KKR vs RCB Dream11 Prediction: Dream11 Team Today, Fantasy Cricket Tips, Playing XI, Pitch Report, Injury Update – IPL 2025, Match No-1
KKR vs RCB Match Preview
The Indian Premier League 2025, one of the most competitive T20 leagues in the world, is scheduled to begin on March 22, which is just a few days away and the BCCI has already announced the schedule for the IPL 2025, which will commence with season’s two most popular teams, the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. It will be interesting to see which team will begin their campaign with an important victory.
However, cricket fans can expect that this 18th season of the IPL promises plenty of excitement, thrills, and entertainment. The first IPL 2025 match is scheduled to start at 7:30 PM IST on Saturday, March 22, 2025. Cricket fans can use the JioHotstar app to view the action online or watch it live on the Star Sports Network.
| Match Info | |
|---|---|
| Series | Indian Premier League 2025- IPL 2025 |
| Match | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, KKR vs RCB Match-1 |
| Venue | Eden Gardens |
| City | Kolkata |
| Match Start Time | 7:30 PM IST – Saturday, 22 March 2025 |
| TV Channel | Star Sports Network |
| Live Streaming | JioHotstar app |
KKR vs RCB Head-to-Head Records (Total matches played: 35)
In the 35 encounters between KKR and RCB throughout IPL history, KKR clinically outperformed RCB in this rivalry, winning 21 games while RCB managed to win just 14. This demonstrated KKR’s sheer dominance over RCB since the IPL’s inception.
| Teams | Matches Won |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 21 |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 14 |
KKR vs RCB Weather & Pitch Report
The weather at Eden Gardens for the first IPL 2025 match between KKR and RCB appears to be suitable for cricket. Cloudy skies are predicted, with a warm and humid temperature of around 36° C. Unfortunately, rain is predicted for the afternoon after 5:00 PM, and the meteorological department has issued an orange alert for Kolkata in the coming days. There is a 90% possibility of rain during the KKR vs. SRH game, so it will be interesting to see how things turn out. Eden Gardens’ pitch is recognized for being bat-friendly in the first inning. Batters are highly favored. However, as the game progressed, spinners will enter the picture as the ground becomes drier and the balls begin to grip better.
According to the pitch’s overall statistics, teams that bat first have scored approximately 160 runs on average. So, on this pitch, it’s advisable to field first, keeping the other team’s total under control in the first inning, and then. Chased down the target later, since the batting second team performed better at this venue, as demonstrated by the previous statistics.
| Temperature | 36°C |
| Weather Forecast | Cloudy Sky, warm and humid |
| Pitch Behaviour | 1st inning – Batting Friendly 2nd inning – Spin Friendly |
| Best Suited To | Batters |
| Average 1st innings score | 160 |
Record of chasing teams on this stadium
According to the previous T20 statistics, 158 matches, including domestic and international matches, were played on this field. Of those, 85 matches, which is around 54%, were won by the team fielding first, while the team that chose batting first was able to win 72 encounters. This clearly showed that, once the toss was won, choosing to field first could be a viable option at this venue.
| Records | Good |
| Winning % | 54 % |
KKR vs RCB: KKR to win the toss and choose to field first
We expect KKR to win the toss and elect to field first because they are playing at home in front of their fans in the season opener of the IPL 2025, so toss luck may favor KKR’s captain Shreyas Iyer against RCB, and as previous statistics suggest, they may also choose to field first.
Kolkata Knight Riders vs RCB Squads
Kolkata Knight Bengaluru Team Full Squad
Ajinkya Rahane ©, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Anukul Roy, Moeen Ali, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Luvnith Sisodia (wk), Quinton de Kock (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Anrich Nortje, Harshit Rana, Mayank Markande, Spencer Johnson, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Team Full Squad
Rajat Patidar ©, Devdutt Padikkal, Swastik Chikara, Tim David, Virat Kohli, Jacob Bethell, Krunal Pandya, Liam Livingstone, Manoj Bhandage, Mohit Rathee, Romario Shephard, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Phil Salt (wk), Abhinandan Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Lungi Ngidi, Nuwan Thushara, Rasikh Salam, Suyash Sharma, Swapnil Singh, Yash Dayal.
