KKR vs RCB Highlights, IPL 2025: Virat Kohli shines as RCB crush KKR by 7 wickets in season opener

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) started their IPL 2025 campaign with a bang, securing a convincing seven-wicket win over defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the iconic Eden Gardens on Saturday. Led by new skipper Rajat Patidar, RCB showcased their dominance with both bat and ball to kick off their season in style.

Chasing a competitive target of 175, RCB's dynamic opening pair of Phil Salt and Virat Kohli stole the show. The duo put on a blistering 95-run stand in just 8.3 overs, setting the foundation for an easy chase. Salt was the aggressor, hammering 56 off 31 balls with nine fours and two sixes. Kohli, the "chase master," remained unbeaten on 59 off 36 deliveries, guiding RCB to 177/3 in 16.2 overs. Though KKR managed to pick up a few wickets, the damage had already been done, with Liam Livingstone sealing the victory with a boundary.

The turning point of the match, however, came in the first innings when Krunal Pandya produced a remarkable spell to restrict KKR.

IPL Live Score: Watch the match highlights as RCB start their campaign with a bang

KKR vs RCB IPL Live Score: Most balls remaining in successful chases of 175 or more for RCB

24 vs GT, Ahmedabad, 2024 (target: 201)

22 vs KKR, Kolkata, 2025 (target: 175)

21 vs RR, Mumbai WS, 2021 (target: 178)

12 vs DC, Bengaluru, 2018 (target: 175)

IPL Live Score: It's all over! RCB (177/3 in 16.2 overs) crush KKR (174/8) by 7 wickets

6, 4 - Liam Livingstone (15* off 5 balls) finishes off the RCB run chase in style, hitting a six and a four in consecutive balls off Spencer Johnson in the 17th over.

RCB chased down the 175-run target with 22 balls to spare.

Chase-master Virat Kohli remained unbeaten on 59, off 36 balls, with the help of three sixes and four fours. He also put on a few good stands in the chase - 95 for the opening wicket with Phil Salt (56 off 31), and a quick 44 runs for the third wicket with new skipper Rajat Patidar (34 off 16).

The quick chase will help boost the Net Run Rate for RCB too.

KKR vs RCB IPL Live Score: OUT! Vaibhav Arora removes Rajat Patidar

A perfect little cameo from RCB skipper Rajat Patidar. The new captain hit a six and five fours in his quick-fire 16-ball 34 innings as he took his team closer to victory.

Vaibhav Arora bowled a slow leg-cutter on the middle, Patidar hit it flat and straight to Rinku Singh at deep mid-wicket.

RCB need just 13 more to win in 27 balls.

RCB 162/3 in 15.3 overs | Target 175

IPL Live Score: Patidar dealing in fours!

1 4 4 2 4 4 - Rajat Patidar (30* off 14 balls) comes out all guns blazing in his first match as captain of the very popular team. Patidar smashes four boundaries to score 19 runs off Harshit Rana in the over.

RCB are almost there in their run chase.

RCB 157/2 in 15 overs | Target 175

KKR vs RCB IPL Live Score: Captain Patidar on fire

4,4 - RCB skipper Rajat Patidar (20* off 11) smashes two successive fours off Harshit Rana.

RCB are cruising towards the target.

RCB 147/2 in 14.3 overs

IPL Live Score: FIFTY for Virat Kohli

FOUR! Virat Kohli (53*) brings up his fifty in style, hitting a four off Harshat Rana. Kohli hit three sixes and four fours to reach the landmark in just 30 balls.

A pitch invader runs and falls at Kohli's feet after the maestro reaches the milestone.

RCB 126/2 in 12.5 overs

KKR vs RCB IPL Live Score: OUT! Narine scalps Padikkal

Sunil Narine strikes and gives KKR a timely breakthrough.

Padikkal hits it straight to deep mid-wicket, where Ramandeep Singh takes a simple catch. Padikkal comes down the track against Narine, the bat turns in his hands and the ball goes straight to Ramandeep. Padikal scored 10 off 10 balls.

RCB 118/2 in 11.4 overs

IPL Live Score: 1000-plus runs vs different teams in the IPL

4 - Virat Kohli vs CSK, DC, KKR, PBKS

2 - David Warner vs KKR, PBKS

2 - Rohit Sharma vs KKR, DC

1 - Shikhar Dhawan vs CSK

KKR vs RCB IPL Live Score: 1000-plus runs vs KKR in IPL

1093 - David Warner

1070 - Rohit Sharma

1000* - Virat Kohli

IPL Live Score: OUT! Varun gets rid of Salt

BIG BREAKTHROUGH! Varun Chakaravarthy gives KKR a massive breakthrough, removing the in-form Phil Salt. Thick outside edge and Spencer Johnson takes a good catch at short third man.

