IPL 2025 opener: Key KKR vs RCB matchups that could decide the game

Defending champion Kolkata Knight Riders hosts Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Eden Gardens in the Indian Premier League 2025 opener on Saturday. Kohli vs Narine in IPL Innings – 16 Runs – 127 Dismissals – 4 Average – 31.75 Strike Rate – 107.62 Kohli vs Varun in IPL • Innings – 7 • Runs – 40 • Dismissals – 1 • Average – 40.00 • Strike Rate – 102.56 Narine has the lowest strike rate against Kohli among bowlers who have bowled at least 100 IPL deliveries to him. Narine vs Hazlewood in IPL • Innings – 2 • Runs – 2 • Dismissals – 1 • Average – 2.00 • Strike Rate – 66.66 Narine vs Bhuvneshwar in IPL • Innings – 10 • Runs – 31 • Dismissals – 2 • Average – 15.50 • Strike Rate – 110.71 Only once has Narine scored more than 10 runs in an IPL innings against Bhuvneshwar, in 2018. • Runs: 499 • Strike rate: 182.11 • Average: 29.35 RCB’s new recruits bring firepower too. • Runs: 264 • Strike rate: 188.57 • Average: 17.60 Since 2022, only Dinesh Karthik has scored more IPL death-over runs than Tim David.