KKR vs RCB Dream11 Prediction: Fantasy Cricket Tips, Today's Playing 11 and Pitch Report for Indian Premier League 2025, Match 1
The first match of the Indian Premier League 2025 will see the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) take on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Eden Gardens on Saturday, March 22. Ahead of the tournament opener, here's all you need to know about the KKR vs RCB Dream11 Prediction, today's playing 11s, fantasy cricket tips, and the pitch report.
This will be the inaugural match of the 2025 season where two of the top teams will play against each other. KKR were the last year's champion but will now be playing with new captain Ajinkya Rahane. The Royal Challengers, on the other hand, will play under the captaincy of Rajat Patidar and have a balanced team with quality batters and bowlers.
These two teams have played a total of 34 head-to-head matches. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru have won 14 matches, while the Kolkata Knight Riders have won 20 matches.
KKR vs RCB Match Details
The first match of the Indian Premier League 2025 will be played on March 22 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The game will begin at 7:30 PM IST. The live score & commentary of the game can be followed in the Sportskeeda Live Score section.
KKR vs RCB, 1st Match
Date and Time: 22 March 2025, 7:30 PM IST
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Pitch Report
The pitch at Eden Gardens in Kolkata is a batter's paradise. Top-order batters and all-rounders will play a crucial role at this venue. The dew factor is expected to be there, so the team winning the toss should look to chase. The pacers have a better record at this pitch over spinners.
KKR vs RCB Form Guide
KKR - Will be playing their first match
RCB - Will be playing their first match
KKR vs RCB Probable Playing XI
KKR Playing XI
No injury updates
Quinton de Kock, Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane ©, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Chetan Sakariya, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, and Anrich Nortje.
RCB Playing XI
No injury updates
Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar ©, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, and Suyash Sharma.
KKR vs RCB Dream11 Match Top Picks
Wicketkeeper
Phil Salt
Phil Salt is the best wicketkeeper pick for today's match. He is the former player of Kolkata Knight Riders and has smashed 350 runs in just eight matches at this ground. Quinton de Kock is another good wicketkeeper option for today's match.
Batters
Virat Kohli
Rajat Patidar and Virat Kohli are the two best batter picks for today's Dream11 team. Kohli was in exceptional form in last year's IPL and will try to continue the same form. He has smashed 510 runs in 17 matches at this venue at an average of around 39. Venkatesh Iyer is another good batter for today's match.
All-rounders
Sunil Narine
Sunil Narine and Andre Russell are the best all-rounder picks for the Dream11 team. Both players are crucial for today's match. Narine will open the innings for Kolkata Knight Riders and complete his quota of overs in today's match. He has smashed 559 runs and taken 70 wickets in 59 venue matches. Liam Livingstone is another good all-rounder for today's match.
Bowlers
Varun Chakravarthy
The top bowler picks for today's Dream11 team are Varun Chakravarthy and Josh Hazlewood. Both the bowlers can take a lot of wickets at this venue. Chakravarthy has an exceptional venue record and can take a lot of wickets in today's match. He has taken 24 wickets in 16 venue matches. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is another good bowler for today's match.
KKR vs RCB match captain and vice-captain choices
Sunil Narine
Sunil Narine is one of the most crucial picks from Kolkata Knight Riders as the pitch is expected to support both bowlers and batters. He will open the innings and complete his quota of overs in today's match. He has smashed 559 runs and taken 70 wickets in 59 venue matches.
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is no doubt one of the most crucial picks from the Royal Challengers Bengaluru squad. He is in excellent form and can once again perform well at this venue. He has smashed 962 runs in 35 head-to-head matches.
5 Must-Picks for KKR vs RCB, 1st Match
Virat Kohli
Phil Salt
Sunil Narine
Andre Russell
Varun Chakravarthy
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Match Expert Tips
As the pitch is expected to be good and well-balanced, it is advisable to make a team keeping that in mind. Making hard hitters or all-rounders the captain or vice-captain is the best way to gain maximum points and win grand leagues in today's match.
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Dream11 Prediction Today, Head-to-head
Wicketkeepers: P Salt, Q de Kock
Batters: V Kohli, V Iyer, R Patidar
All-rounders: L Livingstone, S Narine, A Russell
Bowlers: V Chakravarthy, B Kumar, J Hazlewood
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Dream11 Prediction Today, Grand League
Wicketkeepers: P Salt, Q de Kock
Batters: V Kohli, V Iyer, R Patidar, A Rahane
All-rounders: S Narine, A Russell
Bowlers: V Chakravarthy, H Rana, J Hazlewood