A target of 174 was never going to be enough. Not against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Not at Eden Gardens. And certainly not with Virat Kohli and Phil Salt leading the charge with an explosive start that all but sealed Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) fate in the IPL 2025 opener, with a large portion of the match still left to play.
By the end of just three overs in the chase, RCB had rocketed to 37 runs. Salt was the initial aggressor, but Kohli wasn’t far behind. Then came the over that effectively ended the contest—the fourth of the innings. KKR, forced to bring in Varun Chakravarthy earlier than planned, watched in despair as Salt took apart the seasoned spinner, smashing 2, 4, 6, 4, and 4 after Kohli had rotated the strike off the first ball.
KKR’s key weapon was neutralized in a flash.
Walking the Talk
“This is completely walking the talk—the way Salt and Virat started, and the way Virat ended, was setting a precedent,” former India pacer Varun Aaron observed on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 TimeOut show. “It was like saying, ‘This is the kind of cricket we’re going to play; if you can outscore us, good luck.’”
Former India batter Ambati Rayudu agreed, noting that Chakravarthy’s expensive over “shattered KKR’s confidence completely.”
By the 10th over, RCB stood at a commanding 104 for 1. Comparatively, KKR had been 107 for 2 at the same stage. On paper, not a vast difference. But in reality, the momentum had swung so decisively in RCB’s favor that there was no way back for KKR. And Kohli, the master of chases, was still at the crease.
Rahane Highlights Middle-Overs Collapse as ‘Momentum Shift’
Kohli’s Leadership Through Intent
One of the hallmarks of Kohli’s game has always been his hunger to finish matches, often remaining unbeaten in chases. Against KKR, he didn’t just anchor the innings—he maintained an attacking approach throughout, reinforcing his leadership in the batting department.
“Kohli usually loves to finish games and stay not out,” Rayudu explained. “But here, he stayed not out while maintaining intent. That’s the key takeaway—if Kohli is setting that tone, the other eight batters will follow. That’s a great sight for RCB.”
Kohli’s unbeaten 59 off 36 balls (4 fours, 3 sixes) was a masterclass in controlled aggression. His fifty came up in the 13th over with a boundary off Harshit Rana. And as the finishing touches were applied by Rajat Patidar and Liam Livingstone, Kohli simply stood at the non-striker’s end, enjoying the fireworks.
Aaron summed it up best: “Everyone praises him for a reason—he delivers when the team needs it most, especially in chases. Plenty of batters score big runs in the first innings, but Kohli always manages to get the crucial ones in a chase. That’s priceless for any team, whether it’s RCB or India.”
Patidar’s Captaincy Debut Starts with a Statement Win
While Kohli commanded the batting, RCB’s newly-appointed captain, Rajat Patidar, played his part with a blistering 34 off 16 balls to wrap up the chase. Earlier, his captaincy was put to the test, and though KKR built a solid foundation early on, Patidar’s strategic bowling changes, particularly bringing back Krunal Pandya at the right time, played a role in RCB restricting them to 174.
“The first game is always nerve-wracking, especially when leading at such a big stage,” former India spinner Piyush Chawla noted. “But as the tournament progresses, he will only improve. The way he handled bowling changes today shows he has a think-outside-the-box approach.”
The Decisive Factor: KKR’s Middle-Order Collapse
Despite KKR’s promising start, their innings unraveled in the middle overs. At the 16.2-over mark, RCB had sealed victory with two points in the bag. At the same stage, KKR were struggling at 153 for 6 and could only add 21 more runs in the final 22 balls.
That—losing wickets in the middle overs and failing to accelerate at the death—was where the match was won and lost. And Kohli, Salt, and Patidar made sure RCB capitalized on it in ruthless fashion.
With a dominant win to kick off IPL 2025, RCB have sent a clear message: they’re here to play aggressive, fearless cricket. And with Kohli leading the charge in his own way, the road ahead looks promising.
