IPL 2025: Former KKR player sees RCB advantage, cautious about Knight Riders schedule

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Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Aakash Chopra has weighed in on the IPL 2025 schedule, particularly analyzing Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) fixtures.

Chopra dissected the schedule of multiple franchises, highlighting both challenges and potential advantages.

RCB are set to begin their campaign against defending champions KKR at Eden Gardens on March 22, before concluding their league stage with a reverse fixture against the same opposition in Bengaluru on May 17.

Reflecting on RCB's strong finish in IPL 2024 under a similar scenario, Chopra noted that their schedule offers a home-heavy stretch in the latter part of the tournament, which could be both a blessing and a test.

"It's interesting for Bengaluru. They have three of their last four and four of their last six games at home. They have more matches at home towards the back end. It used to be a problem earlier but the last season made you understand that they are quite okay," Chopra remarked on his YouTube channel.

However, he remained cautious about the KKR factor, noting that the Kolkata-based franchise has dominated RCB in recent seasons. RCB suffered heavy defeats against KKR last year, including a close one-run loss, making their final league game a tough challenge.

"They won the last few matches at home and they happened to qualify. So if we see the last year's template, it just looks alright. However, it's interesting that they are starting against Kolkata and are also ending against Kolkata. That could be a tough game because their matches are tight and Kolkata beat them here," Chopra added.

Meanwhile, Chopra also analyzed KKR's schedule and pointed out that their biggest hurdle could be finishing the league phase with two consecutive away games.

"It's interesting for Kolkata as well. They are playing two matches at home and then two matches away a few times, which I feel is a good thing. The only trouble for them is that their last two matches are not at home," he added.