IPL 2025 KKR vs RCB Playing 11: Ajinkya Rahane-led Kolkata Knight Riders is set to face Rajat Patidar-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to play the first match of IPL 2025 on March 22 in Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
This is the second instance of KKR playing RCB in an IPL season opener after having done so in the inaugural edition in 2008.
| Tournament | Indian Premier League 2025 |
| Match | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, 1st Match |
| Venue | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| Date | Saturday, March 22, 2025 |
| Time | 02:00 PM GMT / 07:30 PM LOCAL, IST |
| Dream11 | KKR vs RCB Dream11 Prediction Today Match Probable Playing XI, Pitch Report, Injury Updates |
| Live Streaming | IPL Live Streaming 2025: IPL Match TV Channels, Online Apps |
IPL 2025 KKR vs RCB Playing 11
Both teams will play their first match of IPL 2025 under new captains. RCB named Rajat Patidar as their new skipper for IPL 2025 while KKR named Ajinkya Rahane as their new captain.
It is worth mentioning, Ajinkya Rahane was both the leading run-getter and Player of the Tournament in SMAT 2024-25 in Mumbai’s title-winning run.
Speaking of the venue, there have been 12 200+ totals at Eden Garden in just the last two seasons, compared to only 10 such scores until 2022.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have won the toss and opted to bowl first. During the toss, RCB captain Rajat Patidar said “We have decided to bowl first, the pitch looks hard. Amazing to lead RCB and great opportunity to learn from the great players. We have done proper preparations for the last 10-15 days. I am confused with this impact player. We are going with 3 fast bowlers and 2 spinners”.
On the other hand, KKR Captain Ajinkya Rahane said “It’s an honour to lead this team. Our preparation has been good, the core group has been the same. Looking forward to bat well first and defend later on. It is all about giving the players the freedom and allow them to play as a unit. We are playing 3 fast bowlers and 2 spinners”.
KKR Playing 11: Quinton de Kock(w), Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy
RCB Playing 11: Virat Kohli, Philip Salt(w), Rajat Patidar(c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Rasikh Dar Salam, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal
IPL 2025 KKR vs RCB Pitch Report
A wet ball, which could be one of the central characters of the night, be it from the dew, the forecasted rain or a bit of saliva slipping its way back into cricket. Also, expect ample airtime for Eden Gardens’ famously large white covers.
The night temperature is predicted to dip by 4-5 degrees, which could mean heavier dew and the new playing conditions around ball change in the second innings could be put to test immediately.
And then there’s the pitch, which is expected to be flat, fast and full of runs. Since the IPL returned to the home-away format in 2023, Eden Gardens has been the highest-scoring venue in the league, with a staggering scoring rate of 9.98 runs per over, the most for any ground with at least three games.
IPL 2025 KKR vs RCB Squad
Kolkata Knight Riders
Quinton de Kock (wk), Ajinkya Rahane (c), Sunil Narine, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Spencer Johnson, Vaibhav Arora, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Manish Pandey, Moeen Ali, Anrich Nortje, Rovman Powell, Anukul Roy, Mayank Markande, Chetan Sakariya, Luvnith Sisodia
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Liam Livingstone, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Swapnil Singh, Lungi Ngidi, Romario Shepherd, Manoj Bhandage, Rasikh Dar Salam, Nuwan Thushara, Jacob Bethell, Suyash Sharma, Mohit Rathee, Swastik Chikara, Abhinandan Singh
