Royal Challengers too strong for Knight Riders in IPL 2025 Opener

The 2025 Indian Premier League roared into action on Saturday night, and it was Royal Challengers Bengaluru who delivered the goods for punters, claiming a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in a high-scoring clash at Eden Gardens.

KKR went into the match as -129.87 favourites with IPL betting sites, and they looked set to justify that tag early on.

After losing Quinton de Kock cheaply, the hosts powered to 107/1 in the first 10 overs, led by Sunil Narine’s quickfire 44 (26) and Ajinkya Rahane’s classy 56 (31).

But their momentum faded after the halfway mark, with Krunal Pandya (3/29) and Josh Hazlewood (2/22) ripping through the middle order.

KKR’s final total of 174/8 always felt slightly below par, especially for those holding over tickets or backing a big win in the match totals markets.

RCB, paying around $2.05 pre-game, looked in control from the outset of their chase. Englishman Phil Salt lit it up with 56 from 31, while Virat Kohli anchored the innings with a commanding 59* off 36.

The pair put on a vital stand before cameos from Devdutt Padikkal (10), Rajat Patidar (34 from 16), and Liam Livingstone (15* from 5) sealed the win with five balls to spare – a result that delivered strong value for RCB backers across match result, top batsman, and player performance betting markets.

After the game, Salt noted the importance of batting second at Eden Gardens, saying, “Batting second here makes a bit of a difference; you have to hit through the line.”

Meanwhile, KKR skipper Rahane lamented his side’s middle-order collapse, admitting they fell short of their intended 210-220 target.

With this statement win, RCB have firmed to +700 outright favourites to win the 2025 IPL title, while Kolkata have drifted slightly to $12 with Nags.bet. Expect markets to shift further as both sides head into round two of the tournament.

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