RCB beat KKR by 7 wickets (22 balls remaining)
Match 1 (N) | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | March 22, 2025 | Indian Premier League 2025

Match Summary Box

The Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru match scorecard from IPL 2025’s opening night tells one clear story: defending champions humbled on home soil. KKR posted 174/8, anchored by a 103-run second-wicket stand between Ajinkya Rahane and Sunil Narine-before Krunal Pandya’s three-wicket burst triggered a collapse of 7 wickets for 67 runs. RCB chased 175 in just 16.2 overs behind Phil Salt’s 56 off 31 and Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 59 off 36. Krunal Pandya earned Player of the Match for his 3/29.

Schema-Ready Match Facts

Item	Value
Match	KKR vs RCB
Tournament	Indian Premier League 2025
Match Number	1 (IPL 2025 Opener)
Venue	Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Date	March 22, 2025
Toss	RCB won-elected to bowl
KKR Total	174/8 (20 overs)
RCB Total	177/3 (16.2 overs)
Winner	Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Margin	7 wickets (22 balls remaining)
Player of the Match	Krunal Pandya (3/29)

Introduction: The Defending Champions’ Opening Night Collapse

Read More: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings match scorecard

When Royal Challengers Bengaluru walked onto the Eden Gardens turf on March 22, 2025, they carried the weight of four consecutive defeats against Kolkata Knight Riders. By the time Virat Kohli hit the winning runs in the 17th over, that history had been rewritten in emphatic fashion. The full Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru match scorecard from IPL 2025 Match 1 shows a 7-wicket win for RCB-but the numbers alone don’t explain how cleanly they controlled every phase. RCB’s bowling dismantled KKR’s middle order. Their batting demolished KKR’s bowling attack in the powerplay. And their execution-from toss decision to final boundary-was precise from the first ball to the last.

.Why This Match Was Important

IPL 2025 Opener-Context and Stakes

This was Season 18’s opening fixture, giving it outsized significance beyond two points. KKR were defending champions, having won IPL 2024 under Shreyas Iyer. Under new captain Ajinkya Rahane, their first assignment was to assert continuity. They failed to do that.

Three specific outcomes made this result consequential:

• RCB broke a four-match losing streak against KKR-a head-to-head pattern that had become a genuine psychological obstacle
• RCB’s win by 22 balls delivered a strong early positive NRR-a factor with direct playoff implications later in the tournament
• Krunal Pandya’s three-wicket performance immediately established him as RCB’s most impactful bowling acquisition of the IPL 2025 auction

Eden Gardens Pitch Report and Match Conditions

Surface, Weather, and Dew Factor

Eden Gardens on March 22 presented a flat, true batting surface with minimal lateral movement. Josh Hazlewood extracted “spongy bounce” during KKR’s innings.

Conditions at match time:

• Temperature: High 20s Celsius
• Humidity: Above 70%
• Light dew settled from approximately over 14 onwards, providing a marginal advantage to the batting side in the second innings
• No rain interruption, match played to completion

The dew factor, combined with RCB’s powerplay execution, made a 175-chase far more achievable than KKR’s 174 batting first on the same surface.

KKR Innings-Full Batting Scorecard and Analysis

Kolkata Knight Riders: 174/8 in 20 Overs (RR: 8.70)

Batter	Dismissal	R	B	4s	6s	SR
Quinton de Kock	c Patidar b Krunal Pandya	3	4	0	0	75.00
Sunil Narine	c sub b Hazlewood	44	28	4	3	157.14
Ajinkya Rahane (c)	c Kohli b Krunal Pandya	56	40	5	2	140.00
Venkatesh Iyer	c Salt b Krunal Pandya	18	14	2	0	128.57
Rinku Singh	lbw b Hazlewood	17	13	1	1	130.77
Andre Russell	c Kohli b Yash Dayal	3	4	0	0	75.00
Angkrish Raghuvanshi	c Kohli b Yash Dayal	18	13	1	1	138.46
Harshit Rana	b Suyash Sharma	2	2	0	0	100.00
Spencer Johnson	not out	4	3	0	0	133.33
Varun Chakravarthy	not out	0	1	0	0	0.00
Extras	(lb 4, w 5)	9
Total	20 overs	174/8		18	8	8.70

Ramandeep Singh did not bat.

