Ahead of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) debut match versus Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the storied Eden Gardens on Saturday, March 22, the late great Virat Kohli was spotted taking part in a talent test.
With his colleagues watching, the former captain of India and the RCB skillfully juggled the ball off his bat. On social media, the franchise shared the footage.
“Treat to sore eyes! Skills challenge ft. Virat Kohli,” the caption read.
Treat to sore eyes! Skills challenge ft. Virat Kohli
pic.twitter.com/wBQdapZWvd
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) March 20, 2025
At the RCB nets on Thursday, March 20, Kohli was spotted taking on seasoned seamers Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. When facing Hazlewood, the Delhi batsman appeared at ease, but Bhuvneshwar’s swing caused him some trouble. Using his feet to reach the ball’s pitch, Kohli attempted to counter the movement. But a few times he missed the line.
The IPL 2025 opener is probably going to be abandoned.
With appearances from Shreya Ghoshal and Disha Patani scheduled, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has done all possible to make the IPL 2025 opening ceremony a glamorous event. The tournament will start with a match between bitter rivals KKR and RCB following the performances.
The weather might, however, seriously ruin the match. From Thursday through Sunday, South Bengal is expected to get thunderstorms and showers, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). An Orange Alert has been issued for the day of the encounter, and a Yellow Alert has been issued for the day after.
Saturday in Kolkata is predicted to have a 74% probability of rain and a 97% likelihood of cloud cover, according to Accuweather. In the evening, around the time the match is supposed to start, the likelihood of rain increases to 90%. Cricket fans, meanwhile, will cross their fingers because Eden Gardens boasts first-rate drainage facilities.