IPL 2025 KKR vs RCB: Pitch report and key stats of Kolkata's Eden Gardens

In the IPL 2025 opening match, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) skipper Rajat Paridar won the toss and elected to bowl first against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday (March 22).

 

The defending champions, KKR, have a new captain in Ajinkya Rahane, who was bought for Rs 1.5 crore during the mega auction. Similarly, RCB has appointed Rajat Patidar as their new skipper for the season. 

Check IPL 2025 live score updates KKR vs RCB full scorecard here 

 

 

KKR is aiming to become the third team, after Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI), to win back-to-back IPL titles. Despite losing Shreyas Iyer to Punjab Kings (PBKS), KKR has managed to retain key players like Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, and Venkatesh Iyer, giving them a strong chance for another successful season.

 

RCB, on the other hand, kept Virat Kohli, Patidar, and Yash Dayal from their previous squad while making significant changes, adding new talents such as Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, and Krunal Pandya to strengthen their roster. 

 

Eden Gardens Stadium, Kolkata: Pitch report for KKR vs RCB IPL 2025 opener

 

The Eden Gardens pitch is known for being highly favorable to batters, particularly in T20 matches like the IPL. The surface typically offers a flat and true bounce, making it ideal for stroke play. While the pitch provides an advantage for batters, it is not as flat as those in cities like Bengaluru or Hyderabad this year.

 

Eden Gardens Stadium, Kolkata: IPL T20 stats

 

Recent Match at Eden Gardens 

In the most recent match played at Eden Gardens, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) by 18 runs in IPL 2024. The rain-affected match was shortened to 16 overs per side. KKR, batting first, posted a total of 157/7, with Venkatesh Iyer (42) and Nitish Rana (33) playing vital innings. MI, chasing 158, could only manage 139/8. Varun Chakravarthy was the standout performer, taking 2/17 and being named Player of the Match. 

 

KKR’s Record at Eden Gardens 

Kolkata Knight Riders have enjoyed a solid record at Eden Gardens, winning 52 out of their 88 matches played at the venue.

 

Highest Team Score at Eden Gardens in IPL

 

The highest team total at Eden Gardens was set by Punjab Kings (PBKS) on April 26, 2024, when they scored 262/4 against KKR. Jonny Bairstow and Shashank Singh were the stars, scoring unbeaten knocks of 108 and 68, respectively. Their performance led PBKS to a historic IPL record run-chase victory.

 

Lowest Team Score at Eden Gardens in IPL 

In contrast, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) set a record for the lowest team total at Eden Gardens in IPL history, being bowled out for just 49 runs in 9.4 overs against KKR on April 24, 2017. RCB's batters struggled, with Kedar Jadhav's 9 being the highest score. Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Woakes, and Colin de Grandhomme each claimed three wickets, while Umesh Yadav took one.

 

Average First Innings Score at Eden Gardens 

The average first-innings score at Eden Gardens in the IPL is 163 runs.

 

Highest Individual Score at Eden Gardens in IPL 

Rajat Patidar holds the record for the highest individual score at Eden Gardens in an IPL match, scoring an unbeaten 112* (54 balls) for RCB against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in 2022. His brilliant knock helped RCB post 207 runs and win the match by 14 runs. 

 

Other key stats for Eden Gardens, Kolkata

 

Sunil Narine holds the record for the best bowling figures at Eden Gardens in the IPL, with an impressive 5/19 against Kings XI Punjab. Gautam Gambhir has scored the most runs at this venue, amassing 1,407 runs, followed by Robin Uthappa (1,159), Andre Russell (956), and Yusuf Pathan (861). Narine also leads the wicket-taking chart at Eden Gardens, with 69 wickets. The next top wicket-takers at the ground include Piyush Chawla (43 wickets), Andre Russell (39), and Shakib Al Hasan and Kuldeep Yadav, both with 21 wickets each. 

Category	Value	Percentage
Matches Played	93	-
Matches Won Batting First	38	40.86%
Matches Won Batting Second	55	59.14%
Matches Won Winning Toss	49	52.69%
Matches Won Losing Toss	44	47.31%
Matches with No Result	0	0.00%