Phil Salt struck a blistering 56 as Royal Challengers Bengaluru thumped champions Kolkata Knight Riders in a profitable 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 supplied the belated breakthrough when Salt was caught at brief third as he tried one other huge hit towards the spinner within the ninth over.
Kohli, enjoying in his 18th IPL marketing campaign and four-hundredth Twenty20 match total, continued to heap stress on the Kolkata bowlers with new skipper Rajat Patidar (34) earlier than Liam Livingstone (15 not out) hit the profitable runs.
Salt mentioned he was most happy by his 95-run partnership with Kohli which set the tone for the victory.
“We have not batted a lot collectively, Virat and I, so to exit and put a partnership collectively was an important factor for us in sport one,” Salt mentioned.
“It is a floor I do know very effectively. I had a transparent and easy sport plan and I’d have appreciated to go on a bit longer, nevertheless 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 risk of thunderstorms did not materialise nevertheless it rained fours and sixes at Eden Gardens thereafter as Kolkata on a mission to grow to be the primary staff within the league’s historical past to breach the 300-run barrier.
Veteran batsman Ajinkya Rahane led the best way 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 facet, they nonetheless had loads of firepower left.
Nevertheless, a few wickets in fast succession via 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 teen Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s 30.
“We’ve got to be taught from our errors,” mentioned Rahane. “We’ve got the batting energy to exit and specific ourselves. We tried our greatest nevertheless it did not work out right now.
“We thought that 210-220 on this wicket could be achievable, however two to a few wickets within the center overs modified the momentum.”
Watch all 74 matches from the 2025 IPL stay on Sky Sports activities Cricket, as much as and together with with the ultimate in Kolkata on Sunday Might 25.
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