Phil Salt struck a blistering 56 as Royal Challengers Bengaluru thumped champions Kolkata Knight Riders in a winning start to their IPL campaign.
Chasing 175 for victory, the three-time runners-up rode Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 59 and Salt’s 56 at the top of the innings to comfortably reach their target in 16.2 overs.
Salt smashed ace spinner Varun Chakarvarthy (1-43) for 21 runs in one over inside the powerplay and Bengaluru’s ever-present talisman Kohli also showed plenty of aggression, lifting Australian fast bowler Spencer Johnson for two back-to-back straight sixes.
Phil Salt was pleased with his 95-run partnership with Virat Kohli in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s win over Kolkata Knight Riders
Varun Chakarvarthy provided the belated breakthrough when Salt was caught at short third as he attempted another big hit against the spinner in the ninth over.
Kohli, playing in his 18th IPL campaign and 400th Twenty20 match overall, continued to heap pressure on the Kolkata bowlers with new skipper Rajat Patidar (34) before Liam Livingstone (15 not out) hit the winning runs.
Salt said he was most pleased by his 95-run partnership with Kohli which set the tone for the victory.
“We haven’t batted much together, Virat and I, so to go out and put a partnership together was the most important thing for us in game one,” Salt said.
“It’s a ground I know very well. I had a clear and simple game plan and I would have liked to go on a bit longer, but it wasn’t to be.”
Earlier, seamer Josh Hazlewood (2-22) marked his return from a hip injury that forced him out of Australia’s Champions Trophy campaign by taking the wicket of Quinton de Kock in the opening over after Bengaluru won the toss and opted to bowl.
The pre-match threat of thunderstorms failed to materialise but it rained fours and sixes at Eden Gardens thereafter as Kolkata looked to be on a mission to become the first team in the league’s history to breach the 300-run barrier.
Veteran batsman Ajinkya Rahane led the way as Kolkata’s new captain with brutal ball-striking in his 31-ball 56 and although his dismissal along with that of Sunil Narine for 44 stalled the home side, they still had plenty of firepower left.
However, a couple of wickets in quick succession through Krunal Pandya (3-29) as the ball began to grip the surface meant that the hosts ultimately ended up with a below-par 174-8 thanks to youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s 30.
“We have to learn from our mistakes,” said Rahane. “We have the batting power to go out and express ourselves. We tried our best but it didn’t work out today.
“We thought that 210-220 on this wicket would be achievable, but two to three wickets in the middle overs changed the momentum.”
Watch all 74 matches from the 2025 IPL live on Sky Sports Cricket, up to and including with the final in Kolkata on Sunday May 25.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
‘We’re the best DEFENSIVE team in baseball’ 💪 Ernie Clement on Blue Jays CLUTCH win vs. Mariners
Major League Baseball Video Details Ernie Clement spoke with John Smoltz to recap the Toronto Blue Jays' Game 6 win over the Seattle Mariners. Sponsored by @bmwusa #BMWCertified #BMWPreOwned 1 MIN AGO・Major League Baseball・1:43
Week 7 INSTANT fantasy takeaways: CMC goes off, Eagles show pulse, Broncos comeback and Cowboys light it up
Subscribe to Yahoo Fantasy ForecastMatt Harmon and Chris Allen recap a wild Week 7 in the NFL by providing their biggest instant fantasy takeaways from all the action on the Sunday slate. The two place games in three fantasy buckets: Games we care about the most, games we sort of care about and games that could have been an email. But first, Harmon recaps the Falcons-49ers SNF game and provides the biggest fantasy storylines from the primetime affair.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement(1:05) - Matt's solo SNF recap: 49ers 20, Falcons 10(16:00) - Boom and Bust players of Week 4: Devonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle(20:40) - Games we care about most: PHI@MIN, IND@LAC, NYG@DEN(47:30) - Games we sort of care about: WSH@DAL, GB@AZ, NO@CHI, LAR@JAX(1:10:30) - Games that could have been an emailMatt Harmon and Chris Allen recap a wild Week 7 in the NFL […]
NFL Week 7 instant reactions: huge comebacks, SHOCKING blunders & more!
