Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won the toss and chose to bowl first against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the opening match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season at Eden Gardens on Saturday.
RCB captain Rajat Patidar said the team opted to bowl after assessing the pitch conditions. “We have decided to bowl first. The pitch looks hard,” Patidar said. “It’s amazing to lead RCB and a great opportunity to learn from the experienced players. We’ve prepared well over the last 10 to 15 days. I’m still a bit confused with the impact player rule. We’re going with three fast bowlers and two spinners.”
KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane expressed pride in leading his team and highlighted the squad’s readiness. “It’s an honor to lead this team. Our preparation has been solid, and the core group remains unchanged. We’re looking forward to batting well first and defending later. It’s all about giving the players freedom and allowing them to perform as a unit. We’re also playing three fast bowlers and two spinners,” Rahane said.
Playing XIs:RCB: Virat Kohli, Philip Salt (w), Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Rasikh Dar Salam, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal.
KKR: Quinton de Kock (w), Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy.