Eden Gardens Pitch Report For KKR vs RCB, Match 1, Weather Forecast, and All You Need To Know!

As KKR and RCB step onto the field, fans can expect a clash of firepower, tactics, and emotions. The stage is set for a thrilling battle between two teams eager to kick off their campaign on a winning note. While KKR holds the edge in their recent meetings, RCB has revamped its squad, making this an exciting contest.

Let’s dive into all the essential details, from match timings to pitch conditions and weather updates:

Match Details

• Fixture: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru
• Date: March 22, 2025
• Time: 7:30 PM IST
• Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
• Where to Watch: Live on Star Sports & JioHotstar

Full Squads

Kolkata Knight Riders Squad

Quinton de Kock (wk), 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.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad

Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), 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.

Pitch Report & Playing Conditions

The Eden Gardens pitch is traditionally a paradise for batters. With a history of high-scoring games, the surface offers great bounce and carry, making stroke play easier. However, there’s a slight twist—fast bowlers can extract some movement early on, and spinners can be tricky to handle if they hit the right lengths.

• Batting Paradise: Expect a lot of runs, with teams likely to cross the 180-run mark if they bat well.
• Dew Factor: The second innings might see heavy dew, making it difficult for bowlers to grip the ball. This makes chasing a preferable option.
• Past Records: Eden Gardens had 12 totals of 200+ in the last two seasons, indicating the pitch’s batting-friendly nature.

RCB will rely on their pacers like Josh Hazlewood and Yash Dayal to exploit early movement, while KKR will bank on their spin duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy to turn things in their favor.

Weather Forecast & Updates

The biggest wildcard in this game is the weather. The forecast indicates:

• Chance of Rain: 65% probability, with showers expected in the evening.
• Temperature: Around 24°C at match time, dipping slightly as the night progresses.
• Wind Speed: 15-20 km/h, which might help swing bowlers early on.
• Thunderstorm Possibility: There’s an orange alert in Kolkata, hinting at the possibility of lightning and gusty winds.

While rain interruptions are possible, a full washout seems unlikely. The ground staff at Eden Gardens is well-equipped to handle such situations, and with an efficient drainage system, we can expect play to resume quickly if there’s a brief delay.

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