Former Indian captain and ex-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly believes that it is too early to predict the top contenders for the IPL 2025 title, stating that all teams appear well-balanced this season.
“It is too early to say anything right now. The tournament is too long and competitive. All teams are balanced,” Ganguly told the media.
The 2025 IPL season will kick off on March 22 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) taking on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Both franchises have undergone leadership changes, with Ajinkya Rahane captaining KKR and Rajat Patidar leading RCB.
KKR vs RCB: Head-to-Head & Leadership Shifts
- RCB will be looking to break their four-match losing streak against KKR, a team they have struggled against in recent encounters.
- Ajinkya Rahane, a veteran batter, will lead KKR, while Rajat Patidar, a young talent, has been handed the reins of RCB.
Sourav Ganguly’s IPL Legacy
A legendary figure in Indian cricket, Ganguly played in the IPL from 2008 to 2012, representing Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and later Pune Warriors India (PWI). Across 59 matches, he scored 1,349 runs, including seven half-centuries.
Squads for KKR vs RCB – IPL 2025 Opener
🏏 Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Squad:
Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (w), Liam Livingstone, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Swapnil Singh, Lungi Ngidi, Romario Shepherd, Manoj Bhandage, Rasikh Dar Salam, Nuwan Thushara, Jacob Bethell, Suyash Sharma, Mohit Rathee, Swastik Chikara, Abhinandan Singh.
🏏 Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Squad:
Quinton de Kock (w), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Spencer Johnson, Vaibhav Arora, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Manish Pandey, Moeen Ali, Anrich Nortje, Rovman Powell, Anukul Roy, Mayank Markande, Chetan Sakariya, Luvnith Sisodia.
With the opening clash set at Eden Gardens, fans eagerly await an exciting IPL 2025 season as teams battle for supremacy.