Salt played a superb knock, scoring 56 off just 31 balls, which included two sixes and nine fours. He also added 95 runs for the opening wicket with Virat Kohli.

KKR need more wickets in quick succession to get back into the contest. At the moment, RCB are cruising in their run chase.

RCB 95/1 in 8.3 overs

KKR vs RCB IPL Live Score: FIFTY for Salt!

A single and Phil Salt brings up his first half-century in RCB colours. Salt hit two sixes and 8 fours in his 25-ball knock.

The openers are taking RCB closer to their target with ease. No pressure at all now as the required rate is below 7 with all 10 wickets in hand.

RCB 86/0 in 6.5 overs

IPL Live Score: ICYMI! Virat Kohli's two successive sixes!

KKR vs RCB IPL Live Score: End of Powerplay! RCB 80/0 in chase of 175

TIME OUT! Harshit Rana started his spell with a tidy one, giving away just five runs in it. But RCB are well in front as they raced to 80 for no loss after the six powerplay overs.

Phil Salt (49*) and Virat Kohli (29*) are dealing in boundaries at the moment.

IPL Live Score: RCB 75/0 after 5 overs

6 6 0 1 0 4 - Wow, just wow! Virat Kohli (25* off 9 balls) smoked Spencer Johnson over long-off for two consecutive sixes to start the over. Both RCB openers are batting in their fifth gear at the moment. Phil Salt (48* off 21) then hit a four to score 17 runs from the over.

RCB are truly on top of this run chase.

KKR vs RCB IPL Live Score: Varun Chakaravarthy leaks 21 runs

1 2 4 6 4 4 - There is no stopping Phil Salt (44* off 19 balls) today. He is toying with the KKR bowlers and fielders in the middle. A six and three fours in successive balls and Salt scored 21 runs off 'mystery' spinner Varun Chakaravarthy.

RCB are cruising in their run chase.

RCB 58/0 in 4 overs

IPL Live Score: 50 comes up for RCB in 3.4 overs

SIX! Phil Salt (36* off 17 balls) brings up RCB's 50 in style, smoking a six after a four off Varun Chakaravarthy in consecutive balls.

RCB 50/0

KKR vs RCB IPL Live Score: 20 runs off Vaibhav

4 6 1 4 1 4 - Phil Salt (24* off 14 balls) is on fire today, as he smoked a six and two fours to collect 20 runs off pacer Vaibhav Arora, the impact sub for KKR. Virat Kohli (11* off 4 balls) also hit a four in it.

RCB 37/0 in 3 overs | Target 175

IPL Live Score: BOOM! Salt on fire

SIX! Phil Salt (19*) smokes Vaibhav Arora for a four and a six in consecutive balls. RCB are off to a flier in their 175-run chase. Virat Kohli (6*) also looked in good touch today.

KKR will need wickets soon, if they have to remain in the contest.

RCB 27/0 in 2.2 overs

KKR vs RCB IPL Live Score: Milestone man Virat Kohli

IPL Live Score: FOUR! Kohli opens account with a four

FOUR! Good start for RCB. Virat Kohli opens his account with a first-ball four off Vaibhav Arora. This after Phil Salt started the run chase with a four off the first ball of the RCB innings.

RCB 10/0 in 0.5 overs

KKR vs RCB IPL Live Score: Welcome Back! Target - 175

Virat Kohli and Phil Salt to start the run chase for RCB. Salt on strike for the visitors.

KKR have brought in Vaibhav Arora as impact sub, replacing Angkrish Raghuvanshi. And the pacer will start the innings with the ball.

IPL Live Score: That's it! KKR 174/8 after 20 overs

0 0 0 4 W 1 - A brilliant over to end the innings for RCB. What a comeback by the visitors after conceding 107 runs in the first 10 overs. Josh Hazlewood, who returned figures of 2 for 22 in 4 overs, bowled a superb final over - giving away just five runs for a wicket in it.

Regular wickets in the second half, with Krunal Pandya (3/29) taking three big wickets of Ajinkya Rahane (56), Venkatesh Iyer (6) and Rinku Singh (12) in the second half of the innings.

