KKR vs RCB, IPL 2025 1st T20 Dream11 Team Prediction, Match Preview, Fantasy Cricket Hints: Captain, Probable Playing 11s, Team News; For Today’s KKR vs RCB, March 01, Kolkata, 22 March 7:30 pm IST

IPL 2025: The TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 kicks off tonight with defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) facing Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The match is scheduled to start at 7:30 PM IST on March 22.

KKR Begin Title Defence Under New Leadership

Playing as defending champions brings excitement but also pressure. KKR have won IPL titles before, but all their victories came under Gautam Gambhir’s leadership. Without him, they have struggled to clinch another trophy. Adding to the challenge, Shreyas Iyer has left the team, and Ajinkya Rahane will lead the squad this season. While KKR have retained their key players, they will miss Mitchell Starc, who played a crucial role in last year’s final stages.

RCB Aim to End Their Trophy Drought

RCB have played three IPL finals but are yet to win the title. This season, they will be led by new captain Rajat Patidar, who takes over after Faf du Plessis’ departure. In IPL 2024, RCB reached the Eliminator but lost to Rajasthan Royals (RR). They are hoping to break their trophy drought in IPL 2025.

However, RCB’s spin department looks weak, with Krunal Pandya being the most experienced spinner. They will rely on Indian batters Devdutt Padikkal and Jitesh Sharma, while Pandya’s all-round abilities will be crucial for team balance.

Before the match begins, here’s a look at the Dream11 predictions, fantasy cricket tips, pitch report, and the best possible XIs for fantasy contests.

KKR vs RCB 1st T20 IPL 2025: Dream11 Team Prediction

Wicketkeepers: Phil Salt, Quinton De Kock

Batters: Virat Kohli, Ramandeep Singh, Ajinkya Rahane

All-rounders: Sunil Narine (C), Andre Russell (VC), Liam Livingstone

Bowlers: Varun Chakravarthy, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshit Rana

With KKR starting their campaign under a new captain and RCB hoping to finally lift the trophy, this match promises to be a thrilling contest. Fans will be eager to see how the new signings perform and whether RCB can start their season on a high or if KKR can continue their dominance at Eden Gardens