KKR vs RCB: Rajat Patidar Wins Toss, RCB Opt to Field in IPL 2025 Opener

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The grand opening night of IPL 2025 at Eden Gardens kicked off in style, with none other than Jay Shah ringing the famous bell at 7:28 PM to signal the start of the season.

Fans were already buzzing, and the atmosphere became electric as the captains of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) - Ajinkya Rahane and Rajat Patidar - walked out for the toss.

It was a special evening for both skippers. Rahane, making a return to IPL captaincy after a gap, and Patidar, leading an IPL side for the first time, were greeted with thunderous applause. When the coin was flipped by Rahane at 7:14 PM, Patidar called heads - and it landed heads. RCB won the toss and chose to field first.

Rajat Patidar, speaking at the toss, said: "The pitch looks good. There will be help for fast bowlers, but not as much. Excited to lead in the IPL. The preparation has been great. Looking forward to a great tournament. We are going with three fast bowlers and two spinners."

Ajinkya Rahane shared his thoughts too: "It's an honour to lead this wonderful franchise. The core group remains same, and we are looking forward to bat well first and then defend the total. Everyone has settled in quickly. Not much to say or do. Just allow them to play the game and enjoy. We also have three fast bowlers and two spinners."

Star-Studded Start at Eden Gardens

Before the toss, the crowd was treated to a spectacular show with Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan and Virat Kohli dancing together. SRK's words set the tone for the evening: "Tonight we just don't mark a milestone, we celebrate the era." As BCCI dignitaries, including Roger Binny and Arun Dhumal, joined the stage, it was clear - IPL had reached adulthood, quite literally marked by a gigantic cake.

The pitch report by Sunil Gavaskar added more excitement. He said, "The pitch has a lot of grass, but not as much as it felt last night. The new ball bowlers will get good bounce. The wristspinners will also come into play. This is a pitch where batters will make merry. 200 should be on."

Playing XIs Announced

KKR's playing XI featured: Venkatesh Iyer, Quinton de Kock (wk), Ajinkya Rahane (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Spencer Johnson - with Johnson receiving his cap from Narine.

RCB's starting XI included: Phil Salt (wk), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, and Yash Dayal.

The Stage is Set

As the national anthems played and players lined up, RCB gathered for a final huddle. The moment arrived with Josh Hazlewood steaming in for the first ball to KKR's opening duo - Sunil Narine and Quinton de Kock. The IPL 2025 opener was officially underway!