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The countdown is almost over as defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) prepare to face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL 2025 season opener at Eden Gardens on Saturday. The highly anticipated match will begin at 7:30 PM IST, with the coin toss scheduled for 7:00 PM IST.
KKR will be led by veteran Ajinkya Rahane, who takes over the reins for the two-time champions. Meanwhile, Rajat Patidar has been entrusted with the captaincy of RCB, marking a significant shift for the Bengaluru franchise.
Despite the change in leadership, KKR have managed to retain the core of their squad from the previous season, which could prove crucial in their title defense. On the other hand, RCB will look to make an early statement under their new captain.
Much like the past two editions, all the ten teams have been divided into two groups comprising five teams each. Every team will play 14 league-stage matches, including seven home and away matches across different venues. The upcoming edition of the IPL will be played across 13 venues over a span of 65 days.
As always, all teams will play each other twice in the league stage. The top four teams at the end of the league stage will qualify for the playoffs. The top two teams will play each other in the first playoff match, the winner would qualify for the final while the loser would get another opportunity to reach the summit clash. They would play the winner of the Eliminator, which will be played between the third and fourth teams in the points table, to seal their ticket to the final.
Matches will be held at 13 venues – Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Jaipur, Kolkata, New Delhi, Mohali, Lucknow, Mullanpur, Dharamshala and Ahmedabad.
KKR vs RCB, IPL 2025: Probable Playing XIs
RCB: Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar (C), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (Wk), Krunal Pandya, Tim David, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma. Impact Player: Rasikh Salam/Devdutt Padikkal.
KKR: Sunil Narine, Quinton de Kock (Wk), Ajinkya Rahane (C), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Spencer Johnson, Varun Chakaravarthy. Impact Player: Vaibhav Arora.
KKR vs RCB, IPL 2025: Where to watch on TV, live streaming
Star Sports remains the official broadcaster of IPL 2025, providing extensive coverage across multiple channels: Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Sports 1 Hindi HD, Star Sports 2, Star Sports 2 HD, Star Sports 2 Hindi, Star Sports 2 Hindi HD, Star Sports Khel, and Star Sports 3.
Fans can watch the KKR vs RCB showdown live on JioStar, with coverage starting from 6:00 PM IST.
KKR vs RCB, IPL 2025: Weather report
According to AccuWeather, the IPL 2025 opener is under serious threat due to rain and thunderstorms. Thunderstorms are expected during the day, while the evening is likely to remain cloudy and humid, raising concerns about possible interruptions. With a 90 percent chance of precipitation, fans will be hoping for a rain-free contest to kickstart the season in style.
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