The IPL 2025 tournament commences with an intriguing battle between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the legendary Eden Gardens. Being the defending champions, KKR will seek a strong start with the guidance of experienced Ajinkya Rahane, whereas RCB embarks on a new journey with youthful captain Rajat Patidar.

Match Details

Kolkata Knight Riders - Predicted Playing XI

Player Name	Role
Quinton de Kock	Wicketkeeper, Opener
Sunil Narine	All-rounder
Ajinkya Rahane	Captain, Batter
Venkatesh Iyer	All-rounder
Rinku Singh	Batter
Andre Russell	All-rounder
Ramandeep Singh	Batter
Harshit Rana	Fast Bowler
Anrich Nortje	Fast Bowler
Vaibhav Arora	Fast Bowler
Varun Chakravarthy	Spinner

Impact Players:

 Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Chetan Sakariya, Mayank Markande, Anukul Roy, Luvnith Sisodia

Royal Challengers Bengaluru - Predicted Playing XI

Impact Players:

Devdutt Padikkal, Romario Shepherd, Lungi Ngidi, Swastik Chhikara, Mohit Rathee

ALSO SEE: KKR vs RCB Today Match Prediction – Who Will Win? | Match 1, IPL 2025 Preview & Analysis

Key Players to Watch

Key Battles to Watch Out For

Match Preview Summary

With a full Eden Gardens house behind them, KKR enjoys the home ground and the experience of the likes of Rahane, Russell, and Narine. But RCB's opening order, driven by Virat Kohli and Phil Salt, cannot be underestimated.

Rajat Patidar has huge boots to fill when he leads RCB for the first time, whereas KKR's better-balanced and settled line-up provides a margin of superiority for them entering the opener.

The game is not just an opening game for the season – it determines the tempo for the entire league. Be prepared for drama, heat, and quality cricket as two favorite teams of the crowd face off in the first encounter of IPL 2025.