Virat Kohli showcased his exceptional chasing skills once again under the floodlights, scoring an impressive unbeaten half-century as the Royal Challengers Bengaluru triumphed over the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL season opener. Pursuing a target of 175 runs, Kohli executed his role with remarkable precision, concluding his innings with an unbeaten 59 off just 36 balls.

His rapid fifty, achieved in 30 balls and featuring three sixes and four fours, ensured a smooth chase as RCB completed the task in a mere 16.2 overs.

After RCB's significant victory, Dinesh Karthik, who recently joined the team as batting coach for the 2025 season, addressed the players in the dressing room, commending Kohli for his performance. The former wicketkeeper-batter also recounted Kohli's entertaining moment with Bollywood icon and KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan during the pre-match opening ceremony, where they shared a dance on stage.

Karthik remarked to Kohli, “There was one individual who kicked off the day with a delightful dance. Andy mentioned that your footwork improved because of it. I don’t make such jokes!”

The batting coach further praised Kohli's skill in managing the pace of the innings during a chase, emphasizing that it served as a valuable lesson for all the batsmen.

“I did think, being the chase-master – the tag you got – most importantly, this is a lesson to a lot of the batters (on) how you go through the ebbs and flow of the game. You took it hard at the start... then you realised there was a situation where you needed to be there. That's what we expect from the batters,” said Karthik.

Phil Salt's fireworks

Phil Salt of England, in his debut for RCB, delivered an impressive performance, scoring 56 runs off just 31 balls to ignite the early excitement. Meanwhile, Kohli steadied the innings with his usual command, effortlessly handling KKR’s bowling lineup.

Earlier, the defending champions struggled to reach a modest total of 174/8, largely due to Krunal Pandya’s pivotal figures of 3 wickets for 29 runs. Once Kohli assumed control of the chase, the outcome became inevitable.

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