Krunal, Kohli, and Salt Shine as KKR Fall on IPL 2025 Opening Night

The IPL 2025 season kicked off in explosive fashion, with Krunal Pandya, Virat Kohli, and Phil Salt leading their team to a dominant victory over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Krunal Pandya’s All-Round Brilliance Krunal Pandya turned the match on its head with a stellar all-round performance. He not only contributed with the bat but also played a crucial role with the ball, stifling KKR’s middle order and ensuring they never gained momentum. Kohli and Salt's Destructive Opening Stand Chasing a tricky total, Virat Kohli and Phil Salt put on a batting masterclass, dismantling KKR’s bowling attack. Kohli’s experience combined with Salt’s explosive strokeplay saw them thrash the bowlers all around the park, setting the tone for a comfortable chase. KKR Struggle to Find Answers Despite a few moments of brilliance from Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, KKR struggled to put up a competitive fight. Their batting lacked fluency, and their bowlers had no response to the relentless aggression from Kohli and Salt. A Perfect Start for Their Team With this dominant victory, Krunal, Kohli, and Salt have given their team the perfect start to IPL 2025, setting the stage for an exciting season ahead. 💥🏏 RCB’s New Signings Shine in IPL 2025 Opener Against KKR The first IPL after the mega auction brought fresh team combinations and new match-winners to the fore, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) made a dominant start against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens. Hazlewood, Krunal, and Suyash Make an Impact Josh Hazlewood set the tone with a disciplined spell of 4-0-22-1, using the spongy bounce to stifle KKR’s batting in both the powerplay and death overs. Krunal Pandya was the standout bowler, dismantling KKR’s middle order with 3 wickets for 29 runs in 4 overs, including the crucial scalp of Ajinkya Rahane, who had earlier struck a fluent fifty (56 off 31). Suyash Sharma, despite an otherwise ordinary outing, landed a massive breakthrough, removing Andre Russell before he could unleash his power-hitting. Salt and Kohli Dominate the Chase Phil Salt made an explosive impact, matching Rahane’s 56 off 31 balls, ensuring that RCB were always ahead in the chase. Virat Kohli, a pillar of RCB’s batting for years, calmly guided his team home with 59 off 36 balls, finishing the job with 22 balls to spare in pursuit of 175. Perfect Start for RCB With their new signings delivering on debut, RCB’s revamped squad clicked instantly, sending an early warning to other teams. For KKR, despite Rahane’s knock, they will need to regroup quickly to defend their title.