23 March,2025 04:36 PM IST | Kolkata | mid-day online correspondent
A fan of Royal Challengers Bengaluru`s Virat Kohli (R) touches his feet (Pic: AFP)
A dramatic moment unfolded during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 opener between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Saturday, as a fan breached security to meet star batter Virat Kohli.
The incident took place at Eden Gardens just moments after Kohli reached his half-century. The fan jumped over the guardrails and sprinted towards the 36-year-old, who was visibly surprised when the admirer grabbed his legs and fell to the ground.
Security personnel quickly intervened, escorting the intruder off the field. According to reports, the fan was later arrested by authorities. A newly emerged video now reveals how the fan managed to enter the ground and trick the security team. Watch below:
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Following RCB's victory, former Australia cricketer Matthew Hayden praised Kohli's calculated approach in the chase, emphasizing that the 175-run target was ideal for him.
"This was the perfect total for Virat Kohli to chase down. If you find yourself in a par or slightly above-par scenario on such a surface, that's where he thrives. It's crucial that Phil Salt, as his partner, helps elevate the strike rate and scoring rate. Kohli has picked up exactly where he left off with Kolkata Knight Riders, but tonight and over the past two seasons, we've seen âVirat Kohli 2.0,'" Hayden said on JioHotstar.
He further highlighted Kohli's aggressive approach during the middle overs, stating, "Especially in the middle overs, he was really damaging. He finds it quite easy against pace in the powerplay, but today, through the middle overs, he maintained a strike rate above 170 - exactly what was needed."
India cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar also commended Rajat Patidar, who made an impact on his RCB captaincy debut with a brisk 34 off 16 deliveries.
"Rajat Patidar has played under Virat Kohli and spent a lot of time with him, so he would have gelled a lot easier. You could see that as soon as he went in to bat, Kohli was giving him the confidence to relax and play. And what an innings Virat Kohli played! What an innings Patidar played! It was a superb knock - the way he was stroking the ball and making it look easy," Gavaskar said on JioHotstar.
Gavaskar also lauded RCB's bowling performance, crediting the team for restricting KKR to 175 after they initially appeared set for a 200-210 total.
"Recognizing that a quick victory is also important in the long run, RCB's ability to restrict KKR from what initially looked like a 200-210 score down to 175 will give them loads of confidence. As a captain and a batter, Rajat Patidar has come good. Everything he did, including bowling changes, was outstanding," he added.
