IPL 2025 KKR vs RCB player battles: Kohli vs Narine, Salt vs Russell & more

For the first time since their inaugural IPL match, Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore will begin the season. That opening encounter, 17 years ago, marked the birth of something special – a rivalry that has sparked excitement ever since. 

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KKR and RCB have delivered some of the most thrilling clashes in IPL history, including a nail-biting one-run victory just last year. Their matchups have played a significant role in propelling both the league and T20 cricket to new heights. Sunil Narine revolutionized the role of opening batters, showing that aggressive play could be just as effective as cautious innings.  AB de Villiers demonstrated how runs could be accumulated behind the wicket with the same consistency as those in front. Meanwhile, Andre Russell has been on a mission to push the boundaries of hitting, constantly experimenting with his power to see if he could send a ball to outer space. 

  With the match featuring a plethora of talent in both sides, let us have a look at the key matchups tonight at the iconic Eden Gardens: 

1. Quinton de Kock vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar: In 16 innings, de Kock scored 67 runs off 70 balls, averaging 33.5 with a strike rate of 96. He was dismissed twice during these encounters. 

Quinton de Kock vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Inns	Runs	Balls	Outs	Avg	SR
16	67	70	2	33.5	96

 

2. Venkatesh Iyer vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar: Iyer faced Bhuvneshwar in 8 innings, scoring 55 runs off 42 balls, with an impressive strike rate of 131 and no dismissals. 

Venkatesh Iyer vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Inns	Runs	Balls	Outs	SR
8	55	42	0	131

 

3. Rinku Singh vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar: Rinku Singh faced Bhuvneshwar 4 times, scoring 27 runs off 21 balls, maintaining a solid strike rate of 129 with no dismissals. 

Rinku Singh vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Inns	Runs	Balls	Outs	SR
4	27	21	0	129

 

4. Virat Kohli vs Varun Chakravarthy: In 7 innings against Chakravarthy, Kohli accumulated 40 runs from 39 balls, averaging 40.0 with a strike rate of 103, dismissed once. 

Virat Kohli vs Varun Chakravarthy
Inns	Runs	Balls	Outs	Avg	SR
7	40	39	1	40	103

 

5. Virat Kohli vs Sunil Narine: Over 20 innings, Kohli made 162 runs from 157 balls against Narine, with an average of 40.5 and a strike rate of 103, dismissed 4 times. 

Virat Kohli vs Sunil Narine
Inns	Runs	Balls	Outs	Avg	SR
20	162	157	4	40.5	103

 

6. Phil Salt vs Andre Russell: Salt played 8 innings against Russell, scoring 73 runs off 33 balls, with a strike rate of 221, and was dismissed twice. 

Phil Salt vs Andre Russell
Inns	Runs	Balls	Outs	Avg	SR
8	73	33	2	36.5	221

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