KKR vs RCB Dream11 Prediction Playing 11
Kolkata Knight Riders Playing 11 vs RCB – IPL 2025, Match 1
Quinton de Kock (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane ©, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Andrea Russell, Harshith Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Anrich Nortje.
KKR’s playing XI appears to be very stable, with seven batting options and seven bowling options, including a very solid-looking all-rounder who can change the game with both bat and ball, as well as the talented spin mystery duo of Varun and Narine, who make this team more destructible.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Playing 11 vs KKR – IPL 2025, Match 1
Virat Kohli, Phil Salt (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Liam Livingstone, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal.
RCB’s playing XI is also looking very good with the addition of the guys like Livingstone, Krunal, Tim, and Bhuvneshwar, thus altogether they covered almost all the departments, therefore most probably they will play with this team combination.
KKR vs RCB Dream11 Prediction Impact Players List
Kolkata Knight Riders impact players
- Sunil Narine
- Andre Russell
- Varun Chakaravarthy
Sunil Narine is the most prolific all-rounder in the KKR squad, opening the innings for his team and making full use of the field restrictions in the first six overs by scoring more than a half runs; he only knows the power game, which can provide KKR with an explosive start to the inning; and with the ball, Narine has always been a fantastic bowler because of his mystery spin, which no batsman can ever solve.
Andre Russell possesses pure Caribbean power and simply looks to knock the ball out of the park every time; he generates tremendous power by hitting the ball with full force, which can score him and his team many runs in the death overs. Many bowlers are afraid to bowl in front of Russell because he is one of the most powerful and dangerous batsmen in the IPL, with the ability to score at least 20 to 25 runs in an over, demonstrating how deadly Russell can be in the death overs for the opponents, and he can also bowl important four overs in the middle or in the death overs, making him the most important player for KKR.
Varun Chakaravarthy has been going from magnificent form these days, in the recently completed Champions Trophy 2025, where India registered their title run, Varun was one of the key performers for India who displayed his mystery skills of spin, which became a mystery to all the batsman, and thus he was the second highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 9 wickets in just three matches, demonstrating his wicket-taking ability as well as a variety of variation. He will be the most significant player for KKR in this year’s IPL since he will play seven matches at Eden Garden, which favors spinners more.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru impact players
- Virat Kohli
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Liam Livingstone
Virat Kohli is the player on whom the entire RCB team has always relied; whether batting, fielding, or as an experienced player, his team looks to Kohli. Because Kohli has been a part of this franchise since the inception of the IPL, he knows everything about his team, and we are all well aware of his batting abilities, which have allowed him to successfully carry his team over the years; he scores runs consistently for his team, and he is the leading run scorer in IPL history, making him the most dependable player for the RCB.
The good news for RCB is that they acquired Bhuvneshwar Kumar, a like-to-like replacement for their front-line pacer, Mohammad Siraj, this year. Bhuvi has a lot of bowling experience and can be used anywhere, whether it’s in the powerplay, middle overs, or death overs, depending on the needs of the team. He also won the Purple Cap a few times, demonstrating that he is an economical bowler who also takes a lot of wickets. On the pitch, like MA Chinnaswamy, RCB is constantly looking for a bowler who can take wickets while contributing runs, and since Bhuvi is one of their best bowlers, he will be the most crucial player this season.
Liam Livingstone is one of the most explosive all-rounders and is an excellent replacement for Glenn Maxwell. Livingstone can bat in the death overs and use his strength to score runs at a faster rate, as well as his bowling skills, which will be critical for the team because he can provide RCB with that crucial breakthrough with the ball in the middle overs. Livingstone is going to be one of the most important all-rounders for RCB this season because of his ability to spin the ball on all sides and with leg spin.
