KKR vs RCB Match Preview- IPL 2025, Match 1

Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will be hosting Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the first game of IPL 2025. The KKR vs RCB match is scheduled to be played on Saturday (March 22) at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

After some early hiccups, KKR looked almost unbeatable in the second half of the last season. Their juggernaut finally stopped with a thumping win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final. The reigning champions have lost the services of their title-winning captain but have managed to retain the core of the team.

They will be led by the experienced Ajinkya Rahane this season and will be looking to win the title for the fourth time. An impressive win in the first game of the season will be an ideal way for KKR to show their early title credentials.

RCB, on the other hand, are aiming for their first-ever title. Last season, they qualified for the playoffs but could not progress ahead. They have not made it to the final since 2016 and will be desperate to turn things around this season. With both the teams set for the game, we are taking a look at the KKR vs RCB match preview.

KKR vs RCB Match Preview- IPL 2025, Match 1:

KKR vs RCB, Date and Venue:

The upcoming KKR vs RCB match will be played on Saturday (March 22) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The match is scheduled to be played from 7:30 PM IST.

Squads:

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

Injury replacement: Umran Malik was replaced by Chetan Sakariya.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru:

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

KKR vs RCB key battles:

Sunil Narine vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar:

This is the battle that could very well decide the remainder of the innings. Sunil Narine had a stunning outing with the bat last season and he will be eyeing a similar performance this season as well. Narine had finished IPL 2024 as KKR's highest run-scorer, scoring 488 runs including a century and three fifties.

Sunil Narine can all but put the game to bed if he manages to bat for a few overs. RCB will be well aware of that threat and would be hoping that the experienced Bhuvneshwar Kumar get rid of the KKR opener early. Bhuvneshwar can swing the ball both ways and can cause all sorts of trouble for Narine.

Virat Kohli vs Anrich Nortje:

The battle between Virat Kohli and Anrich Nortje will be an interesting one. Both the players will be keen to give their team a good start. While Kohli will be opening the innings for RCB, Nortje is expected to lead the pace attack for KKR.

Kohli had a brilliant campaign with the bat last season where he scored 741 runs including a century and five fifties. He will be looking to enjoy a prolific season with the bat once again.

Kohli can bat any team out of the game and KKR will be hoping that the former India skipper does not last long. They will be keen to get his wicket even before he settles down and will rely on Nortje for the same. The South Africa pacer has the pace to trouble the former RCB captain.

Rajat Patidar vs Varun Chakravarthy:

The battle between RCB captain Rajat Patidar and Varun Chakravarthy is another crucial battle that could be decisive in the outcome of the game. The upcoming game will be Patidar's first as a captain and he will be keen to lead his team from the front.

The right-handed batsman had an impressive campaign with the bat last season and he will look to impress once again. He was particularly impressive against the spinners, scoring at a strike rate of almost 200. He had hit as many as 22 sixes against spinners and will look to target Chakravarthy in the upcoming game.

Chakravarthy, on the other hand, is also in sensational form and will be fancying his chances of winning his battle against Patidar.

KKR vs RCB Key Players:

KKR - Sunil Narine, Quinton de Kock, Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, and Varun Chakravarthy will be the key players for KKR.

RCB - Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Tim David, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be the key players for RCB.

KKR vs RCB Weather Report:

Rain could play spoilsport during the upcoming KKR vs RCB game. However, it is unlikely to wash out the entire game. There is a 10-20 percent chance of rain during the game. The temperature is set to be in the mid-20s throughout the game.

Conclusion:

Both RCB and KKR have enough firepower to win the upcoming game. The Eden Gardens track is likely to be a belter and the first game of IPL 2025 could see a run-fest.