RCB down champions KKR in IPL 2025 opener: Key stats
What's the story
Royal Challengers Bengaluru blew defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders away in the opening contest of the 2025 Indian Premier League season on Saturday at Eden Gardens.
KKR managed 174/8 in 20 overs after being 107/1 at one stage. Krunal Pandya was superb for RCB, taking three wickets.
In response, RCB chased down the target of 175 with Phil Salt and Virat Kohli scoring fifties.
KKR
Summary of KKR's innings
KKR lost Quinton de Kock early on (4/1) before Ajinkya Rahane and Sunil Narine resurrected the innings with a 103-run stand.
KKR were flying at one stage before losing both set batters and then they lost their way.
They only managed 67 runs in the last 10 overs, losing 6 wickets.
Besides Pandya's three-fer, Josh Hazlewood excelled with two scalps.
Rahane
Rahane slams half-century on his KKR captaincy debut
Rahane ended up scoring a 31-ball 56. KKR were 109/3 when he departed.
Rahane's 56-run knock was laced with six fours and four sixes (SR: 180.65).
He owns 4,698 IPL runs from 186 matches (172 innings) at 30.30. This was his 31st fifty (100s: 2).
Versus RCB, Rahane has surpassed 800 runs (801) at 36.40. This was his 5th fifty versus RCB (100s: 1).
Information
4th dismissal for Rahane against Krunal in the IPL
As per ESPNcricinfo, left-arm spinner Krunal has now dismissed Rahane for the 4th time in IPL. Across 10 innings, the batter owns 61 runs from 53 balls at 15.25 (SR: 115.09).
Narine
Sunil Narine becomes 3rd KKR batter with 100 IPL sixes
Narine slammed three maximums in his knock of 44 from 26 balls.
Representing Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), he has become only the third player to smash a century of sixes for the franchise.
As per ESPNcricinfo, Narine now owns 100 IPL sixes. He has joined Nitish Rana (107) and veteran Andre Russell (206) in terms of most sixes for the Knights.
Krunal
Krunal Pandya floors KKR with 3-fer on RCB debut
Veteran left-arm spin all-rounder, Krunal, shone for his new side RCB.
Krunal picked 3/29 from his 4 overs. Playing his 128th match, Krunal's 3/29 takes him to 79 wickets. He averages 33.35 with his economy rate being 7.36.
Versus KKR, Krunal has raced to 11 wickets from 17 matches at an average of 30.54.
The former MI and LSG bowler's economy rate is 7.12.
Chase
RCB's 2nd-highest powerplay total in IPL
Salt and Kohli added 95 runs for the opening wicket in the chase of 175.
80 runs were added in the PP overs which is now RCB's 2nd-highest powerplay total in the IPL and their best against KKR.
Salt perished for a 31-ball 56. He was dismissed by Varun Chakrvarthy.
Kohli continued to excel with Rajat Patidar chipping in with 34. RCB won thereafter.
Kohli vs KKR
Virat Kohli completes 1,000 IPL runs versus KKR
Kohli attained a major milestone versus KKR, surpassing 1,000 IPL runs. Kohli came into this contest with 962 runs and needed a tally of 38 to reach the milestone.
Kohli became just the third batter in IPL history to own 1,000-plus runs against KKR.
Kohli joined the likes of David Warner (1,093) and Rohit Sharma (1,070).
Kohli
Kohli shines in his 400th T20 appearance
Kohli was unbeaten versus KKR, scoring 59 runs from 36 balls. He smashed four fours and three sixes.
He has now raced to 1,021 runs versus KKR at 40.84 (100s: 1, 50s: 7).
Overall, Kohli owns 8,063 runs in the IPL at 38.95. This was his 56th fifty (100s: 8).
Notably, Kohli played his 400th T20I. He has 12,945 runs (50s: 98, 100s: 9).
Information
Salt floors former side KKR
Salt, who shone for KKR in IPL 2024, hammered his old side with a brilliant 56. In 22 matches, he now owns 709 runs at 35.45. This was his 7th fifty in the competition.