RCB all set to rumble as they clash with KKR in IPL 2025 curtain-raiser

An eternity of wait for the cricket fans across the globe comes to an end as IPL 2025 is all set to roll with a blockbuster clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens. The last time these two teams met in Kolkata, it went down to the final ball of the match with KKR bagging a 1-run victory in a heart-pounding thriller.

RCB turned the tide around in stunning fashion last year, after going on a full-blown rampage to win six games on the trot that earned them the qualification for the play-offs. An inexplicable turnaround of affairs saw the Royal Challengers putting up a show to savour while oppositions were dismantled in the wake of their sparkling brilliance. Despite crashing out of the play-offs, RCB would love to turn things around with a flurry of new faces in the mix.

The defending champions of the tournament, KKR, will also be hopeful of starting the campaign with a resounding win to keep their winning momentum alive. With a barrage of big hitters in the mix and a turning surface at the Eden Gardens, one might expect this to be a full-blown runfest, setting the tone right for the remainder of the tournament.

Venue Watch

The pitch in Kolkata is usually a slow one with turners getting ample assistance. There have been traces of spongy bounce in the past as well, especially in the first innings. The team winning the toss would in all likelihood be eyeing to bowl first in order for the surface to improve the carry of the ball later in the game.

Personal battles to watch out for:

Virat Kohli vs Sunil Narine:

Virat Kohli’s recent form in the ICC Champions Trophy will undoubtedly make him one of the key weapons in RCB’s repertoire. His excellent footwork in recent times combined with the urge to go deep in the innings will facilitate an ecstatic battle for the cricket fans to savour. Sunil Narine, on the contrary, is a crucial option in the bowling echelons of KKR. One of the most experienced campaigners will be hopeful of knitting a web around VK, trying to leave him off his element.

Rajat Patidar vs Varun Chakravarthy

RCB’s new captain, Rajat Patidar has been one of the key players of spin in recent times. He would obviously be eyeing to negate the turn in the middle-overs, especially with KKR boasting a couple of sparkling names in the mix in the form of Narine and CV Varun. Varun has also been in exemplary touch and he would love to dish out those magic balls to try and confront the superlative authority of Patidar.

Josh Hazlewood vs Ajinkya Rahane

The Bendemeer Bullet is back to RCB and will be spearheading the fast-bowling battery for the season. With the wild variety of options that Hoff comes in with, makes him a very special choice with the new ball up front. He is also one of the most reliable names to handle the cherry in the death overs. Ajinkya Rahane, the new captain of Kolkata Knight Riders is a proven warrior and his recent form in the domestic circuit will definitely make him a big name to watch out for. He has formerly proven it already that if on song, he is an unstoppable option in the mix.

Match detail:

Match: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Date: 22nd March, 2025

Time: 7:30 PM

Head-to-head:

Matches played: 34

KKR: 20

RCB: 14

Squads:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru:

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

Kolkata Knight Riders:

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.