It’s here! The 18th edition of the Indian Premier League is upon us. Reigning champions Kolkata Knight Riders are all set for their title defense. In the opening game of IPL 2025, Kolkata Knight Riders will be squaring off against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the famous Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
KKR vs RCB Match Preview
KKR and RCB have a rich history. The IPL fans can not forget the epic altercation of Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in 2013. Since then, the two teams have had some of the best battles on the field and grown in stature.
Talking about the opening game of the league, KKR and RCB must be looking to start their tournament on a winning note. Both teams have made significant changes in their squad from the last season and leadership has been changed as well. The Knight Riders picked up Ajinkya Rahane for his base price of INR 2 Crore and the Indian veteran batter will be leading the reigning champions this time around. The Royal Challengers also let go of their captain from last season Faf du Plessis and have named their no 3 batter Rajat Patidar skipper for this season.
KKR would be hoping to continue from where they left in the last season. Meanwhile, RCB, who made it to the playoffs last season, should be looking to end their title drought under a new leader and a new team in 2025.
Also Read: IPL 2025 Orange Cap Winner – Top 5 Contenders
KKR vs RCB: Match Details
Date: Saturday, March 22, 2025
Time: 07:30 PM IST
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
KKR vs RCB Dream11 Prediction: Pitch Report, Weather Conditions and Venue Stats
Pitch Report: The surface at the Eden Gardens has been supportive to the batters for the last 2-3 years. With straight boundaries not too long, the batters find it easy to hit down the ground, and with a fresh pitch, consider runs being scored heavily in this match.
Weather Report: The weather isn’t going to be pleasant for the fans. Despite a high temperature of 31 degrees, mostly cloudy and humid conditions are expected along with occasional afternoon rain.
| Category | Stat/Detail |
|---|---|
| Total Matches Hosted | 92 |
| Wins Batting First | 37 |
| Wins Batting Second | 55 |
| Pitch Report | Batting-friendly, flat surface, true bounce; advantageous for stroke play. |
| Last Match at Eden Gardens | KKR defeated DC by seven wickets, chasing 153 with 21 balls to spare. |
| KKR Wins at Eden Gardens | 51 out of 87 matches (Win Percentage: 58.62%). |
| Highest Team Score | PBKS – 262/4 against KKR (April 26, 2024). |
| Lowest Team Score | RCB – 49 all out against KKR (April 24, 2017). |
| Average First-Innings Score | 167 |
| Average First-Innings Winning Score | 179 |
| Highest Individual Score | Rajat Patidar – 112* (54 balls) for RCB vs LSG in 2022. |
| Best Bowling Figure | Sunil Narine – 5/19 against Kings XI Punjab. |
| Most Runs at Eden Gardens | Gautam Gambhir – 1,407 runs. |
| Most Wickets at Eden Gardens | Sunil Narine – 69 wickets. |
Also Read- IPL 2025: Massive Boost for Lucknow Super Giants as Star All-Rounder Declared Fit to Play
Where to watch the live broadcast of KKR vs RCB IPL 2025 match on TV?
The live broadcast of the IPL 2025 Match-1 between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be available on Star Sports TV Network.
Where to watch live streaming of KKR vs RCB IPL 2025 match on mobile?
In addition, the live streaming of KKR vs RCB IPL 2025 is also available on JioHotstar mobile App.
Check KKR vs RCB IPL Betting Tips
KKR vs RCB Dream11 Prediction: Team News
Kolkata Knight Riders Team News-
- The Kolkata Knight Riders will be led by veteran Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane.
- Anrich Nortje has joined the camp and even played in the intra-squad practice match for KKR. He is looking good and will be available for selection.
- Umran Malik is recovering from a hip injury. The speedsters are expected to miss this game.
- Sunil Narine and Quinton de Kock are expected to open for KKR.
- Skipper Ajinkya Rahane will bat at no 3 followed by Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, and two all-rounders Andre Russell and Ramandeep Singh.