Fall of Wickets-KKR

1-4 (de Kock, 0.5 ov) | 2-107 (Narine, 9.6 ov) | 3-109 (Rahane, 10.3 ov) | 4-125 (V. Iyer, 12.1 ov) | 5-145 (Rinku, 14.6 ov) | 6-150 (Russell, 15.4 ov) | 7-168 (Raghuvanshi, 18.5 ov) | 8-173 (H. Rana, 19.5 ov)

The Collapse: 7 Wickets for 67 Runs

The Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru match scorecard data makes the collapse unmistakable. KKR reached 107/1 in 9.6 overs-Rahane and Narine’s 103-run stand had them targeting 200+. From that point, they lost 7 wickets for 67 runs across the remaining 10 overs, finishing at 174/8. That 26-run gap between what KKR were tracking for and what they actually posted is what made the chase straightforward. Rahane’s dismissal in over 10.3-four balls after Narine’s-was the turning point. Two wickets in seven deliveries deflated both the scoring rate and the dressing room.

RCB Bowling at KKR-Full Figures

Bowler	O	M	R	W	Econ	Notable
Josh Hazlewood	4	0	22	2	5.50	16 dot balls
Krunal Pandya	4	0	29	3	7.25	Dismissed Rahane, V. Iyer, de Kock
Yash Dayal	4	0	40	2	10.00	Removed Russell, Raghuvanshi
Suyash Sharma	4	0	37	1	9.25	Dismissed H. Rana
Liam Livingstone	2	0	27	0	13.50	—
Devdutt Padikkal	2	0	15	0	7.50	—

Hazlewood’s 16 dot balls were the most by any bowler in the match. His 2/22 from four overs was the most economical spell of the KKR innings.

RCB Innings-Full Batting Scorecard and Analysis

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 177/3 in 16.2 Overs (RR: 10.84)

Batter	Dismissal	R	B	4s	6s	SR
Phil Salt	c Spencer Johnson b Varun Chakravarthy	56	31	9	2	180.65
Devdutt Padikkal	c & b Narine	7	8	1	0	87.50
Rajat Patidar (c)	c Rinku b Ramandeep	34	26	3	1	130.77
Virat Kohli	not out	59	36	4	3	163.89
Liam Livingstone	not out	12	8	1	1	150.00
Extras	(lb 2, w 7)	9
Total	16.2 overs	177/3		21	7	10.84

Fall of Wickets-RCB

1-95 (Salt, 8.3 ov) | 2-118 (Padikkal, 11.4 ov) | 3-162 (Patidar, 15.3 ov)

The Chase: How RCB Made 175 Look Comfortable

Anyone studying the KKR vs RCB IPL 2025 scorecard will notice that RCB never needed to accelerate. Phil Salt’s 56 off 31 balls-nine fours, two sixes-made the powerplay a formality. By the time RCB completed six overs at 80/0, the match equation had already shifted decisively in their favour. Salt was dismissed in over 8 overs by Varun Chakravarthy, but the damage was done. Patidar added 34 off 26 to keep the foot on the accelerator. And Kohli-unbeaten on 59 off 36-finished the chase with 22 balls to spare. His knock, which included 4 fours and 3 sixes, was composed rather than explosive, RCB simply never required him to take risks.

KKR Bowling in Chase

Bowler	O	M	R	W	Econ
Sunil Narine	4	0	27	1	6.75
Spencer Johnson	4	0	39	0	9.75
Harshit Rana	3	0	38	0	12.67
Varun Chakravarthy	3.2	0	36	1	10.80
Ramandeep Singh	2	0	35	1	17.50

Harshit Rana conceded 38 in 3 overs and Ramandeep Singh leaked 35 in just 2-two spells that cost KKR any realistic chance of defending 174 on this surface.

Read More: Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals match scorecard

KKR vs RCB-Partnership Analysis

KKR Partnerships

Wicket	Batters	Runs	Balls
1st	de Kock – Narine	4	4
2nd	Narine – Rahane	103	~65
3rd	Rahane – V. Iyer	2	4
4th	V. Iyer – Rinku	16	13
5th	Rinku – Russell	20	14
6th	Russell – Raghuvanshi	18	14
7th	Raghuvanshi – H. Rana	18	12
8th	H. Rana – Johnson	5	4

RCB Partnerships

Wicket	Batters	Runs	Balls
1st	Salt – Padikkal	95	51
2nd	Padikkal – Patidar	23	18
3rd	Patidar – Kohli	44	27
4th (unbroken)	Kohli – Livingstone	15*	8

The 103-run Narine–Rahane stand was KKR’s entire innings in microcosm: one brilliant partnership surrounded by brittle contributions. RCB’s partnerships, by contrast, built cumulatively-three successive stands of 95, 23, and 44 meant KKR’s bowlers were denied any window of sustained pressure.

