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Suyash Sharma drops Quinton De Kock's catch Photograph: (X)
The first match of the 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season got off to a dramatic start. Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) took on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the first game of the season. There was action aplenty in the first over bowled by Australian seamer Josh Hazlewood.
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First over of #IPL2025 and we're watching Kohli as Hazelwood ๐๐คฃ#KKRvsRCBpic.twitter.com/ymWskktwOd
โ Sameer Saxena (@Author_Sameer) March 22, 2025
Tata ๐๐ป#IPL2025#KKRvsRCBpic.twitter.com/8qsDwd3yIW
โ ๐ฎ๐ณ Aradhya Nishad (@nishad_aradhya) March 22, 2025
GONE!โก๐งค
โ Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 22, 2025
After getting a life, #QuintondeKock is caught behind courtesy a neat catch and #JoshHazlewood has the first wicket of #TATAIPL 2025! โค
Watch LIVE action: https://t.co/iB1oqMusYv#IPLonJioStar ๐ #KKRvRCB, LIVE NOW on Star Sports Network & JioHotstar! pic.twitter.com/8W2uZzcDng
Quinton de Kock smashed the first boundary of the season on the second ball of the opening over. On the very next ball, Hazlewood dropped the ball short as De Kock went to play the pull shot. The ball was in the air as Suyash Sharma settled under the ball but failed to take the catch. Once the chance went down, there were huge cheers from the crowd as De Kock got an early life.
It is to be noted that Suyash Sharma was part of KKR till last season before being picked up by RCB. Hazlewood got his revenge two balls later when he bowled a terrific ball that got the edge of De Kock’s bat and was taken by Jitesh Sharma. It was a huge moment in the game, as De Kock is known to be a dangerous batter in the T20 format.
Spencer Johnson makes his IPL debut for KKR
It was Rajat Patidar who won the toss and chose to bowl first in what looked like a great wicket for the bowlers. KKR handed the debut cap to Australian pacer Spencer Johnson. The left-arm seamer got his cap from veteran KKR star Sunil Narine ahead of the toss, followed by a huge round of applause by his teammates.
Speaking at the toss, Rajat Patidar was asked how he felt leading the side. The 31-year-old said, “We have decided to bowl first; the pitch looks hard. Amazing to lead RCB and great opportunity to learn from the great players. We have done proper preparations for the last 10-15 days.”
KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane said “ It's an honour to lead this team. Our preparation has been good; the core group has been the same. Looking forward to bat well first and defend later on. It is all about giving the players the freedom and allow them to play as a unit.”