On a night where speed met strategy, and pressure met poise, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally broke their home curse in IPL 2025, edging out Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 11 runs in a high-octane thriller at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. But it wasn’t just the result that had fans buzzing. It was Jofra Archer, the English speedster, who turned heads with a blistering delivery that clocked 149.8 km/h, making it one of the fastest of the tournament so far.
Archer vs Kohli pic.twitter.com/bUKbZiaxTA
— Akash Kharade (@cricaakash) April 25, 2025
Archer’s Raw Pace Electrifies Chinnaswamy
On just the fourth delivery of the match, Archer steamed in and unleashed thunder at Virat Kohli. The speed gun lit up at 149.8 km/h, drawing gasps from the crowd and a wry smile from Kohli himself—two titans of the modern game sharing a moment of mutual respect.
Archer, whose IPL 2025 campaign has been a tale of redemption after a costly first outing, showcased his evolution with figures of 4-0-33-1—his scalp being none other than Kohli’s opening partner, Phil Salt (26 off 23).
Kohli and Padikkal Lead the Charge for RCB
Put into bat after RR skipper Riyan Parag won the toss, RCB posted a formidable 205/5. The hosts were powered by a vintage knock from Virat Kohli, who anchored the innings with a fluent 70 off 42 (4 fours, 8 sixes), scoring at a strike rate of 166.67. Kohli was well-supported by Devdutt Padikkal, who smashed a quick-fire 50 off just 27 balls, including 4 fours and 3 sixes. The two stitched a crucial 95-run stand, neutralizing Archer’s early hostility and building the platform for a 200+ total. Tim David (23 off 15) added valuable runs at the death, while Jitesh Sharma chipped in with a clean cameo of 20 off 10 balls*.
Hazlewood’s Triple Blow Sinks RR’s Chase
Chasing 206 on a typically batting-friendly Bengaluru track, RR started positively with Yashasvi Jaiswal blazing away with 49 off 19 balls, reminding everyone of his destructive ability. But his dismissal triggered a collapse. Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood was the pick of the bowlers, returning with match-winning figures of 4-0-34-4, which included the wickets of Jaiswal, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, and Jofra Archer. RR’s middle-order promise fizzled out as Krunal Pandya choked the flow in the middle overs, picking up the key scalps of Parag and Nitish Rana. Despite Jurel’s late resistance (47 off 34), RR were eventually restricted to 194/9, falling 11 runs short.
