Excitement is building up among fans as they prepare for the opening game of IPL 2025 between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Currently, the weather in Kolkata is clear and fans are eagerly making their way into the stadium. However, there is a slight possibility of rain later in the evening, but the forecast for the next two hours is sunny. Fans are keeping their fingers crossed and hoping for no interruptions in the highly anticipated match.
Sunrisers Hyderabad had a dominating start against Rajasthan Royals in today's IPL match. After winning the toss, RR chose to bowl first, but SRH's Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma put on a stunning opening partnership. Although Sharma got out for a quick 24, Head and Ishan Kishan continued to dominate, taking the team to 94/1 in the powerplay. Despite RR's efforts to build pressure with economical overs, they struggled to take wickets and dropped crucial catches. In the end, Head fell to Tushar Deshpande's bowling, but Nitish Reddy has now joined in to continue SRH's strong start.
The highly-anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) kicked off with the Rajasthan Royals facing off against Sunrisers Hyderabad. After winning the toss, stand-in skipper Riyan Parag elected to bowl first, giving Sunrisers the opportunity to showcase their formidable batting line-up including Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Heinrich Klaasen. With a potential for a high-scoring match on a good pitch, Sunrisers are expected to put up a massive total and possibly reach the impressive 300-run mark.
Former Australian cricketer, David Warner, took to social media to express his frustration with Air India when he and his fellow passengers were boarded onto a flight without any pilots assigned. Air India responded, citing challenging weather in Bengaluru as the reason for the delays. Warner, who is now focusing on playing in The Hundred and the Pakistan Super League after not getting bids in the IPL auction, will also be making his debut in the movie industry.
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc is worried about the pace deficit his team is currently facing with McLaren after qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix. Despite displaying some promising pace in the sprint race, Leclerc and his teammate Lewis Hamilton could only manage fifth and sixth place, respectively, in qualifying. Leclerc expressed concerns about the 3-tenths gap between Ferrari and McLaren, stating that he doesn't believe there is much more potential in the car.
The highly anticipated Chinese Grand Prix was off to a dramatic start as Ferrari's Charles Leclerc broke the unspoken rule of not colliding with your own teammate, hitting Lewis Hamilton's car in the first corner. Though both cars were not spun out, Leclerc's front wing suffered damage that gradually unraveled during the race. Despite losing 20-30 points of downforce, Leclerc's team chose not to replace the damaged wing, causing tension between him and Hamilton as they fought for positions. Ultimately, it was Hamilton who struggled with pace and gave in to a swap order, giving Ferrari a second-place finish.
Football legends Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, and Micah Richards are back with a new series of Match of the Day Top 10, focused on the Champions League. As the competition reaches its quarter finals, the trio will discuss the top 10 captains, goalscorers, managers, and more. The 10 episodes are available on BBC Sounds, with the first five also on BBC iPlayer.
Krunal Pandya's performance on Saturday evening proved to be crucial for the Royal Challengers Bangalore as he helped the team make a comeback after a disappointing start against Kolkata Knight Riders. The all-rounder's key wicket of KKR skipper, as well as his quick thinking to utilize a cheeky bouncer against an unprotected batter, earned him the Player of the Match award. Pandya also shared his experience joining a new franchise and the excitement he feels for the rest of the season.
The IPL 2025 opener between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru saw an impressive performance by Virat Kohli, who scored an unbeaten 59 off 36 balls to lead RCB to a seven-wicket victory. The match was also filled with moments of Kohli's popularity, from dancing with Shah Rukh Khan to a fan breaching security to meet him on the field. It was a dominant display by RCB, with half-centuries from Phil Salt and Kohli setting the tone for a comfortable win over defending champions KKR.
Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane reveals the pivotal moment that turned the tide against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the opening match of IPL 2025. Despite a strong start and a fearless approach by Rahane and Sunil Narine, RCB's Rasikh Salam and Krunal Pandya's quick wickets ultimately led to KKR's seven-wicket defeat. Rahane reflects on the lost opportunity to reach the 200-run mark and how those crucial wickets changed the momentum in the match.
After a long injury layoff and two seasons out of the IPL, Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood marked his return to the league with a stellar performance, taking 2 wickets for just 22 runs off his four overs. His control and class with the ball helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a convincing 7-wicket win over champions Kolkata Knight Riders. The RCB management may already be feeling that the S$2.29 million they spent on Hazlewood was well worth it as he silenced KKR's boisterous home crowd and served as a reminder of his enduring expertise for Australia's selectors ahead of the World Test final.