Nate Tice & Charles McDonald join forces to react to Week 7 of NFL action. The duo start off with their takeaways from the San Francisco 49ers' big win on Sunday night over the Atlanta Falcons.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNext, the two hosts dive into Week 7 with their 3 Highs, 3 Lows. On the positive side of Week 7 was the triumphant return of Rashee Rice (who takes the Kansas City Chiefs to a new level), the Chicago Bears dominating on the ground and the Indianapolis Colts staying hot and ascending to an impressive 6-1 record.On the lows side, Nate & Charles discuss Carson Wentz and his sloppy operation of the Minnesota Vikings offense, the Miami Dolphins reaching a new low (time to bench Tua Tagovailoa??) and the Washington Commanders being unable to take advantage of a great matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.The […]
Fantasy football waiver wire pickups: NFL Week 8
Another week of the 2025 NFL season is just about in the books. Here are the players you should be targeting in your fantasy football leagues, including options for smaller leagues and deeper leagues, as well as players to avoid. Jump to a position group: QB | RB | WR | TE QUARTERBACK Jaxson Dart, New York Giants (Rostered in 43.3% of leagues on ESPN) League Size: 10 Time Frame: Week 8, Short Term, Long Term Dart has started the past four games for the Giants, averaging 23.0 fantasy points per game during that stretch (fourth best among quarterbacks). He was aided by his rushing ability in his first three starts, gaining at least 50 rushing yards in each. This past week, he faced a Denver Broncos defense that has usually been great at slowing quarterbacks. However, Dart completed 15 […]
4 Takeaways From the Blue Jays’ ALCS Game 6 Win Over the Mariners
While the National League Championship Series was decided with the minimum, the AL counterpart will go the maximum. With a chance to reach the World Series for the first time in their franchise’s history Sunday night in Toronto, the Mariners were stifled in Game 6 of the ALCS by a 22-year-old rookie starter who had other ideas in a 6-2 Blue Jays win, setting up a winner-take-all Game 7 on Monday night. Here are my takeaways: 1. With the season on the line, Jays’ rookie wins the battle The last time Trey Yesavage and Logan Gilbert faced off in Game 2, neither left with an impressive line. Yesavage was unable to baffle Blue Jays hitters with his splitter the way he did against the Yankees in the American League Division Series, while Gilbert looked rusty coming off just two days of rest after being […]
Dak Prescott Is Playing Like an MVP, and the Cowboys Defense Finally Did Its Part
ARLINGTON, Texas - What if your quarterback has an MVP-caliber season, but your defense is so bad you can't even make the playoffs? Call it the Joe Burrow effect.It was one thing when the Cowboys scored 40 and managed only a tie against the Packers, another when they scored 27 and still lost to the Panthers.So, this past week, in defensive meetings, the message was clear and urgent for Dallas players: Don't let an amazing season by Dak Prescott get buried in high-scoring losses."We talk about it all the time: When you've got an offense like this, that's a championship offense, and we don't want to let that go to waste," defensive tackle Kenny Clark said. "I'm just being real. We have to keep improving and keep stepping up, because they're balling. They're putting up points, and you saw today, […]
Related
‘The chance is there’ – Verstappen declares himself back in title race
Max Verstappen admitted the "chance is there" for him to now win this year's Formula 1 world championship after his once-unlikely title comeback was turbocharged by a perfect weekend at the United States Grand Prix.Verstappen followed up Saturday's win in the Austin Sprint - the mini race in which his McLaren rivals crashed out at the first corner - with a comfortable victory over Lando Norris in the full-length Grand Prix for his third Sunday win in the last four races. As championship leader Oscar Piastri struggled to a distant fifth-place finish, Verstappen's maximum points haul from the Circuit of The Americas meant he took a massive 23 points out of the Australian's title lead overall to move within 40 points of the summit.Verstappen had been 104 points behind and seemingly well out of contention just five races ago after […]
‘He’s trying hard and it’s not working!’ – Bearman slams Tsunoda after clash
