KKR vs RCB: Top player battles to watch out for in the IPL 2025 opener

The wait is over! Well, nearly over, as a few hours still remain before the 18th edition of the IPL launches into action. To kick off yet another action-packed schedule, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders are put at the forefront at their home. Facing KKR at the Eden Gardens will be the fan-favorite Royal Challengers Bengaluru. A treat for the fans is guaranteed as their favorite, Virat Kohli, takes the field on the opening day. To set the tone for the season ahead, scheduled to run across a couple of months, both KKR and RCB would like to seal the momentum in their control on the very first day. A part of the league since the inaugural season, both RCB and KKR hold significant firepower, making them strong enough to challenge each other and deliver a thriller for the audience.

KKR vs RCB: Key player battles to watch out for in the IPL 2025 opener

In IPL history, the Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru have faced each other 34 times. The three-time title winners, KKR, hold a clear edge in their head-to-head record, winning 20 clashes against RCB. RCB, still on the lookout for their maiden IPL title, meanwhile, have won 15 matches against Kolkata. Now, as they gear up to stage another tussle in the league, both teams will come with major changes in their respective squads. RCB stands without their core seamer of seven seasons, Mohammed Siraj. Moreover, Virat Kohli will come out with a different opening partner, Phil Salt, after the franchise let go of Faf du Plessis following three seasons. Furthermore, the strings of the team now lie in the hands of Rajat Patidar, who has succeeded du Plessis as the captain.

KKR, meanwhile, has appointed Ajinkya Rahane as their skipper after releasing Shreyas Iyer in the auction. Rahane will be assisted by Venkatesh Iyer, who claimed a ₹23.75 crore deal with KKR in the IPL 2025 mega auction. In the support staff panel, Dwayne Bravo has turned mentor, replacing Gautam Gambhir, who is now the Indian head coach. Sunil Narine remains a sturdy presence in the squad, promising the revival of some key battles against RCB.

Sunil Narine vs Virat Kohli

The main picks of KKR and RCB, respectively, form the core of their teams. With over 8,000 runs to his name, Kohli is adjudged the highest run-scorer in IPL history. Meanwhile, with 180 wickets, Narine is ranked among the top five highest wicket-takers ever in the league. KKR, moreover, uses the all-rounder as a double-edged sword, with Narine trusted with the responsibility of opening the innings last season. While Kohli remains dominant in run-scoring, the batter has struggled against some specific bowlers in the league, and Narine is among them. In their IPL face-offs, Narine has dismissed Kohli four times. Meanwhile, Kohli averages 31.8 against Narine, scoring 127 runs in 118 deliveries so far.

Ajinkya Rahane vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar

RCB went all out for Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the IPL 2025 mega auction after the seamer left the Sunrisers Hyderabad camp. The seasoned Indian pacer has the fitting credentials to counter the KKR skipper in the IPL 2025 opener. In their face-offs in the T20 league, Bhuvneshwar has dismissed Ajinkya Rahane seven times. Their tussle dates back to 2012, and Rahane has scored 104 runs in 117 balls against the seamer since then, averaging a meager 14.9. Now, the senior picks are ready to revive their one-sided tussle in new threads in the upcoming season.

Rajat Patidar vs Andre Russell

While Patidar has long proved his batting prowess, all eyes will be on the batter who is now the captain of RCB. Rajat Patidar has a knack for going all out against spinners, so KKR might want to develop a restraining plan against the RCB skipper. And the best man to headline the plans could be Andre Russell. The seasoned West Indies star has stunned Patidar one too many times with his medium pace in the T20 League. A hard-hitting basher, Patidar tends to fall flat against Russell, who has dismissed him twice. The two wickets hold more impact when noted along with the fact that Russell has bowled only four deliveries to Patidar yet. The average isn't even in the equation, as the now RCB captain has managed just a single run in those four balls against the KKR star.

Patidar, however, boasts domination against Sunil Narine. Though their match-ups so far have been limited, Patidar has sent Narine’s deliveries for two maximums. With 17 runs in only nine deliveries, Patidar has maintained a strike rate of 188.9, while Narine has not managed even a single dismissal so far.