Published: Mar 22, 2025, 05:53 PM (IST)
Edited: Mar 22, 2025, 05:53 PM (IST)
The 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to commence from March 22 with the clash between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The match is scheduled to take place at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
KKR lifted their third IPL title last season with Shreyas Iyer as the captain. However, this season will see veteran India batter Ajinkya Rahane leading the side as Iyer’s services were acquired by the Punjab Kings for INR 26.75 crore at the auction.
The Kolkata-based franchise will also be without Gautam Gambhir this season. The former head coach played a big role in guiding the side to the title last season, but soon after that, took on the role of the Indian national team’s head coach.
On the other hand, RCB had a decent campaign in the 2024 season of IPL. After enduring a nightmare start which saw them win just one out of their first 8 matches, the Bengaluru-based franchise made a fantastic comeback and in their final match of the league stage, went on to defeat the Chennai Super Kings to enter the playoffs.
While RCB couldn’t make it past the Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator, the three-time finalists showcased ample resilience. The Bengaluru-based franchise will be led by young star Rajat Patidar this season after their last season’s skipper, Faf du Plessis’ services were acquired by the Delhi Capitals at the auction.
However, rain may end up spoiling the party and highly affecting the clash between the 2 teams on Saturday. Kolkata is expected to experience some scattered showers with a fifty per cent chance of precipitation.
If the rain does affect the clash, then it will be interesting to see whether the match will be abandoned or will it go ahead with match officials reducing overs from each side.
