The IPL 2025 season is finally here! It kicks off with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) facing off against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday, March 22. Both teams will have new captains this year—Ajinkya Rahane for KKR and Rajat Patidar for RCB. KKR, who have won three IPL titles so far, are hoping to start their title defense with a win.
There are some exciting matchups to look forward to:
1. Sunil Narine vs. Virat Kohli
Narine is one of the best spinners in IPL history, known for his ability to slow down runs. He’s dismissed Kohli four times in 16 innings. Kohli has scored 127 runs against Narine at a strike rate of 107.62, hitting 10 fours and two sixes. He finished as the top scorer in IPL 2024.
2. Rajat Patidar vs. Varun Chakravarthy
Chakravarthy is another spinner to watch out for. His matchup with Patidar should be interesting, as Patidar does well against spin. He’s faced Chakravarthy just once in two IPL games but maintained a strike rate of 197.24 against spinners last season. Chakravarthy has taken 14 wickets against RCB since 2020.
3. Quinton de Kock vs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar
As both players open the innings, they’ll definitely face each other. Bhuvneshwar has only gotten de Kock out once after bowling to him in 12 matches, while de Kock has scored 57 runs off 58 balls in this battle. Bhuvneshwar is great at swinging the ball and holds the record for the most wickets in the powerplay (71) in IPL history.
4. Venkatesh Iyer vs. Josh Hazlewood
Iyer was crucial for KKR’s success last year and was bought for ₹23.75 crore at the mega auction. His duel with Hazlewood is worth keeping an eye on, as Hazlewood is known for his precision bowling. Though, he does have a higher economy of 9.32 against left-handed batters. Iyer has a strike rate of 140.84 against pace bowlers.
It’s shaping up to be an exciting start to the season!
