KKR v RCB
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Time: 7:30 pm
Probable XIs
With rain washing out training sessions on the eve of the match for both teams, selections might get even more intriguing.
Kolkata Knight Riders – Anrich Nortje might be edged out by Spencer Johnson for the left-arm angle and the variety he brings, along with a better fitness record.
XI- Sunil Narine, Quinton de Kock (wk), Ajinkya Rahane ©, Venkatesh Iyer, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy
Impact Sub – Vaibhav Arora
Royal Challengers Bengaluru – Josh Hazlewood coming through his fitness test unscathed will be a big boost for RCB.
XI- Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar ©, Devdutt Padikal, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal
Impact Sub – Rasikh Dar Salim
Pitch & Weather – Conditions are likely to be conducive to batting, however the weather may play spoilsport. Eden Garden has been one of the highest-scoring venues in the recent past.
There is a distinct possibility of heavy showers with thunderstorms in the evening, potentially affecting both the opening ceremony and the match. The Indian Meteorological Department has issued an Orange Alert for the city.
What to expect – A possible Deja Vu? When two of the biggest IPL brands meet each other in an opening fixture, 17 years apart. That night, KKR’s Brendon McCullum set the tone for the league; a similar story might just brew as IPL transitions into adulthood.
With the stage set for a blockbuster start, both teams under new leadership and revamped squads will be eager to set the record straight from ball one. Adding to the spectacle, Virat Kohli returns to T20 cricket for the first time since retiring after India’s T20 World Cup triumph last year. He was able to charm more than 29 million people just by bouncing the ball on the bat and with Bollywood stars in attendance, it is set to be a spectacle with only Mother Nature to play spoilsport.
All one can do is sit back and enjoy the drama that is about to unfold.
Key Battle
Virat Kohli vs Varun Chakaravarthy – Over the years, Virat Kohli has managed Varun Chakaravarthy well by rotating the strike and preventing him from settling. However, his strike rate against the mystery spinner has risen significantly—from 93 in 2020 to 150 in 2024 (albeit from a small sample size of 39 balls over the four years).
Meanwhile, 2024 was one of Varun’s best IPL seasons, where he scalped 21 wickets. At the peak of his prowess, he will be keen to make a statement against one of white-ball cricket’s finest.
A storm is brewing—not just in the skies but also on the pitch. Who will claim the bragging rights? Only time will tell.
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