Highest run scorer: Virat Kohli (RCB)
Highest wicket taker: Varun Chakaravarthy (KKR)
Hot Picks for KKR vs RCB Dream11 Prediction and Fantasy Cricket Tips
Sunil Narine is the ideal hot pick for KKR against RCB because he can take charge in the powerplay and score some quick runs, putting KKR in a strong position, and his mystery spin can provide crucial breakthroughs in the middle overs on Eden Gardens’ spin-friendly track.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is a new addition to the RCB squad who can solve the team’s death overs problem. Also, he has the skill set to ball with the new ball, can ball laser-guided yorkers with full precision, and can also roll his fingers with slower ones, making Bhuvneshwar Kumar a hot pick for RCB.
KKR hot pick: Sunil Narine
RCB hot pick: Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Captaincy Picks for KKR vs RCB Dream11 Prediction
Virat Kohli is the greatest pick for the Dream 11 Captaincy from the RCB side since he has the capacity to deliver match-winning performances with his magnificent batting abilities, allowing his team to win games comfortably.
Andre Russell is one of the most destructive all-rounders in cricket right now, with the ability to score boundaries effortlessly and win his team’s matches with the bat alone. He can also bowl some crucial overs in the middle, giving KKR an extra bowling option who can ball cleverly against the batters, making Russell the ideal pick for KKR’s Dream 11 captaincy.
| Andre Russell (KKR) |
| Virat Kohli (RCB) |
Top Picks for KKR vs RCB Dream11 Prediction
Varun Chakaravarthy is the obvious choice for the top pick from the KKR side, as he is coming off a red-hot form with the ball, having recently performed admirably in the Champions Trophy 2025 and helped significantly to Team India’s Champions Trophy run. So we can expect the same from him in the first match of the IPL 2025 against RCB.
Liam Livingstone is a very reliable batsman in death overs, where he can use his arm strength to hit the ball out of the park and give his team momentum in the slog overs. He can also be used as a primary spin option on a spinning friendly pitch like Eden Gardens, that’s why Liam is the RCB’s top pick in an upcoming match.
| Varun Chakaravarthy (KKR) |
| Liam Livingstone (RCB) |
Budget Picks for KKR vs RCB Dream11 Prediction
Vaibhav Arora is a young and talented fiery right-arm pacer who can bowl with the new ball as well as in the death overs, and he has the qualities of a pure pacer who can easily hit 140 km/h, that is why he is the player from whom KKR team can expect wickets, making him the top budget pick from KKR.
Suyash Sharma is a former KKR player who is a fantastic right-arm leg-spinner with many variations such as googly and flipper that can deceive batsmen on Eden Gardens spinning track, which is why Suyash is the best budget pick from KKR who can score you some good Dream11 points with his wicket-taking abilities.
| Vaibhav Arora (KKR) |
| Suyash Sharma (RCB) |
KKR vs RCB Captain and Vice-Captain Choices
Captain Options: Andre Russell & Virat Kohli
Andre Russell is well-known for his explosive batting in the death overs and his ability to pick critical wickets. He has the capacity to change the game on his own. His all-round abilities make him an excellent captain choice.
Virat Kohli is the IPL’s leading run-scorer, and his consistency and ability to anchor the innings make him a solid captain choice. His expertise and form are significant strengths.
Vice-Captain Options: Sunil Narine & Liam Livingstone
Sunil Narine’s ability to provide rapid runs at the top while also delivering economical spells with the ball makes him an excellent vice-captain choice.
Liam Livingstone is a powerful batter and an effective bowler. His aggressive style can quickly turn games around, making him a strong vice-captain contender.
| Captains | Andre Russell & Virat Kohli |
| Vice-Captains | Sunil Narine & Liam Livingstone |
KKR vs RCB Dream11 Prediction Team 1
This team strikes an excellent balance between established matchwinners and emerging talent. Quinton de Kock, the wicketkeeper, provides a reliable start with the bat. The batting core includes Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar, who ensure consistency and solidity in the top order. Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Liam Livingstone, and Venkatesh Iyer are among the game-changers in the all-rounder class, ensuring aggressive batting as well as impactful bowling.
These players may contribute significantly in a variety of sectors, maximizing Dream11 points. Varun Chakaravarthy, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Vaibhav Arora, and Suyash Sharma form a versatile bowling attack. Varun’s mysterious spin, Bhuvneshwar’s swing, and the pace pair of Vaibhav and Suyash provide a well-rounded offense capable of handling a variety of match conditions.