Despite a hundred-run stand between Rahane and Sunil Narine (44), KKR total looked a bit short as they were looking good for 200 plus at one time.

KKR vs RCB IPL Live Score: OUT! Dayal scalps Raghuvanshi

Edged and gone! Yash Dayal bowls a pacy short of length delivery angling away from Angkrish Raghuvanshi. The KKR batter looks for a big leg-side slog, but only manages an outside edge and Jitesh Sharma gets his third catch of the day behind the wickets.

200 is almost out of bound for the hosts now.

KKR 168/7 in 18.5 overs

IPL Live Score: SIX! Raghuvanshi smashes Hazlewood

BOOM! Angkrish Raghuvanshi (28*) smokes Josh Hazlewood for a big six over deep mid-wicket. A welcome boundary for KKR, after regular wickets put a slight break on their run charge.

KKR 163/6 in 17.4 overs

KKR vs RCB IPL Live Score: Impact sub for RCB!

Devdutt Padikkal came in place of spinner Suyash Sharma (1 for 47 in 4 overs) after he completed his spell. Re-inforcement for RCB batting line-up before the chase begins.

IPL Live Score: OUT! Russell falls

CLEAN BOWLED! Suyash Sharma gets the big wicket of Andre Russell (4). RCB are checking the KKR run flow with regular wickets, the only way to do so.

Suyash bowled it straight to Dre Russ and the West Indian power-hitter went for a mighty, muscular slog but missed it completely.

KKR 150/6 in 15.4 overs

KKR vs RCB IPL Live Score: OUT! Third wicket for Krunal

BOWLED! Krunal Pandya completes his spell in style, dismissing Rinku Singh for 12 off his final delivery. Another quicker delivery and Rinku misses it and the ball crashes on the stumps.

Regular wickets have slowed down KKR run flow a bit, but still have power-hitters to finish off the innings with a bang. RCB need to keep chipping away the wickets regularly to restrict the hosts.

Krunal returned figures of 3 for 29 in four overs.

KKR 145/5 after 15 overs

IPL Live Score: OUT! Krunal strikes again

More wickets for RCB. Krunal Pandya cleans up Venkatesh Iyer for his second wicket in the game. A bouncer from the spinner, which was called a wide, in the previous delivery looked like rattled Iyer, who missed the fast flat ball in the very next delivery. Three quick wickets will serve RCB well as they look to restrict KKR's overall total.

KKR 125/4 in 12.1 overs

KKR vs RCB IPL Live Score: OUT! Krunal scalps Rahane

BIG WICKET! RCB get exactly what they’re after — two quick wickets, including the prized scalp of KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane (56). Krunal Pandya delivers the crucial breakthrough, sending Rahane packing after a brilliant knock.

Rahane, looking to continue his onslaught, went for a pull shot but mistimed it, hitting it flat and straight into the hands of Rasikh Salam at deep backward square leg. It’s a soft dismissal after an otherwise outstanding innings from the captain.

Despite the setback, KKR might not be too concerned, as this wicket opens the door for their power-hitters to take charge.

Rahane’s whirlwind 31-ball innings was a masterclass in aggressive batting, featuring four towering sixes and six crisp boundaries. His departure, though unfortunate for KKR, sets the stage for the middle-order hitters to step up and build on the momentum.

KKR 109/3 in 10.3 overs

IPL Live Score: OUT! Sunil Narine falls

BIG WICKET! Rasikh Salam finally gives RCB a big breakthrough, dismisses Sunil Narine for 44.

Salam bowled a short ball outside off and Narine went for a big shot but only managed an edge. Jitesh Sharma took a good catch behind the wickets.

Narine hit three sixes and five fours in his 26-ball knock, and added 103 runs for the second wicket with his skipper Ajinkya Rahane (55*)

KKR 107/2 after 10 overs

KKR vs RCB IPL Live Score: 100 up for KKR in 9.3 overs

FOUR! Sunil Narine (38*) smashes a four towards deep extra cover off Rasikh Salam and brings up 100 for KKR. Runs and boundaries are coming freely for KKR.

RCB need wickets soon to stop this carnage at Eden.

KKR 101/1 in 9.3 overs

IPL Live Score: SIX! Fifty for Rahane!

WOW! New KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane (51*) brings up his half-century with a big six over mid-wicket off Suyash Sharma. Rahane took just 25 balls to reach the milestone, which included four maximums and six fours.

