The opening match of TATA IPL 2025 will take place between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Kolkata’s iconic Eden Garden ground at 7:30 PM IST. Get expert analysis and more on the best Dream 11 team for KKR vs RCB, probable playing XI, Fantasy Cricket tips, and key match insights for the 1st game.
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Match Preview
The Indian Premier League 2025 is set to begin on 22 March, where defending champion KKR will be taking on the RCB at the iconic Eden Garden in Kolkata.
The newly appointed captains, Ajinkya Rahane and Rajat Patidar, will be captaining for Riders and Bengaluru, respectively. The Bengaluru lineup is a star-studded squad featuring Virat Kohli, Liam Livingstone, and Philip Salt. On the other hand, Kolkata Knight Riders have strong international stars with players like Quinton de Kock, Andre Russell, and Moeen Ali.
Saturday’s tournament opener is anticipated to be an exciting contest, as both teams are eager to start their campaign on a winning note.
Probable Playing 11: KKR vs RCB
KKR: Ajinkya Rahane (Captain), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, Chetan Shkariya, Quinton de Kock, Sunil Narine, Enrich Nortje, Andre Russell.
RCB: Rajat Patidar (Captain), Virat Kohli, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Suyash Sharma, Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, Tim David.
Team 01: Dream 11 Prediction (KKR vs RCB)
Keeper – Philip Salt (Vice Captain)
Batters-
Rajat Patidar
Venkatesh Iyer
All Rounders –
Sunil Narine
Andre Russell (Captain)
Liam Livingstone
Bowlers-
Varun Chakravarthy
Josh Hazlewood
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Harshit Rana
Team 02: Dream 11 Prediction (KKR VS RCB)
Keepers – Philip Salt and Quinton de Kock (Captain)
Batsmen-
Virat Kohli
Rajat Patidar
Ajinkya Rahane
All-rounders –
Sunil Narine
Andre Russell
Liam Livingstone
Bowlers-
Varun Chakravarthy
Bhubaneswar Kumar
Harshit Rana (Vice Captain)
Pitch Report-
The pitch is expected to be batting friendly for tomorrow’s opener match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Initially, it will offer extra bounce to the bowlers but generally favour batsmen. With the total on board, 200 runs are expected for the batting team.
Moreover, dew factors that may affect the bowlers during the evening, it may be challenging for bowlers to grip the ball, potentially influencing team strategies, especially concerning bowling in the latter stages of the match.
Weather Report-
According to weather predictions, there is a 75 percent chance of rain in Kolkata on the match day, which may affect the pitch conditions and disrupt the match.
