‘Had great time here last year, but no friends out there’- Phil Salt after guiding RCB to easy win vs KKR

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) began their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign in style, defeating reigning champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by seven wickets at Eden Gardens on Saturday. The success was largely engineered by magnificent half-centuries from openers Phil Salt and Virat Kohli, who helped RCB comfortably chase down a target of 175 with 22 balls to spare.

After winning the toss, Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar decided to bowl first. KKR got off to a strong start, with captain Ajinkya Rahane (56) and Sunil Narine (44) leading them to 107 runs in 10 overs. RCB, on the other hand, clawed their way back into the game thanks to outstanding bowling performances from Krunal Pandya (3/29) and Josh Hazlewood (2/22). The middle and lower orders failed to keep the scoreboard ticking, as the home team finished their innings on 174/8.

In response, Kohli and Salt challenged the KKR bowlers from the first over. Kohli hit an unbeaten 59 off 36 balls, while the Englishman, playing his previous team, scored 56 off 31 deliveries. Salt, who played a key role in KKR’s title-winning campaign in 2024, was released ahead of the 2025 mega auction, allowing RCB to sign him for INR 11.50 crore. After the game, the 28-year-old discussed playing against KKR, batting alongside Kohli, and forming an important partnership.

“Probably the partnership (talking about the most rewarding thing with the bat); we (Kohli and I) haven’t batted much together, so to go out there and put together a partnership was pretty satisfying. It’s a familiar ground, and I know these guys (KKR) very well. Yes, it did (the ball came on wonderfully in the second inning), and all you had to do was stand still and hit the ball; it makes a difference. That was what we discussed as a batting group, and we were really delighted with the results. We had a terrific time here last year and won the trophy. “Obviously, there are no friends out there (in this league),” Salt stated during the post-game press conference.

Phil Salt hits 20 runs off Varun Chakravarthy’s first over.

The wicketkeeper-batsman made his previous team pay for their decision. He blasted Varun Chakravarthy for 20 runs in one over. In the ninth over, Chakravarthy dismissed him with the team already in a comfortable position of 95/1.

With Salt leading the chase, Kohli ensured that there were no further challenges in the second half of the innings. He played risk-free cricket while keeping the scoreboard ticking. Patidar added a short cameo of 34 off 16 balls to enable the team cross the finish line with ease. With this, the team began the season on a victorious track, adding valuable points to the points table, and will now face Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk on March 28.