Cricket
IPL: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Preview: Tips, Odds and Prediction
Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders get their IPL 2025 campaign underway against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 22 in Kolkata. With the excitement of Indian Premier League cricket betting in full swing, fans are comparing IPL betting sites to find the best odds. Read our in-depth preview before betting on the Indian Premier League.
Kolkata Knight Riders' Sunil Narine//Getty Images
After a dominant 2024, Kolkata Knight Riders are likely to use the opening game of IPL 2025 to signal their intent to the other seven franchises.
The three-time champions face a difficult opponent in Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who exited the competition last year in the Eliminator game.
However, RCB are also in a unique position with Virat Kohli stepping down as captain and may use this game to gauge their overall squad depth.
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Match Details
Date: March 22, 2025
Starting time: 19.30 local time
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Last meeting: Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru by 1 run (April 21, 2024).
Online betting sites have given odds for Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru and SportsBoom has also made its prediction.
Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability
Knight Riders Favoured
Home: 4/5 (1.8) - 55.6%
Away: 1/1 (2.0) - 50.0%
Odds courtesy of Betway - subject to change.
Head-to-Head Record
Last five meetings (Indian Premier League)
April 21, 2024: Knight Riders won by 1 run
March 29, 2024: Knight Riders won by 7 wickets
April 26, 2023: Knight Riders won by 21 runs
April 6, 2023: Knight Riders won by 81 runs
March 30, 2022: RCB won by 3 wickets
Kolkata Knight Riders: Current Squad
Key Players to Watch
- Ajinkya Rahane: The newly-appointed captain is a veteran batsman and will hope to impart his vast experience on the KKR order. His transformation into a reliable middle-order presence will be a welcome addition to a strong team.
- Venkatesh Iyer: While questions have been asked of the all-rounder not being handed outright captaincy duties, Kolkata Knight Riders will continue to utilise his abilities with the bat and the ball to add depth to an already stacked squad.
- Sunil Narine: The West Indies veteran spinner excels at breaking partnerships thanks to a variety of deliveries, from the knuckleball to the carrom ball. When in top form, KKR will have the edge in terms of sheer wicket-taking ability.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Current Squad
Key Players to Watch
- Rajat Patidar: While all eyes will be on the new captain of RCB and how he shapes up as a leader, Patidar will be aiming to lead from the front and make good use of his recent form. His aggressive approach could help his team to quick early runs.
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar: Another experienced campaigner, the fast bowler will be called on to take wickets and also control sessions of play. Royal Challengers are likely to employ his skills at creating swing and seam movement in the death overs.
- Phil Salt: Beyond his presence behind the stumps, the England star also contributes well with the bat. His aggression and boundary-finding will provide RCB with runs at the top of their batting innings and set the tone for his teammates.
Predicted Line-ups
Kolkata Knight Riders
- Quinton de Kock (The South African legend is a major hitter at the top of the order)
- Sunil Narine (This West Indies veteran will provide KKR with a good run base)
- Ajinkya Rahane (The new captain brings a wealth of experience at #3)
- Venkatesh Iyer (KKR’s vice-captain is able to adapt to any situation he finds)
- Rinku Singh (A reliable middle-order batsman able to score regularly)
- Andre Russell (This power hitter is a long-time presence in KKR’s middle order)
- Ramandeep Singh (A rising star who offers both batting and bowling talents)
- Anrich Nortje (A South African pace bowler who is useful with the bat)
- Harshit Rana (This pace bowler excels with the new ball and in the death overs)
- Varun Chakravarthy (A mystery spinner who uses many lethal variations)
- Vaibhav Arora (This swing bowler is a likely impact bowling option)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
- Phil Salt (The Welsh-born English opener will get RCB off to good starts)
- Virat Kohli (A legendary batsman and leader expected to step up his game after stepping down as Royal Challengers’ captain)
- Rajat Patidar (This top-order batsman will be under pressure as the captain)
- Liam Livingstone (An English all-rounder offering big hitting and tricky spin bowling)
- Krunal Pandya (The all-rounder gives RCB a balance of experience and skill)
- Jitesh Sharma (A rising star in the T20 format who can assume keeping duties)
- Tim David (This Australian batsman can boost run rates in the later innings)
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar (A looming threat with the ball in hand)
- Yash Dayal (The left-armer adds more options to the RCB bowling attack)
- Josh Hazlewood (An Australian pace bowler with good lines and lengths)
- Suyash Sharma (This leg-spinner can break partnerships and restrict runs)
Suggested Bets
If you enjoy betting on the Indian Premier League, here are some bets you can place at some of the top IPL betting sportsbooks:
Over 1 - Kolkata Knight Riders Dismissal - No: With the experience of South African legend Quinton de Kock and West Indies veteran Sunil Narine leading the line, KKR would be expected to endure the first over (9/50 with Betway) (9/50 with BetWinner) (9/50 with Betandyou)
Will a Six Be Hit in Over 1? Kolkata Knight Riders - No: Given the tendency of batsmen to play themselves in and the skill of either Bhuvneshwar Kumar or Josh Hazelwood, it is doubtful that de Kock or Gurbaz will be taking a risk with a maximum so early (9/50 with Betandyou) (9/50 with BetWinner)
Will a Four Be Hit in Over 1? - Yes: The experience and skill of the Kolkata Knight Riders openers and overall more aggressive approach of batsmen to T20 cricket could result in a boundary to set the tone (57/100 with Betandyou) (57/100 with BetWinner)
Value Bets
Will a Wicket Fall in Over 1: Whichever team gets to set the total, experienced batting in both teams’ opening pairs could see them survive the opening onslaught (333/100 with Betandyou) (333/100 with BetWinner)
Quinton de Kock to Score 50: The South African will be aiming to lead the way again this season, bouncing back from a decent 2024 where he would have been wanting more time in the middle (51/20 with Betway)
Total even: With the majority of hitting in the T20 format coming in fours and sixes, odds have been set in favour of the total ending as an even number (117/100 with BetWinner) (117/100 with Betandyou)
Prediction: Kolkata Knight Riders to Win
KKR were a formidable force in 2024, claiming the trophy, and have an experienced new captain and an arsenal of stars to call upon. RCB finished fourth overall and are in a similar position - under new leadership with firepower to dish out.
IPL betting tips indicate that while these two juggernauts are relatively close on paper, Kolkata Knight Riders have won four out of their last five head-to-head meetings against Royal Challengers and are also coming off a championship-winning campaign in the 2024 Indian Premier League.
Bruce Douglas has more than 12 years of experience in local news media. He has worked at all levels of print and online publication, from crime and politics to photography, newspaper layout, proofreading, mentoring, sub-editing, and leading a newsroom. He played numerous sports at the school level and enjoys keeping up to date.
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