In the opening game of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata, tonight, i.e., March 22 at 7:30 PM IST.
Entering the field as defending champions is an incredible experience, but it also comes with the added pressure of trying to replicate the feat and win another championship. KKR have previously achieved success, but this time, yet again, they are without their legend, Gautam Gambhir, who guided them to all their titles. Without Gambhir, the team faces a difficult challenge, as they have failed to win a championship without him. Furthermore, following the departure of Shreyas Iyer, veteran Ajinkya Rahane will lead KKR. While the core of the team remains unchanged, KKR will be missing Mitchell Starc, who played an important part in the tournament’s final stages last year. The retained stars like Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora are all available. But what really adds to the intrigue are the new faces on the squad. The additions of Quinton de Kock, Anrich Nortje, and Spencer Johnson create a fresh dynamic for the team. It will be exciting to watch how these new players integrate into the core group, providing a thrilling edge to KKR’s campaign this season!
Meanwhile, RCB, led by new captain Rajat Patidar, are still looking for their first trophy. In IPL 2024, the team made it to the Eliminator round but fell to Rajasthan Royals (RR). RCB will be anxious to end their long wait for an IPL title in the upcoming season. The Challengers have frequently underperformed with their bowlers in the IPL; however, they have done well to bring in top performers such as Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The side, however, lacks a match-winning spinner, with Krunal Pandya being the most experienced. Liam Livingstone, Tim David, and Jacob Bethell will join Indian stalwarts Devdutt Padikkal and Jitesh Sharma in the middle to lower order to bolster their batting power. Pandya will also need to come up with the bat to offer balance to the team.
Head-to-Head:
KKR and RCB have shared encounters dating back to the IPL’s inception in 2008, and their famous rivalry has generated numerous classics throughout the tournament’s history. KKR dominate RCB in head-to-head meetings, having won 21 of 35 games.
Where-to-Watch:
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