Match Timeline-Over-by-Over Key Events

Over	Event	Score
0.5	de Kock dismissed by Krunal Pandya	KKR 4/1
3.0–9.0	Narine–Rahane 103-run stand	KKR 4/1 → 107/1
9.6	Narine dismissed by Hazlewood	KKR 107/2
10.3	Rahane dismissed-collapse begins	KKR 109/3
12.1	V. Iyer out caught at mid-off	KKR 125/4
14.6	Rinku lbw Hazlewood	KKR 145/5
15.4	Russell dismissed-7 wkts for 43 from 107	KKR 150/6
18.5	Raghuvanshi out	KKR 168/7
20.0	KKR innings ends	174/8
6.0	RCB powerplay-80/0, 0 wickets	RCB 80/0
8.3	Salt dismissed by Varun Chakravarthy	RCB 95/1
11.4	Padikkal out-Kohli and Patidar consolidate	RCB 118/2
15.3	Patidar dismissed	RCB 162/3
16.2	Kohli seals RCB victory	177/3

Full Match Statistics-KKR vs RCB Comparison

Metric	KKR	RCB
Total Runs	174	177
Wickets Lost	8	3
Overs Faced	20.0	16.2
Run Rate	8.70	10.84
Fours	18	21
Sixes	8	7
Extras	9 (lb 4, w 5)	9 (lb 2, w 7)
Top Dot Ball Bowler	Hazlewood (16 dots)	Narine (1/27)

Powerplay and Death Overs Phase Analysis

Phase-by-Phase Breakdown

Phase	KKR	RCB
Powerplay (Ov 1–6)	60/1 (RR: 10.00)	80/0 (RR: 13.33)
Middle Overs (Ov 7–15)	91/5	87/3
Death Overs (Ov 16–20)	23/2	10/0

What the Phase Data Reveals

The phase comparison from this Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders scorecard is decisive. RCB’s powerplay of 80/0 versus KKR’s 60/1 is the single biggest gap in the match. A 20-run deficit with one extra wicket in hand gave KKR no room for error in their bowling. KKR’s death overs of 23/2 from overs 16–20 expose the real cost of the middle-order collapse: with no settled batter at the crease, the lower order had no platform to operate from. Compare that to RCB’s 10/0 from just 0.2 overs of death batting required-the chase was sealed before the phase even began.

Why RCB Won and KKR Lost-3 Key Reasons

Reason 1: KKR’s 7-Wicket Collapse After 107/1

After the 103-run Narine–Rahane stand took KKR to 107/1 in 9, they were targeting 200+. They lost 7 wickets for 67 runs across the remaining 10 overs. Ajinkya Rahane acknowledged this directly post-match: “When myself and Venky were batting we were discussing that 200-210 was achievable, but those wickets changed the momentum.” The projected total of 200+ became 174-a 26-run gap that turned a competitive chase into a comfortable one.

Reason 2: RCB’s Powerplay Was 20 Runs Ahead With All Wickets Intact

KKR’s 60/1 versus RCB’s 80/0 at the end of the powerplay is the clearest statistical gap in this KKR vs RCB IPL 2025 scorecard. A team chasing 175 that scores 80/0 in six overs requires an extraordinary bowling performance to be stopped-and with Harshit Rana conceding 38 in 3 overs and Ramandeep leaking 35 in 2, KKR never came close.

Reason 3: Hazlewood’s 16-Dot-Ball Spell Removed the Match’s Most Dangerous Batter

Josh Hazlewood’s 2/22 from four overs-16 dot balls-dismissed Narine before he could shift to his highest gear and Rinku Singh in the death. His economy in the first innings controlled KKR’s run flow at both ends. As Hazlewood stated post-match: “This is probably the freshest I’ve been in a long time. Constant communication with the captain about plans worked really well.“

Post-Match Reactions

What the Captains and Key Players Said

Ajinkya Rahane (KKR Captain):

“I thought we were going well till the 13th over but 2-3 wickets changed the momentum. It was under par. We don’t want to think too much about this game but try and get better in certain areas.“

Krunal Pandya (Player of the Match):

“If you get hit, you should only get hit on a good ball.”

Josh Hazlewood:

“This is probably the freshest I’ve been in a long time. Constant communication with the captain about plans worked really well.“

Match Awards

Award	Player	Performance
Player of the Match	Krunal Pandya (RCB)	3/29 in 4 overs
Best Batter (RCB)	Virat Kohli	59* off 36 (SR: 163.89)
Best Batter (KKR)	Ajinkya Rahane	56 off 40 (SR: 140.00)
Best Bowler (RCB)	Josh Hazlewood	2/22 in 4 overs, 16 dot balls

Updated IPL 2025 Points Table-After Match 1

Team	M	W	L	Pts	NRR
RCB	1	1	0	2	Positive
KKR	1	0	1	0	Negative

All other teams had not played at this stage.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):