IPL 2025: Virat Kohli hugs fan who breached security to touch his feet during KKR vs RCB clash [Watch]

Happy IPL day! to all the cricket fanatics who love watching the game, the much-awaited 18th season of the IPL kicked off on March 20, 2025, with a thrilling clash between two of the most popular teams—Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

The opening match saw Virat Kohli leading RCB to victory against the defending champions, KKR. Kohli's side successfully chased down a target of 175, winning by seven wickets at the iconic Eden Gardens on Saturday.

Talking about the game, half-centuries from Virat Kohli (59* off 42) and Phil Salt (56 off 34) set the foundation for RCB's chase. Both batters went hard in the powerplay, ensuring their team gained early momentum.

However, the match wasn't just about RCB's win—it also had a dramatic moment off the pitch. A fan managed to breach security and ran onto the field to meet Virat Kohli. Overcome with emotion, he touched Kohli's feet before the cricketer warmly hugged him. Security officials swiftly intervened and escorted the intruder away.

What exactly happened?

As Virat Kohli stood on the pitch after completing his fifty, a fan suddenly rushed onto the field, bypassing multiple layers of security. Overwhelmed with admiration, he fell to his knees and held onto Kohli's feet, refusing to let go for several moments.

This isn't the first time a fan has shown such devotion to Kohli, but the sheer determination of the intruder made this incident stand out. While many fans praised Kohli for his calm demeanour, others raised concerns about the stadium's security measures.

The breach has sparked discussions about safety protocols at high-profile cricket matches, especially in packed venues like Eden Gardens. IPL authorities and stadium officials are expected to review security arrangements to prevent such incidents in the future.

Playing XIs

KKR: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rinku Singh, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Ramandeep Singh, Andre Russell, Anrich Nortje, Harshit Rana, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Spencer Johnson, Luvnith Sisodia, Anukul Roy, Moeen Ali, Chetan Sakariya.

RCB: Rajat Patidar (c), Virat Kohli, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Nuwan Thushara, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethel, Devdutt Padikkal, Swastik Chhikara, Lungi Ngidi, Abhinandan Singh, Mohit Rathee.