IPL 2025: KKR Playing XI vs RCB- Match 01

The defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), retained most of their base players from the last season for the 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League. They lock horns with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 22 at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

The KKR management decided to part ways with Shreyas Iyer, the last year’s winning captain. It was late on the second day, in the accelerated auction, when they bagged Ajinkya Rahane’s services at the base price and handed him the captaincy for this season.

IPL 2025: KKR Playing 11 vs RCB- IPL 2025, Match 01

Openers: Quinton de Kock (wk.), Sunil Narine

KKR will have a new opening stand this season after Phil Salt's departure. Quinton de Kock has joined the purple franchise. But the southpaw’s poor record of 65 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 112.1 at the Eden Gardens won’t inspire the management much.

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De Kock will partner Sunil Narine in the opening position. The West Indies all-rounder had a sensational season last year with the bat, finishing as the franchise’s highest run-getter. He cracked 488 runs in 14 games at a strike rate of 180.74.

But if the opponent sides find a way to dismiss Narine early in the innings, then it will be a huge issue for the franchise. Narine’s bowling was also lethal in the last edition, picking up 17 wickets in their winning campaign to be adjudged the Player of the Tournament for his all-rounder display.

Middle order: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh

Kolkata’s middle order is nearly the same as the last season. The only inclusion is the captain, Ajinkya Rahane, who will hope to answer all his critics. He struggled in the previous edition, playing for the Chennai Super Kings, but it will be another opportunity for the Mumbai batter.

Venkatesh Iyer ended with 370 runs in 13 innings of the IPL 2024 at a strike rate of 158.79, thanks to four half-centuries. The southpaw hopes to continue the same performance in the new season.

Rinku Singh will bat at the fifth position. He didn’t contribute much in the previous edition as the management kept pushing him in the lower order. Andre Russell will follow him in the batting order after smashing 222 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 185.

Ramandeep Singh has displayed his power in the last season, but if the team loses a few early wickets in the game, then Manish Pandey can also come as an impact substitute in the side.

Bowlers: Harshit Rana, Anrich Nortje, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy

Varun Chakravarthy was the second-highest wicket-taker of the IPL 2024 with 21 wickets in 14 innings at an average of just below 20 and an economy rate of 8.04. After a successful campaign for the Indian side in the Champions Trophy, he will be superbly confident for the 2025 season of the IPL.

Harshit Rana also contributed with 19 wickets for KKR in the previous season at an average of 20.15 and an economy rate of over nine. Vaibhav Arora impressed the franchise with several wickets in the last season.

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The only change in KKR's bowling department will be Anrich Nortje, replacing Micthell Starc. Nortje hasn’t played many games for South Africa of late due to injury. If he doesn’t get fit in time, then the management can also use the left-arm pace of Spencer Johnson in the line-up.

KKR Playing XI vs RCB- IPL 2025

Quinton de Kock (wk.), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Anrich Nortje, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy