IPL 2025: KKR Playing XI vs RCB | Squad Schedule and More

IPL 2025: Kolkata Knight Riders Playing XI against Rajasthan Royals | KKR vs RCB

After the explosive start to the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League, the upcoming match will be played between the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals. KKR, after losing the inaugural match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, will play their second game of the season in Guwahati on 26th March. This article will discuss the Kolkata Knight Riders’ playing eleven for the upcoming match. 

Kolkata Knight Riders have acquired new players for this season while maintaining the same core group that led the team to win its third title. After the departure of Shreyas Iyer, the team appointed the newly acquired Ajinkya Rahane as KKR’s captain. KKR will play 14 matches in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League, with 7 of them at their home venue, Eden Gardens, and the remaining seven matches outside Kolkata. 

KKR is coming into the tournament as the defending champion, having won 11 out of the 16 matches played. After an exceptional performance under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer, the team was at the group stage in the top position. For IPL 2025, KKR has revamped its squad and will be led by new captain Ajinkya Rahane after Shreyash’s departure. 

KKR predicted playing XI for the upcoming match against RR

Top Order

KKR’s top order includes Sunil Narine and Quinton de Kock, who will open the innings. Sunil has performed well for KKR in the last few seasons, giving an explosive start to the innings, while the newly acquired de Kock has also been consistent in the past few IPL seasons. The team’s captain, Ajinkya Rahane, will bat at third. He batted phenomenally in the first match against RCB, consistently playing shots that contrasted with his natural game.

Middle Order

The middle order of the Kolkata Knight Riders lacks experience despite featuring some big names. Batting at the fourth position will be Venkatesh Iyer, while the young 20-year-old Angkrish Raghuwanshi will likely bat at fifth position, alongside Rinku Singh in the sixth number. After releasing Venkatesh before the Mega auction, they tried to get him at a reduced price, but the strategy backfired badly for the team as RCB was also eyeing Iyer in the auction. The bidding war reached 20 Crore with aggressive bids from both sides. KKR finally bought back Venkatesh Iyer at a price of 23 Crore, which it could have retained for 14 Crores. 

Lower order

In the lower order, Andre Russell will be the key pillar of the team. Andre has repeatedly showcased his ability to change the direction of the match on his own. Various times, his performance made the difference in the team’s victory. Along with his batting, Russell also contributes to his bowling.

Bowlers

On the bowling side, KKR has key spinners Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, who will put a lot of pressure on the opponents during the middle overs. Their bowling lineup features the pace trio of Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, and star South African pacer Anrich Nortje. Harshit, in his recent appearance for India, performed well against Australia in the Border Gavaskar Trophy, while Vaibhav Arora is coming off after performing well in domestic cricket. Anrich Nortje is back again in full swing and is all set to lead KKR’s pace attack after having a few minor injuries.

KKR Squad For IPL 2025

KKR Match Schedule For IPL 2025

Also Read:Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals: Head To Head | IPL 2025