All-intent Kohli displays leadership through his individual role

Kohli, Salt and Patidar Power RCB to Dominant IPL 2025 Opener Win

A target of 174 was never going to be enough — not against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), not at Eden Gardens, and certainly not with Virat Kohli and Phil Salt coming out all guns blazing. The pair’s explosive start virtually ended Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) hopes well before the halfway mark of the IPL 2025 opener.

RCB were 37 after just three overs. Salt set the tone early, but Kohli quickly matched his aggression. Then came the fourth over — possibly the game's turning point. Varun Chakravarthy, introduced earlier than expected, was dismantled by Salt, who smashed 2, 4, 6, 4, and 4 to leave KKR reeling.

“This was truly walking the talk,” said former India pacer Varun Aaron on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 TimeOut. “The way Salt and Virat started and how Kohli finished sent a strong message: ‘This is how we play; beat us if you can.’”

KKR’s spirit seemed broken. By the halfway mark, both sides had similar scores — KKR at 107/2, RCB at 104/1 — but the momentum was all with RCB. Kohli’s presence in a chase made the difference.

“Kohli usually likes finishing games unbeaten. But here, he did it with intent,” noted Ambati Rayudu. “If he’s playing with that aggression, the rest will follow. That’s real leadership in the batting unit.”

Kohli stayed till the end, unbeaten on 59 off 36 balls, striking four boundaries and three sixes. His half-century came in the 13th over, and with Patidar and Livingstone launching big hits at the other end, Kohli calmly saw the chase through.

Aaron summed it up: “He delivers in chases. That’s priceless — for RCB, for India. His leadership, through example, is crucial.”

Leadership was also on display from RCB’s new captain, Rajat Patidar. Walking in at 118/2 in the 12th over, he cracked 34 off 16, showing he’s ready for the challenge. Earlier, his bowling changes paid off in the second half, especially the timely return of Krunal Pandya.

“He seemed a bit nervous, understandably,” said former India legspinner Piyush Chawla. “But he showed smart, out-of-the-box thinking. He’ll only get better.”

RCB wrapped up the chase in 16.2 overs. KKR, in contrast, faltered late in their innings, managing only 21 runs in the last 22 balls. That, combined with middle-overs wickets, was the game’s tipping point — one RCB capitalized on ruthlessly.

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