The wait is finally over, and the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 is set to kick off on March 22. The season’s first match will be hosted by Kolkata, with the Eden Gardens serving as the venue for the highly anticipated clash between the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). As the defending champions, KKR will look to start their campaign on a strong note, while RCB will aim to build on their impressive performance in the second half of the previous season. Let’s take a closer look at the stats to determine which team has the upper hand going into the match.
KKR vs RCB: Head-to-Head Record
When it comes to assessing which team has the edge, the head-to-head record is often the best indicator. In the IPL, KKR and RCB have faced each other 34 times, with the Knight Riders emerging victorious on 20 occasions and the Royal Challengers winning 14 times. It’s worth noting that in the 2024 season, the two teams met twice, with KKR winning both matches.
Does KKR Have the Upper Hand?
Based on recent performances, it appears that KKR has a slight advantage going into the first match of IPL 2025. In their last seven encounters, RCB has managed to win only once, with KKR winning the last four matches in a row. However, it’s essential to remember that both teams will have a revamped lineup this season, making it difficult to predict the outcome based solely on historical data.
This season, KKR will be led by captain Ajinkya Rahane, who boasts extensive experience in captaincy at both the international and domestic levels. On the other hand, RCB will be captained by Rajat Patidar, with a lineup that includes international stars like Virat Kohli, Josh Hazlewood, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Here’s a sneak peek at the squads for both teams:
- RCB: Rajat Patidar (captain), Yash Dayal, Liam Livingstone, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Krunal Pandya, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Nuwan Thushara
- KKR: Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana, Ramanandeep Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Anrich Nortje, Ankul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Spencer Johnson
As the stage is set for the inaugural match of IPL 2025, fans can expect an exciting clash between two teams eager to make a strong start to the season. With a mix of experienced players and young talent, both KKR and RCB will look to outdo each other and set the tone for the rest of the tournament.