In a recap of the first-ever Indian Premier League (IPL) match, the IPL 2025 edition will see Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) play Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the tournament opener on March 22. KKR will head into the contest as the defending champion, having won IPL 2024 under Shreyas Iyer, who has moved to the Punjab Kings franchise. The KKR vs RCB contest will see two new captains — Ajinkya Rahane and Rajat Patidar, with the former having already donned the captain's hat for RR, while the latter will lead for the first time in IPL. Ajinkya Rahane Named KKR Captain for IPL 2025, Star Batter To Lead Defending Champions in Indian Premier League Season 18.

Rahane will be back at KKR for his second stint with the franchise, and will hope to take the club to its fourth IPL title. Iyer has been appointed as vice-captain having been retained for a whopping INR 23.75 crore, which adds a lot of responsibility on the all-rounders' shoulders. Manish Pandey adds more stability to a power-heavy middle order consisting of Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, and Quinton de Kock. Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Harshit Rana will lead the bowling attack, with Anrich Nortjie, Chetan Sakariya, and Spencer Johnson adding more firepower to the lineup.

On the other hand, RCB will be led by Patidar, who have the likes of Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Tim David, Bhuvneshwar Kumar Kunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, and Josh Hazlewood under his command, which will be difficult to ask for any new skipper.  RCB will bank on their Indian domestic talent to do most of the heavy lifting, with the likes of Suyash Sharma, Jitesh Sharma, Yash Dayal, Manoj Bhandage, and Swapnil Singh included.

KKR vs RCB Head-To-Head Record in IPL

So far since IPL 2008, KKR and RCB have clashed against each other in 34 matches, with Kolkata Knight Riders winning 20 in comparison to Royal Challengers Bengaluru's 14. The last time these two sides came face-to-face was during IPL 2024, where KKR clinched a one-run win over RCB at Eden Gardens. Virat Kohli, Krunal Pandya and Other RCB Cricketers Arrive at Kolkata Ahead of IPL 2025 Opener Against KKR (Watch Video).

KKR vs RCB IPL 2025 Key Players

Venkatesh Iyer
Virat Kohli
Varun Chakaravarthy
Quinton de Kock
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Phil Salt

KKR vs RCB IPL 2025 Key Battles

Phil Salt, who ruled the Eden Gardens last season for KKR, will now turn up for RCB at the venue, where the England opener enjoyed great form. Harshit Rana, who will spearhead KKR's bowling, will be expected to get the better of his former teammate and provide his franchise with an early breakthrough. Venkatesh Iyer had a stellar IPL 2024 and will be expected to rekindle his form in the absence of a star opener in the XI. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is back with RCB and will hope to have a great stint this time around. With conditions expected to be cloudy at Kolkata, Kumar could be a dangerous prospect for KKR batter, given his class with the moving ball.

KKR vs RCB IPL 2025 Venue and Match Timing

The Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL 2025 tournament opener will be played at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata on March 22. The KKR vs RCB IPL 2025 will begin at 07:30 PM Indian Standard Time (IST). IPL 2025: From Sunil Narine to Venkatesh Iyer, Top Five Players From Kolkata Knight Riders To Watch Out for; Check Full List.

KKR vs RCB IPL 2025 Live Telecast and Online Streaming

The official broadcast partner of the KKR vs RCB IPL 2025 is Star Sports Network in India. But, now after the merger of Jio and Star Sports India, fans can find viewing options for the Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL 2025 match live telecast on the Star Sports Network TV channels. Fans also have an online viewing option on the JioHotstar app, which will provide KKR vs RCB IPL cricket match live streaming on its app and website.

KKR vs RCB IPL 2025 Impact Players

KKR are likely to have all-rounders Anukul Roy and Moeen Ali as their impact players, given they are handy with spin bowling. Much like KKR, RCB, too, will keep Swapnil Singh, and Romario Shepherd as their impact players, given the nature of Eden Gardens' pitch.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 21, 2025 11:35 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).