KKR are looking for a huge total with the kind of foundation they got now.

KKR 81/1 in 8.1 overs

KKR vs RCB IPL Live Score: TIME OUT! KKR 60/1 after 6 overs

4 1 4 6 4 1 - Biggest over for KKR so far. Ajinkya Rahane (39* off 16 balls) and Sunil Narine (17* off 15 balls) scored 20 runs off Yash Dayal in it. Rahane is in his elements today, hitting two fours and a six in consecutive balls in the over.

After three overs, KKR were 9 for 1, and after that they scored 16, 15 and 20 runs in the next three overs.

IPL Live Score: 50 up for KKR in 5.4 overs

SIX! Ajinkya Rahane (34* off 14 balls) brings up 50 for KKR with a six over third man. Boundaries are coming thick and fast from the bat of Rahane at Eden today.

The maximum also brought up fifty-run partnership for the second with Sunil Narine (17* off 15 balls).

KKR 55/1 in 5.4 overs

KKR vs RCB IPL Live Score: It's raining sixes at Eden

SIX! Sunil Narine welcomes Krunal Pandya with a massive six over the deep mid-wicket.

RCB brought in a spinner after KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane smoked a four and two sixes off pacer Rasikh Salam to collect 16 runs in the previous over.

But Narine had a different idea and smashed Pandya off the first ball for a big 89-meter six.

KKR 31/1 in 4.1 overs

IPL Live Score: BOOM! Rahane opens his account in style

Skipper Ajinkya Rahane smokes Rasikh Salam for a four and a six in consecutive balls to open his account in style.

Rahane started with a four towards fine leg and followed that up with a maximum over deep square leg. It just pumped up the Eden Gardens crowd.

KKR 19/1 in 3.3 overs

KKR vs RCB IPL Live Score: OUT! Hazlewood gets his man | KKR 4/1 in 0.5 overs

What a start for RCB! Josh Hazlewood delivers right away, striking in the very first over to send KKR opener Quinton de Kock (4) back to the pavilion. Just two balls after a dropped catch by Suyash Sharma, the Aussie pacer gets his man with a beauty.

It’s the classic nip-backer from Hazlewood, curving in from a good length and forcing a tentative jab from de Kock. The left-hander finds himself caught in no man’s land — neither fully forward nor back — as he attempts a hurried chop with hard hands and minimal footwork. The result? A thick inside edge flying toward Jitesh, who dives low to his left and pulls off a spectacular catch.

RCB couldn't have asked for a better start, with Hazlewood drawing first blood and setting the tone early.

IPL Live Score: DROPPED! Suyash drops a sitter

Quinton de Kock started with a four towards backward point off Josh Hazlewood. A ball later, Suyash Sharma drops a dolly inside the circle at mid-wicket.

Hazlewood bangs in short outside off, Quinton de Kock pulls and gets a massive top-edge that goes high into the air. Suyash had all the time in the world to settle under that, he was right under it but couldn't lock his palms.

KKR 4/0 in 0.3 overs

KKR vs RCB IPL Live Score: Here we go ...!

Quinton de Kock and Sunil Narine will open the proceedings for KKR in the middle.

Josh Hazlewood with the ball for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. De Kock on strike.

IPL Live Score: Impact substitutes

Kolkata Knight Riders Impact Subs: Anrich Nortje, Manish Pandey, Vaibhav Arora, Anukul Roy, Luvnith Sisodia

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Impact Subs: Devdutt Padikkal, Abhinandan Singh, Manoj Bhandage, Romario Shepherd, Swapnil Singh

KKR vs RCB IPL Live Score: Playing XIs

Royal Challengers Bengaluru XI: Virat Kohli, Philip Salt (w), Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Rasikh Dar Salam, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal

Kolkata Knight Riders: Quinton de Kock (w), Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy

IPL Live Score: Ajinkya Rahane at the toss

"It's an honour to lead this team. Our preparation has been good, the core group has been the same. Looking forward to bat well first and defend later on. It is all about giving the players the freedom and allowing them to play as a unit. We are playing 3 fast bowlers and 2 spinners."

KKR vs RCB IPL Live Score: Rajat Patidar after winning the toss

"We have decided to bowl first, the pitch looks hard. Amazing to lead RCB and a great opportunity to learn from the great players. We have done proper preparations for the last 10-15 days. I am confused with this impact player. We are going with 3 fast bowlers and 2 spinners."