Virat Kohli delivered a solid performance with the bat and then stole the spotlight with his trademark celebrations during RCB’s thrilling win over RR on Thursday.
Kohli’s Passionate Celebration Marks RCB’s First Home Win in IPL 2025
Virat Kohli, known for wearing his heart on his sleeve, displayed raw emotion on Thursday night at the Chinnaswamy Stadium as Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured their first home win of the IPL 2025 season. With Rajasthan Royals needing 18 runs off the last two overs, RCB’s chances of a comeback seemed slim. However, Josh Hazlewood’s exceptional bowling performance—conceding just one run and taking two crucial wickets—shifted the momentum in RCB’s favor.
Kohli, stationed near the boundary, erupted in celebration, roaring, pumping his fists, and racing into the dugout to embrace every teammate in sight. His passion was evident as he celebrated both Jofra Archer’s wicket in the penultimate over and Wanindu Hasaranga’s dismissal in the final over. The emotional outbursts reflected the intense back-and-forth nature of the match, which saw the two teams locked in a thrilling contest.
For Rajasthan Royals, the 11-run defeat all but dashed their playoff hopes, marking their seventh loss in nine matches and leaving them with little room for recovery in the race for the playoffs.
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𝙀𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 that speak louder than words 🥳#TATAIPL | #RCBvRR | @imVkohli | @RCBTweets pic.twitter.com/Q4B09fkllE
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 24, 2025
Virat Kohli played a pivotal role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s commanding victory over Rajasthan Royals, steadying the innings after a nervy start. Despite some early streaky boundaries, Kohli grew into his fluent best, scoring 70 runs off 42 balls—his first fifty at home this season and fifth overall. Alongside Devdutt Padikkal, who contributed a brisk 50 off 27 balls, Kohli helped stitch a 95-run partnership for the second wicket, guiding RCB to a competitive total of 205 on a sluggish surface.
The late surge for RCB came from Jitesh Sharma and Tim David, whose calculated aggression ensured the team crossed the 200-mark, adding valuable runs in the final overs.
In reply, Rajasthan Royals made a fast start, with Yashasvi Jaiswal blasting 49 runs off just 19 balls. He took on Hazlewood, hitting five boundaries and a six, but the Aussie pacer had the last laugh, forcing Jaiswal into a miscue that was caught at mid-wicket. RR’s 14-year-old impact player, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, entertained briefly with two sixes before being dismissed by Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s knuckleball. Dhruv Jurel (47) mounted a gritty resistance, but RCB’s bowlers, led by Hazlewood’s impressive 4/33, maintained pressure and restricted RR’s chase.