- Keeper: Quinton de Kock
- Batters: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar
- All-rounders: Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Liam Livingstone, Venkatesh Iyer
- Bowlers: Varun Chakaravarthy, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Vaibhav Arora, Suyash Sharma
RCB vs KKR Dream11 Prediction Team 2
This team features powerful hitters, explosive all-rounders, and dependable bowlers. Phil Salt, the wicketkeeper, produces explosive starts at the top. The batting lineup includes Virat Kohli and Tim David, two aggressive batsmen who may boost the scoring rate in critical occasions. The all-rounders like Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Liam Livingstone, and Rinku Singh assure versatility. These guys can deliver with both the bat and the ball, providing various scoring opportunities.
Rinku Singh’s finishing ability provides an extra advantage. Varun Chakaravarthy, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Vaibhav Arora, and Suyash Sharma make up a formidable bowling lineup. With Varun’s secret spin, Bhuvneshwar’s experience, and two promising young pacers, this assault is capable of challenging any opponent. Both teams are designed to maximize points through strong performances from important players, with a balanced roster of batsmen, all-rounders, and bowlers.
- Keeper: Phil Salt
- Batters: Virat Kohli, Tim David
- All-rounders: Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Liam Livingstone, Rinku Singh
- Bowlers: Varun Chakaravarthy, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Vaibhav Arora, Suyash Sharma
KKR vs RCB Dream11 Prediction Today (Match No. 1) IPL 2025
Players to Avoid
Lungi Ngidi is the right-arm pacer from KKR, who has a good pace and also maintains exact line and length with the new ball and also in the death overs. However, he might not get a chance in the playing XI of KKR as there are only four foreign slots allowed in the playing XI and they will be filled by players like De Kock, Narine, Russell, and Nortje. So, he should need to wait for some more matches so it is advised not to include him in your Dream11 team.
Romario Shephard is a right-arm bowling all-rounder from RCB, who possesses great power with the bat and has the ability to clear the boundary very easily, and he can bowl as a right-arm medium pacer as well in the middle overs as a good part-time bowler, but on the conditions of the Eden Garden, which may not be favorable for Shephard because this ground offers the slow pitch and there is a need of stable and solid batsman in the middle order, Also, two of the same type of batsmen, Livingstone and Tim, are expected to be in the playing XI, making it difficult for Shephard to earn a chance in the RCB playing XI against KKR.
| Players | Dream11 Credits | Dream11 Points |
| Lungi Ngidi (KKR) | – | – |
| Romario Shephard (RCB) | – | – |
KKR vs RCB Dream11 Prediction Today (Match No. 1) IPL 2025 Expert Advice
Captaincy Choice
Kohli’s consistency and ability to score big runs make him a trustworthy batsman. As the IPL’s leading run scorer, he thrives under pressure and frequently anchors the innings well.
Vice-Captaincy Choice
Narine’s combined abilities as a power hitter and a mystery spinner create numerous Dream11 scoring possibilities. His influence with both bat and ball makes him an excellent vice-captain candidate.
Punt Picks
Venkatesh Iyer and Rajat Patidar are both capable of delivering stunning performances. Venkatesh Iyer’s aggressive batting in the top order and Rajat Patidar’s ability to accelerate in the middle overs make them solid risk-reward choices.
This squad consists of one wicketkeeper, two batsmen, four all-rounders, and four bowlers. This formation strikes a good mix, assuring enough solid hitters while maximizing points with impactful all-rounders and wicket-taking spinners.
| Captaincy Choice | Virat Kohli (RCB) |
| Vice-Captaincy Choice | Sunil Narine (KKR) |
| Punt Picks | Venkatesh Iyer & Rajat Patidar |
| Dream11 Combination | 1-2-4-4 |
Disclaimer: This team is based on the analysis, Calculated odds, and Past Experience of the author. While selecting your team, consider the analysis only as supporting data while making your own decision. Sportsdunia does not work with insider news and will not be responsible for any monetary loss for the users following the analysis.