Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 23: Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden has lauded Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for their commanding performance in the opening game of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Speaking on JioHotstar, Hayden highlighted RCB’s well-balanced squad and expressed optimism about their prospects this season.
“It was an emphatic and important victory for Rajat Patidar as the new captain. Having Virat Kohli in great form certainly helps,” said Hayden, commending Patidar’s leadership and Kohli’s dominant batting form.
The former Australian opener was also impressed with RCB’s bowling attack. He singled out Krunal Pandya’s effectiveness in the middle overs and Josh Hazlewood’s consistency, both playing crucial roles in the team’s success. Hayden remarked, “For the first time in a long while, I look at RCB’s setup and think—there’s something special about this unit this year.”
In the match, chasing 175, Phil Salt and Virat Kohli (59*) provided RCB with a thrilling start. Salt played the aggressive role, while Kohli handled the limited deliveries in the powerplay with ease. RCB reached 80 runs at the end of the powerplay without losing a wicket, marking their second-highest total in the league’s history.
Despite KKR’s attempts, including bowling mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, Salt’s fearless strokeplay dominated, with the Englishman smashing 21 runs off Chakravarthy’s over. The breakthrough came too late for KKR, with Salt eventually falling after a blistering 50. Devdutt Padikkal and Patidar contributed vital runs, and Liam Livingstone finished the chase in style, with a six and a four to seal a seven-wicket victory for RCB.
In the first innings, KKR struggled early on, losing De Kock in the first over. Ajinkya Rahane, along with Sunil Narine, fought back with a strong partnership, bringing up KKR’s fifty in the sixth over. Rahane scored a quick 56 runs, including six fours and four sixes, but RCB’s bowlers, led by Krunal Pandya, managed to break through the middle order. Rinku Singh and Andre Russell were dismissed, and KKR finished at 174/8 in their 20 overs.
Pandya was the standout bowler for RCB, taking three wickets for 29 runs. Josh Hazlewood supported well with two wickets, and Yash Dayal, Rasikh Salam, and Suyash Sharma each claimed a wicket in their respective spells.