Oliver Bearman launched a scathing attack on rival Yuki Tsunoda as he accused the Red Bull driver of making "dangerous" manoeuvres during their United States Grand Prix battle.Bearman was pressuring Tsunoda in the battle for seventh on lap 34 when the Haas driver spun at Turn 15, as the Red Bull closed the door on an attempted overtake up the inside. British rookie Bearman was adamant that Tsunoda had broken the rules, or at least gone against "the spirit of the regulations" by moving under braking in his attempts to defend."For me, what he did was unfair," Bearman told Sky Sports F1 after finishing ninth. "I felt what he did was against the rules and against the spirit of the regulations and what we race to."It was two laps that I was trying to fight with him, clearly I had […]
Leclerc hits out at ‘unfounded noise’ after Ferrari podium return
Charles Leclerc called out "unfounded noise" towards Ferrari after he finished third at the United States Grand Prix in Austin.After a race-long battle with Lando Norris, Leclerc took his sixth podium of 2025 a day after Ferrari chairman John Elkann issued a public statement and said he had "full confidence" in team principal Frederic Vasseur. Elkann's statement came in response to fresh speculation linking Christian Horner with Ferrari, while there has also been rumours about Leclerc's own future amid the team's disappointing season."It was a really good race for us. So it's a good thing, especially considering the whole situation," said Leclerc."The second part of the season hasn't been easy. There is completely unfounded noise and rumours around the team. "I think to demonstrate that in those kinds of situations we can stay focused on the job and be rewarded […]
Papers: Cantona, Beckham approached over Man Utd takeover
The top stories and transfer rumours from Monday's newspapers...PREMIER LEAGUE Harry Maguire admitted it was "embarrassing" that Manchester United had taken so long to achieve back-to-back wins in the Premier League under Ruben Amorim, after a famous victory over champions Liverpool - The Daily Telegraph. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Harry Maguire got a big cheer as he returned to the away dressing room after scoring the winner for Manchester United at Anfield. Eric Cantona has been approached by a consortium of investors based in the United Arab Emirates to act as an ambassador for a potential bid to buy Manchester United. Wayne Rooney and David Beckham are also on the group's radar for similar roles - The Guardian.Sean Dyche is still Nottingham Forest's front-runner to be their next boss - Daily Mirror Nottingham Forest […]
Muscat’s move to Rangers collapses as Rohl re-emerges as contender
Danny Rohl is among those back in contention for the Rangers head coach role following a breakdown in talks with Kevin Muscat, Sky Sports News understands.Rohl had withdrawn from the process after learning that others were ahead of him in the race to succeed Russell Martin. However, with Muscat and Steven Gerrard falling out of the running, the ex-Sheffield Wednesday boss could yet land the head coach job.Ibrox sources insist the club have been speaking to various candidates in recent days, despite being in advanced talks with Muscat. Image: Danny Rohl is a candidate for the Rangers job It is thought an appointment could be made within the coming days, with Rangers in action on Thursday against Brann in the Europa League - a competition they are winless in this season. Rohl, 36, had also been sounded out over the […]
Verstappen beats Norris to US GP win as Piastri’s championship lead cut
Max Verstappen claimed a dominant United States Grand Prix victory ahead of Lando Norris as the pair made significant inroads into Oscar Piastri's Drivers' Championship lead.Verstappen followed up Saturday's Sprint win with a lights-to-flag triumph for Red Bull at the Circuit of The Americas, while Norris made a late pass on Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to salvage second place as his McLaren team-mate Piastri toiled to fifth. A third win in four races for Verstappen brings the Dutchman within 40 points of Piastri with five rounds of the 2025 season remaining, while Norris closes to within 14 points of the title lead.Verstappen, who is chasing a fifth successive drivers' title, has in just four rounds reduced Piastri's lead over him from a seemingly unbridgeable 104 points, with 23 points gained across the Austin weekend after both McLarens were taken out of […]
Be the first to leave a comment