven’t had too many innings together, so to get that kind of start in game one was massive.”
If this is what Salt brings to the top for RCB this season, opposition attacks better buckle up. Because when he’s in the mood, Salt doesn’t just build innings; tears them apart.
Rahane silences critics with fiery 56
Kolkata Knight Riders’ new captain, Ajinkya Rahane, made a powerful statement in the IPL 2025 curtain-raiser, turning in a vintage performance that silenced doubters and reignited belief in his T20 credentials.
On a night when questions swirled around his appointment, he responded with his bat, leading from the front with a fearless 56 off just 31 balls.
Coming in at No. 3 after Quinton de Kock’s early exit, Rahane wasted no time asserting himself. He found the boundary with ease, setting the tempo for Kolkata’s innings and shifting pressure onto the Royal Challengers Bengaluru attack. His intent was clear from ball one. He raced to a 25-ball half-century, mixing textbook timing with uncharacteristic aggression. He dismantled RCB’s spinners, especially Suyash Sharma and Krunal Pandya, and even took on pacers like Yash Dayal and Rasikh Salam with clean, confident hitting.
In one particularly dominant over, he smacked Rasikh for a four and back-to-back sixes, leaving the Eden Gardens crowd roaring.
His dynamic partnership with Sunil Narine was another highlight. While Narine took a few balls to get going, Rahane kept the scoreboard ticking with audacious stroke-play. The duo added a 103-run stand off just 55 deliveries, guiding KKR from early trouble to a commanding position by the halfway mark.
His dismissal -- caught off Krunal Pandya after a 56-run blitz --came as relief for RCB.
The decision to hand the 36-year-old Rahane the captaincy over younger contenders like Venkatesh Iyer had raised eyebrows, especially after a quiet 2024 season with Chennai Super Kings. But with a wealth of leadership experience -- having captained India, Rajasthan Royals and Rising Pune Supergiants -- Rahane brought composure, clarity, and, on the night, a touch of class.
In an era dominated by power-hitters and flashy finishes, Rahane's innings was a masterclass in timing, intent and leadership. If this is the tone he sets for the rest of the season, KKR might have found not just a captain, but a game-changer.
Sunil Narine Turns Back the Clock
Sunil Narine might be best known for his wizardry with the ball, but at the Eden Gardens, it was his bat that did the talking. The explosive West Indian turned back the clock with a blazing 44 off just 26 deliveries, forming the backbone of Kolkata Knight Riders' fightback after an early jolt in their IPL 2025 opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
But Narine, batted with intent and turned the momentum on its head. Joining hands with new captain Rahane, he unleashed a counterattack that stunned both the opposition and the crowd.
Together, Narine and Rahane stitched a stunning 103-run stand for the third wicket off just 55 balls, scoring at over 10 runs per over and putting the pressure right back on RCB.
The West Indian provided the fireworks, peppering the field with powerful strokes and forcing field changes with every over.
However, the partnership wasn't without drama. In the seventh over, Rasikh Salam bowled a short delivery that sailed high above Narine’s head. Attempting a pull shot, Narine missed the ball, but in the process, his bat swung around and accidentally clipped the stumps, dislodging the bails. The square-leg umpire immediately signalled a wide, citing the delivery’s excessive height, but confusion erupted over whether Narine should be ruled out hit-wicket.
RCB, particularly Rajat Patidar, were visibly animated and debated appealing. But the umpire maintained that the ball was dead the moment it was called a wide. With no formal appeal lodged, Narine survived the bizarre moment -- a lucky break that proved costly for Bengaluru.
Unfazed by the controversy, Narine capitalised on the lifeline and resumed his onslaught. His fearless intent kept the scoreboard ticking and ensured KKR recovered from their early loss. Though he eventually fell short of a well-deserved half-century, his 44-run blitz proved vital in setting up a defendable total.
Raghuvanshi Impresses with Calm Cameo
Angkrish Raghuvanshi may be one of the youngest faces in the Kolkata Knight Riders squad, but he continues to show maturity beyond his years. After making his debut for KKR in IPL 2024, the franchise retained faith in the 20-year-old batter by picking him up again for the 2025 season at a modest Rs 30 lakh -- a decision that’s already showing promise.
In a high-pressure season opener at Eden Gardens, Raghuvanshi stood out in the latter half of KKR’s innings with a composed 30 off 22 balls. Coming in during a tricky phase, with momentum slowing after the dismissals of Rahane and Narine, the youngster played with intent and clarity. He rotated the strike smartly and didn’t shy away from taking on the bowlers, striking two crisp boundaries and a towering six to inject some much-needed energy into the innings.
With KKR eyeing a final flourish, Raghuvanshi looked set to accelerate further in the death overs. His footwork was sharp, his shot selection measured, and his body language oozed confidence. But just as he seemed primed for a big finish, Yash Dayal, handed the crucial 19th over by RCB, delivered the breakthrough. The left-armer dismissed Raghuvanshi with a well-directed delivery, ending a promising knock that could have made a bigger difference had it lasted a few balls longer.
Still, in an innings that fizzled out after a strong start, Raghuvanshi's cameo was one of the few bright spots for KKR. His 30-run contribution helped push the total to 174 for 8, which, while below par, at least gave the bowlers something to work with.
KKR vs RCB: Who Played The Best Knock?
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