RCB beats RR by 9 wickets with 15 balls to spare; Salt 65(33), Kohli* 62(45)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) delivered a clinical all-round performance to defeat Rajasthan Royals (RR) by nine wickets in an IPL 2025 clash, climbing to third place in the points table. Chasing a target of 174, RCB cruised to victory with 27 balls to spare, led by fiery knocks from Phil Salt and Virat Kohli.

Rajasthan Royals were put in to bat first after losing the toss and managed to score 173/4 in their 20 overs. The innings was anchored by Yashasvi Jaiswal, who played a brilliant knock of 75 off 47 balls, combining aggression with class. However, the rest of the batting lineup couldn’t capitalize, and RR settled for a par total.

RCB’s response was electric right from the start. Phil Salt took charge during the powerplay and smashed a quick-fire 65 off just 33 balls, putting the pressure squarely back on the Royals. His fearless batting dismantled RR’s bowling attack early in the innings and gave RCB a commanding start.

After Salt’s dismissal, Virat Kohli took the baton and played the role of a steady anchor. He stitched together a composed partnership with Devdutt Padikkal, ensuring there were no hiccups in the chase. Kohli remained unbeaten while Padikkal added another feather to his cap by crossing 1000 IPL runs for RCB — becoming only the second Indian after Kohli to achieve this feat for the franchise.

At the post-match presentation, RR captain Sanju Samson acknowledged RCB’s dominance, especially in the powerplay. “They won the game in the powerplay,” he admitted, adding that fielding errors from both sides played a role. Despite the loss, Samson stressed on the importance of staying positive and learning from such outings.