IPL 2025: Fifties from Kohli, Salt lead RCB to thumping win against RR

Jaipur: Virat Kohli and Phil Salt smashed half-centuries to power Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a nine-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2025 clash at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Sunday.

Chasing 174, the 92-run opening partnership between Salt and Kohli in 8.4 overs set the tone of RCB’s win as the duo scored runs at their will. RCB had an electrifying start with Salt taking the charge from the first ball of the innings.

Rajasthan got an early chance to break the partnership but Riyan Parag dropped Kohli for 7 in the fourth over off Sandeep Sharma.

Salt continued the onslaught with a four and six respectively off Maheesh Theekshana’s first over just before the powerplay. He continued his blistering knock with six off Sandeep Sharma before being dropped by Yashasvi Jaiswal. RCB were 65/0 after six overs.

Salt completed his second half-century of the season in 28 balls with a four against Wanindu Hasaranga. He charged the Sri Lankan to a six over deep midwicket in the same over.

Kumar Kartikeya brought respite to Rajasthan with Salt’s wicket in the ninth over. He departed after contributing 65 off 33 balls studded with six sixes and five fours.

Devdutt Padikkal joined Kohli in the middle. The duo continued the momentum with Padikkal taking the aggressor’s role as Kohli completed his third half-century of the season in 40 balls. It was also his 100th half-century in T20 cricket, making him the first Indian batter to do so.

Kohli pulled up his scoring rate after reaching the milestone and smacked six off Hasarange to complete a 50-run stand for the second wicket with Padikkal. He wrapped up the over with a four to accumulate 14 runs from it.

RCB were on cruise control mode with Padikkal flexing his arms all around the ground to take the side over the line as quickly as possible.

With Padikkal sending Tushar Deshpande to the cleaners for a four and six on successive balls, there was no room for Rajasthan to make inroads in the match.

RCB completed the chase with Padikkal scoring a boundary off Sandeep Sharma to seal the royal victory for Bengaluru-based franchise in 17.3 overs.

Kohli remained unbeaten on 62 while Padikkal played a knock of 40 not out in 28 balls laced with five fours and a six.

Earlier, Yashasvi Jaiswal’s half-century coupled with Dhruv Jurel’s 23-ball 35 blitz powered Rajasthan Royals to 173/4 in 20 overs.

Invited to bat first, Rajasthan openers Jaiswal and captain Sanju Samson gave a mediocre start to the innings with the former amassing three fours in the first three powerplay overs.

With Jaiswal scoring his runs freely, Samson was facing difficulty in scoring runs despite the field restrictions.

Jaiswal took charge on Yash Dayal’s second over and hammered him for six and a four to accumulate 12 runs from the over. Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood just conceded a four in the final over of the powerplay as Rajasthan were 45/0 after six overs.

Krunal Pandya drew first blood for the RCB in the seventh over with the scalp of struggling Samson, who departed after scoring 19-ball 15.

Riyan Parag joined Jaiswal in the middle and kept the scoreboard ticking in the middle overs with boundaries at regular intervals.

In the ninth over when Rajat Patidar introduced Suyash Sharma into the attack, Parag smashed two fours in the over as Yash Dayal dropped him for 17.

In the next over, he slammed Krunal Pandya for a six over mid-wicket to give some boost to their scoring rate.

Meanwhile, Jasiwal completed his second half-century of the season in 35 balls. It was his 11th fifty in IPL and third at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Rajasthan were 104/1 after the end of 13 overs.

In the 14th over, Parag was dismissed by Yash Dayal for 30 runs as the batter gave an easy catch to Virat Kohli at cover.

Dhruv Jurel came in to bat at no. 4 as Jaiswal continued his knock from the other end. The opener took charge against Hazlewood and sent him for a six and a four before losing his wicket in the same over. Jaiswal played a knock of 75 runs off 47 balls studded with 10 fours and two sixes.

Shimron Hetmyer and Jurel took the responsibility of lifting the scoring rate in the death overs. Jurel got lucky in the 17th over when Kohli dropped him for 11 after he struck six off Suyash Sharma’s final over.

Jurel made the most of Dayal’s final over of the spell and smacked six and a four on the first two balls. Rajasthan accumulated 15 runs from the penultimate over of the innings to move past the 150-run mark.

Bhuvneshwar conceded just 11 runs from the last over of the innings despite being hit for two fours. He also got the wicket of Hetmyer on the penultimate ball before Nitish Rana hit him for four to take Rajasthan to 173/4.

For RCB, Krunal was the most economical as he returned with the figures of 1-29 in his four overs.

Brief scores: Rajasthan Royals 173/4 in 20 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 75, Dhruv Jurel 35 not out; Krunal Pandya 1-29, Josh Hazlewood 1-26) lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru 175/1 in 17.3 overs (Virat Kohli 62 not out, Phil Salt 65; Jofra Archer 1-36) by nine wickets.

IANS