Captain Rahane At 3; Iyer, Narine, Russell In: KKR's Probable XI For 1st IPL Match vs RCB

KKR will take on RCB in 1st match of IPL 2025 [Source: IPLT20.com]

In a significant development, defending IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders appointed Ajinkya Rahane as their captain for the upcoming season. The Mumbaikar, who returned to the franchise at a price of INR 1.5 Crores, will lead them in the competition. 

KKR had a good auction last year, as they bought several impactful players using their purse amount. As the 2024-edition champions have confirmed their captain, let's see what could be their probable XI for the first game of the tournament against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. 

Top Order: Quinton de Kock, Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane

Legendary all-rounder Sunil Narine was a revelation for KKR as an opener in the IPL last season. Opening the batting with Phil Salt, Narine hammered 408 runs at an average of 34.86 and a strike rate of 180.74. 

Therefore, despite having several openers in their squad, KKR will likely prefer Narine, the pinch-hitter, to do the damage in the powerplay. He will likely be appointed by Quinton de Kock, who could pip Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the second opener's race. 

(De Kock has been a better performer than Gurbaz in IPL)

With De Kock and Narine opening the batting, skipper Rahane could slot himself at number 3. He generally prefers to play in the top order, where he has struck 4410 IPL runs at an average of 30.83. 

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Middle Order: Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh

(Records of KKR's middle order batters in IPL)

Venkatesh Iyer has been the backbone of KKR's batting over the years. As shown in the above table, he has performed superbly for the franchise and could be a valuable asset in the middle overs against RCB. 

Meanwhile, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell and Ramandeep Singh could be KKR's primary finishers, thanks to their incredible strike rates in the IPL. The explosive trio might emerge as RCB's biggest headache on the placid surface of the Eden Gardens. 

Bowlers: Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, Spencer Johnson, Mayank Markande

(Rana and Chakravarthy's performance for KKR)

As shown in the above table, Harshit Rana and Varun Chakravarthy have been prolific performers for KKR in the IPL. While Rana's knack for striking at crucial junctures makes him a must-pick, Chakravarthy has bagged 14 wickets against RCB at a magnificent strike rate and economy of 16.14 and 6.80, respectively. 

Meanwhile, Spencer Johnson, whom KKR purchased for INR 2.80 Crores, could lead their pace attack with Rana. The left-arm seamer can be a genuine threat to RCB's top-order, courtesy of his pace and ability to make the new ball talk. 

Although Vaibhav Arora could be in contention for selection, KKR might bring Mayank Markande, as RCB's middle-order can be exposed by high-quality spin bowling. 

KKR's Probable XI For 1st IPL Match vs RCB

Quinton de Kock (WK) ✈️
Sunil Narine ✈️
Ajinkya Rahane (C)
Venkatesh Iyer
Rinku Singh
Andre Russell ✈️
Ramandeep Singh
Harshit Rana
Varun Chakravarthy
Spencer Johnson ✈️
Mayank Markande

Impact Players: Vaibhav Arora, Manish Pandey, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy

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