3 best opening combinations for KKR for IPL 2025 ft. Quinton de Kock and Sunil Narine
Opening partnership played a massive role in the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)'s success in IPL 2024. Sunil Narine had a freakish season at the top-of-the-order, scoring a career-best 488 runs, including his first T20 century, while replacement player Phil Salt provided unprecedented stability with his 435 runs.
Together, they were the third-best partnership in the league with 559 runs together. Now, ahead of IPL 2025 they have been decoupled as Salt has moved to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for more than five times the contract to what he earned at KKR.
KKR did get back Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who replaced Salt for the last season's playoffs and did well and also signed South African wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock, who has scored over 3,000 runs in the IPL. How would they line-up at the top in IPL 2025? Below, we analyse three options:
#3 Rahamanullah Gurbaz-Sunil Narine
One idea KKR could go for is continuing the Gurba-Narine partnership from the last season's playoffs. They put up 44 runs in 3.2 overs in Qualifier One and Gurbaz led the charge with an excellent, controlled 32 in the final after Narine got out for 6 (2).
This would help KKR maintain some kind of consistency from the previous season, which is always a good way to go about things after winning the title.
Narine now knows how to bat in the IPL and has worked on his weaknesses, like against the short ball. Gurbaz has improved even more -- still just 23 years old, he has found a way to be consistent in white-ball cricket and is even coming off an ODI century against Bangladesh on November 11.
Gurbaz might not be able to give the stability that Salt did and as consistently, but he can hit the ball big and is mature enough to support Narine when needed. With him, KKR can maintain the 'keeper-opener combination which solved their balance issues last season.
#2 Venkatesh Iyer-Rahmanullah Gurbaz
KKR paid a massive fees to sign Venkatesh Iyer in the IPL 2025 auction. While some feel that he might be seen as a potential captain, the left-hander will have a big role to play for the team even if they don't give him the armband.
With Shreyas Iyer gone, Venkatesh might slot in at number four, especially after his success in the middle-order in 2024 (he had a strike rate of over 150). But KKR might just be tempted to see him as an opener -- the position where he began his IPL career and still boasts.
A combination of Venkatesh and Gurbaz would bring a lot of stability at the top of the order. Narine at the top gives the team more unpredictability but that works both ways. Afterall, Narine's season was so freakish that he couldn't replicate that kind of batting success for months in various T20 leagues.
The Narine pinch-hitter experiment is breathtaking but is risky. KKR have faced the worst of it too, where in games he hasn't done well and ate up balls to put pressure on the team. In earlier seasons, they have even had to change his batting spot midway through, which hasn't helped much either.
A better idea could be to use the best opening combination available and letting Narine focus on his bowling. Venkatesh started brilliantly as an opener before falling off slightly which led to his shift to number three but now his game has become much more well-rounded.
Gurbaz fiestyness and six-hitting would compliment Venkatesh's ability to find gaps and go through the gears depending on the situation. That doesn't mean Narine can't come to bat at the top in some specific situations -- if it'll be a surprise and an X-factor, it becomes unpredictable for the opposition and a weapon for KKR.
#1 Quinton de Kock-Sunil Narine
Former Proteas captain de Kock hasn't been at his best in the IPL or other T20 leagues for a while. He's still 31 but doesn't play as much cricket as earlier and would come to KKR with a few doubts over him.
But there's no way KKR can consider an opening combination without de Kock. The upside he brings to the table is massive -- with him, the stability that Salt brought would remain the same alongside the added ruthlessness that Gurbaz promises.
Neither Salt nor Gurbaz can match de Kock for experience of Indian conditions. The Eden Gardens would suit him better than the two of them as well. Moreover, de Kock is a better 'keeper and a proper leader -- immense for a new captain -- which makes him the over-all best choice.
His skills are a combination of both Gurbaz and Venkatesh so he doesn't need to be paired with either of them. With him, Narine will get another mature partner and someone who can take the pressure of him if he fails to get going immediately.
Venkatesh can then come at number three or four while Gurbaz, as he has shown previously, could be an excellent cover who'll learn a ton from de Kock.