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RCB Cruise Past Rajasthan Royals by 9 Wickets as Kohli Hits 100th T20 Fifty
Phil Salt’s explosive 65 and Virat Kohli’s milestone 100th T20 half-century led Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to a dominant nine-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Sunday. Chasing a modest target of 174, RCB made light work of the total, reaching it with 15 balls to spare, moving into a four-way tie at the top of the IPL 2025 table.
The English opener Salt was in merciless touch, thrashing 65 off just 33 deliveries with five boundaries and six gigantic sixes, setting the target within reach. Kohli, anchoring as per his usual game, was unflustered as he posted his 100th T20 half-century with a signature six. He closed on 62 not out off 45 balls, including four boundaries and two sixes. Impact Player Devdutt Padikkal chipped in a solid support role, scoring 40* from 28 deliveries.
Rajasthan Royals batting lost steam despite Yashasvi Jaiswal's classy 75 off 47 balls. Jaiswal smashed 10 fours and two sixes but did not get any support from the other end. Captain Sanju Samson was out of rhythm with a slow 15 off 19, and Riyan Parag (30 off 22) and Shimron Hetmyer (9 off 8) were unable to gain speed in the last overs. Royals scored a sub-par 173/4 after wickets were in hand.
RCB's control bowling held back the Royals from unfolding. Experienced Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/32), Yash Dayal (1/36), and Krunal Pandya (1/29) continued to bowl in tightholds, as none of the six RCB bowlers lost more than 10 runs in an over.
Despite a lackluster overall contest that featured poor fielding from both sides including three dropped catches each Salt’s fireworks and Kohli’s milestone ensured RCB fans had plenty to cheer about. With this win, RCB now sit level on points with three other teams, though they’ve played more matches. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals, with only two wins from six games, remain in seventh place and will need to regroup quickly to keep playoff hopes alive.
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