IPL 2025 begins! Drums roll! It’s going to be two months of cricket matches, with Indian dinners at every home. For the season opener, we have the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), taking on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), the team that lost in the Eliminators last year.
With both teams entering this season with changes in captaincy and a few new slots after the mega auction, you must be wondering who will be part of the playing XI and how your best Dream11 team for KKR vs RCB (Match 1 of IPL 2025) should look like. Let’s get going!
Match Details
- Match Number: 1 (Season Opener) – [Read the complete schedule here]
- Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
- Date & Time: March 22, 2025, 7:30 PM IST
- Weather Forecast: Temperatures around 28°C with humidity at 62%. Chances of light rain.
Team Lineups: KKR vs RCB Playing XI
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
Quinton de Kock, Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Anrich Nortje, Varun Chakravarthy (Impact Sub – Angkrish Raghuvanshi)
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Jitesh Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dhayal (Impact Sub: Rasikh Dar)
Dream11 Prediction – KKR vs RCB
Elite Performers
1. Quinton de Kock (KKR)
It was KKR’s opening partnership that stood out last year, and this year, they have banked on QDK, who is always a reliable performer in Indian conditions. He has also been a strong starter in tournaments, whether it’s a bilateral series or the IPL.
2. Phil Salt (RCB)
The new name for attacking cricket in English cricket has to be Phil Salt. The way he took the attack to the Indian bowlers in a few of the T20Is they played last year showed just how good he can be. He will start his RCB campaign against the side he played for last year, where he was a revelation.
3. Virat Kohli (RCB)
The run machine needs no introduction. Kohli is in great form after concluding the CT 2025 as the champion. He is going to love the conditions at Eden Gardens, which suit his style of batting. He is just 38 runs short of becoming the only third batter in the IPL history to score 1000 runs against KKR.
4. Sunil Narine (KKR)
Arguably the best spinning all-rounder in the history of the IPL, Sunil Narine will once again walk into the KKR side as an opener (hopefully) and as a solid 4-overs bowler with some returns. I picked him, hoping he can continue his form from last year.
5. Andre Russell (KKR)
You cannot pick a fantasy team for a KKR game without this name. One of the most valued players in the last decade, season after season, a fit Russell is a force to reckon with for anyone who comes up against him.
6. Varun Chakravarthy (KKR)
Varun is now an Indian star, and I’m sure he will bring his supreme form to the KKR table once again this season. The IPL has been his bread and butter for years now, so don’t make the mistake of leaving him out of your Dream11 side.
Smart Investments
1. Venkatesh Iyer (KKR)
It may not be the smartest investment, considering the franchise originally spent a lot on Venkatesh Iyer during the player auction. Still, looking at the price value in the Dream11 app, the potential No. 4 KKR player is a steal at 8 credits.
2. Rajat Patidar (RCB)
The same goes for the RCB captain, who will be crucial in the middle overs against the likes of Varun and Narine. RCB’s fate in this match depends on how well Patidar plays against them.
3. Devdutt Padikkal (RCB)
The potential No. 3 will once again be playing for his home team, and he is in prime form lately. I trust him to bat long alongside one of the openers and score big.
4. Harshit Rana (KKR)
The bowling sensation who likes to pick wickets in bulk – how can one leave him out of the fantasy side?
Fantasy Tips
Best Captains Choices
Let’s see how captaincy works in fantasy games. You need runs and wickets in bulk. I predict the game is going to side with the home team, especially with their trump cards who will bowl during the wicket-taking phase: Varun Chakravarthy and Andre Russell.
The opposition batters will try to play Narine safely, but the best quality about Varun is that he picks wickets, even when the batter tries to play him cautiously. And Russell? Well, we all know what he can do with both bat and ball. So, they are my captains!
Dream11 Team Backup Options (KKR vs RCB)
Rinku Singh (KKR), Anrich Nortje (KKR), Jitesh Sharma (RCB), Liam Livingstone (RCB)
Differential Options:
If RCB chases, there’s a chance that both Varun and Narine could be dangerous. If Narine is also opening, you can opt for him instead of Varun to get ahead of your competitors (who are expected to pick Varun) in the fantasy games. If RCB bats first, it’s okay to stick with Varun.
Jitesh Sharma could be a differential pick if RCB bats first and the wicketkeeper-batter finds a place in the XI.
Our Dream11 Team
- Wicketkeepers: Quinton de Kock, Phil Salt
- Batters: Virat Kohli, Venkatesh Iyer, Rajat Patidar, Rinku Singh
- All-Rounders: Sunil Narine, Andre Russell (VC)
- Bowlers: Josh Hazlewood, Varun Chakravarthy (C), Harshit Rana
Wrapping Up with some tips
Wait for the toss and pitch conditions before making appropriate changes to your team.
Take a few calculated risks with your bowling options. Pick bowlers who will bowl during the middle and death overs.
All the best!