- The bowling unit will comprise Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, Anrich Nortje, and Mayank Markande.
- For Impact subs, the likes of Vaibhav Arora and Angkrish Raghuvanshi will be the frontline choices.
- Kolkata Knight Riders Full Squads: 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, Umran Malik.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Team News-
- Rajat Patidar will be leading the Royal Challengers Bengaluru this season.
- Josh Hazlewood has joined RCB’s camp and is seemingly fit for the tournament opener.
- The only injury concern as of now is English all-rounder Jacob Bethell. He has joined the camp but his hamstring injury might keep him away from this game.
- Virat Kohli and Philip Salt will open the innings, followed by Rajat Patidar, Jitesh Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Krunal Pandya, and Tim David.
- The bowling unit will be led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The Indian seamer will get support from Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, and Yash Dayal.
- Swapnil Singh, Devdutt Padikkal, and Swastik Chikara could be a good choice among the Impact sub.
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru Full Squad: 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 Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal, Swastik Chhikara, Lungi Ngidi, Abhinandan Singh, Mohit Rathee.
KKR vs RCB Dream11 Prediction: Expected Playing 11
Kolkata Knight Riders Expected Playing 11
- Quinton de Kock (WK)
- Sunil Narine
- Ajinkya Rahane (C)
- Venkatesh Iyer
- Rinku Singh
- Andre Russell
- Ramandeep Singh
- Harshit Rana
- Anrich Nortje
- Mayank Markande
- Varun Chakravarthy
Impact Players: Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Luvnith Sisodia, Vaibhav Arora, Manish Pandey
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Expected Playing 11
- Virat Kohli
- Philip Salt
- Rajat Patidar (C)
- Liam Livingstone
- Jitesh Sharma (WK)
- Tim David
- Krunal Pandya
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Suyash Sharma
- Josh Hazlewood
- Yash Dayal
Impact Players: Swastik Chikara, Devdutt Paddikal, Mohit Rathee, Swapnil Singh
Also Read: IPL 2025 Highest Paid Player from Each of The 10 Teams
KKR vs RCB Dream11 Top Fantasy Picks
Virat Kohli: The star batter will look to kick off his IPL 2025 campaign on a high note. After scoring some crucial runs in the recently concluded ICC Champions Trophy, Virat is seemingly in good touch. Below are his stats vs KKR.
| Category | Total Innings | Runs Scored | Batting Average | Strike Rate | Centuries | Half-Centuries | Highest Score |
| Stats | 32 | 861 | 35.88 | 130 | 1 | 5 | 100 (58 balls) |
Sunil Narine: The all-rounder will be crucial with both bat and ball. He is expected to open the innings for KKR and with the nature of wicket at the Eden Gardens, expect Sunil to get ample purchase in bowling. Below are his stats vs RCB.
| Category | Total Matches | Runs Scored | Highest | Strike Rate | Wickets | Economy | Best |
| Stats | 21 | 289 | 54 | 182.91 | 26 | 6.68 | 4/20 |
Rinku Singh: KKR’s pocket dynamo Rinku Singh will be crucial in the middle overs. Rinku scored a brilliant 77 off 35 in KKR’s intra-squad game and will look to carry his rich vein of form. Below are his stats vs RCB.
| Category | Total Innings | Runs Scored | Batting Average | Strike Rate | Centuries | Half-Centuries | Highest Score |
| Stats | 5 | 99 | 33 | 141.42 | 0 | 0 | 46 |
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: Bhuvi is one of the finest with the new ball in T20 cricket. He can generate swing on any surface and his opening spell will be crucial for the visitors. Below are his stats vs KKR.
| Category | Total Matches | Wickets | Bowling Average | Economy Rate | 5 Wickets | 3 Wickets | Highest Score |
| Stats | 30 | 32 | 27.25 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 3/19 |
KKR vs RCB Dream11 Fantasy Team
Captain/Vice-Captain options: Quinton de Kock, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Rajat Patidar, Virat Kohli
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