Match Overview
KKR vs RCB: The defending champions, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), will play the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the famous Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday, March 22, marking the official start of the eagerly awaited 18th season of the IPL 2025.
Ajinkya Rahane will lead KKR for a season after they parted ways with Shreyas Iyer, their IPL-winning captain. The core group, however, is still in place, guaranteeing consistency in their title defense. The team won their third title with a landslide victory in the final after playing well in the second half of the 2024 Indian Premier League.
Rajat Patidar will lead RCB this season as they continue to pursue their first IPL championship. Even though they qualified for the playoffs the previous season, they were unable to turn things around. The focus will be on Virat Kohli to hit runs since he is once again the center of attention.
KKR vs RCB: Head-to-Head
So far, KKR and RCB have participated in 34 IPL games. Of those games, 20 have been won by the Kolkata Knight Riders. Bengaluru’s Royal Challengers won fourteen. They clashed twice in the 2024 Indian Premier League. Both games were won by KKR, one by one run and the other by seven wickets.
KKR vs RCB: Who’ll win?
The team bowling first will win the match, according to Finebook247. KKR is predicted to win by Google Match Prediction with a 54% likelihood. We also forecast KKR to win. There is a rain scare during the contest, though. Whatever occurs, anything can happen.
KKR vs RCB, IPL 2025: Eden Gardens pitch report
A balanced venue for players of all trades has long been offered by Eden Gardens. It has, however, been excellent for the batters in the past few years. When the ball ages, the spinners do receive some support, but generally speaking, the batters will take center stage during the game.
Weather
The morning of March 22 is expected to bring rain to Kolkata. Even throughout the game, cloud cover is predicted, but there is a lower risk of rain in the evening. The game’s peak temperature, according to AccuWeather, will be about 22°C, with a 25% probability of rain.
Predicted Playing XIs:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru:
Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Krunal Pandya, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Rasikh Dar/Manoj Bhandage, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, and Yash Dayal
Kolkata Knight Riders:
Quinton de Kock (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Spencer Johnson, and Varun Chakaravarthy
