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As per reports, KKR will face RCB at Eden Gardens on March 22 to kick off IPL 2025. The final is set for May 25 at the same venue.
The KKR-RCB rivalry will be reignited in the new IPL season.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Eden Gardens to kick off the IPL 2025 season on March 22, according to a Cricbuzz report. The season will continue the tradition of the defending champions hosting the first match of the fresh season.
The report said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to reveal the full schedule for the tournament but has provided the 10 franchises with some ‘key dates’. These include the date for the final — which will also be held at the Eden Gardens on Sunday, May 25.
The second match of the season after the KKR-RCB opener will be runners-up from last year, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) hosting Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal on March 23. The report added that apart from the usual home venues of each franchise, matches will also be held in Guwahati and Dharamsala, which are the second homes of Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings respectively.
Last season, KKR came on top of both encounters against RCB. While the first clash at the Chinnaswamy Stadium was an easy win for the visitors, the second, at the Eden Gardens, was decided in the final over. The teams have shared a nagging rivalry over the years, partially due to the IPL relationship between their biggest superstar icons Gautam Gambhir (no longer at KKR) and Virat Kohli.
“One team I always want to beat every time and probably even in my dreams was RCB,” Gautam Gambhir had once told Star Sports. I just want to… They are the second-most high-profile team, a flamboyant team, with the owner, and the squad – Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers. Not won anything, but still thought they won everything and that kind of attitude, I can’t take that.”
RCB on Saturday appointed Rajat Patidar at the helm. KKR, meanwhile, is one of the two teams to have yet to reveal their captain.
Patidar’s Madhya Pradesh teammate, Venkatesh Iyer, is one of the options for the franchise. However, like during the IPL 2025 retentions, the team seems to be taking its time in making the call.
