Picking a combined KKR-RCB playing 11 with impact sub ahead of IPL 2025 opener ft. Andre Russell, Virat Kohli

IPL 2025 will kick off with a match between defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday, March 22. While KKR won the IPL last season, RCB made it to the playoffs, but once again fell short of title glory. They went down to Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Eliminator in Ahmedabad.

KKR will be led by Ajinkya Rahane in IPL 2025. He was named captain after Shreyas Iyer was not retained by the franchise despite leading Kolkata Knight Riders to victory last season. Apart from retaining the likes of Andre Russell, Rinku Singh and Sunil Narine, KKR also bought back Venkatesh Iyer at the auction for a whopping ₹23.75 crore and named him vice-captain.

RCB will also be led by a new captain in Rajat Patidar after the franchise did not retain Faf du Plessis keeping the future in mind. Apart from Patidar, Royal Challengers Bengaluru only retained two other players - Virat Kohli and Yash Dayal. At the mega auction, they bought Josh Hazlewood for ₹12.50 crore, Phil Salt for ₹11.50 crore and Jitesh Sharma for ₹11 crore.

Ahead of the IPL 2025 opener at the Eden Gardens on Saturday, we pick a combined KKR-RCB playing XI with impact sub.

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Top-order: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt (wk), Venkatesh Iyer

Virat Kohli and Phil Salt could be the openers in the combined KKR-RCB IPL 2025 playing 11. They also have the option of going in with Sunil Narine, who has batted at the top as well as in the lower-order for Kolkata Knight Riders.

Kohli is the all-time leading run-getter in the IPL, with 8,004 runs at an average of 38.67 and a strike rate of 131.97, with eight hundreds and 55 half-centuries. He won the Orange Cap last season for amassing 741 runs in 15 matches at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.70, with one hundred and five fifties.

Salt has so far represented Delhi Capitals (DC) and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. In 21 matches in the T20 league, he has 653 runs to his name at an average of 34.37 and a strike rate of 175.54, with the aid of six half-centuries. RCB will be hoping that he has another strong season with the willow.

Venkatesh has been a key member of the KKR outfit in recent seasons. He can score big at a fast pace. Last season, the left-handed batter scored 370 runs in 15 innings at an average of 46.25 and a strike rate of 158.80. With him having been named vice-captain for IPL 2025, KKR will have even bigger hopes from him.

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Middle-order & All-rounders: Rajat Patidar (c), Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Sunil Narine

Patidar has been rewarded for his impressive performances for RCB by being named captain for the IPL 2025 season. He has a big challenge on hand without doubt. Last season, the Madhya Pradesh batter smashed 395 runs in 15 matches at a strike rate of 177.13, with five half-centuries.

Andre Russell and Rinku Singh would be the finishers in the combined KKR-RCB IPL 2025 playing XI. Big-hitters like Jitesh Sharma and Sunil Narine could be used as floaters in the batting line-up. Russell is a proven performer in the IPL, with a strike rate of nearly 175 after 127 matches. With his pace bowling, he has claimed 115 wickets at an average of 23.01 and a strike rate of 14.76.

Rinku had an underwhelming campaign last season. However, remains a key member of the KKR franchise. He can play those game-changing cameos at the death at a rapid pace. RCB recruit Jitesh has a strike rate of 151.14 after 40 IPL games.

As for Narine, he has scored 1,534 runs in 177 matches at a strike rate of 165.84. Last season, he opened the innings and hammered 488 runs at a strike rate of 180. With the ball, he has claimed 180 wickets in his IPL career, averaging 25.39 at an economy rate of 6.73. Narine's a match-winner with bat and ball.

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Bowlers: Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Varun Chakaravarthy

Josh Hazlewood and Yash Dayal would be the frontline pacers in the combined KKR-RCB IPL 2025 XI, while Varun Chakaravarthy would pair up with Narine in the spin department. Hazlewood is among the top bowlers across formats, which is why RCB spent ₹12.50 crore on him. The franchise would thus be hoping that the Aussie pacer is fit for most of the games.

Left-arm pacer Dayal was among the surprise success stories for Royal Challengers Bengaluru last season. In 14 matches, he picked up 15 wickets. Dayal did go for a few runs, but held his nerve under pressure a number of times, even in the big match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Chakaravarthy has been a match-winner for KKR in recent seasons with the ball in hand. In 71 matches, he has claimed 83 wickets at an average of 24.12 and an economy rate of 7.56, with one four-fer and one five-fer. Chakaravarthy's bowling is still a mystery for many.

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Impact Sub: Harshit Rana

KKR pacer Harshit Rana could come in as the Impact Player. The right-arm pacer impressed for the franchise last season, picking up 19 wickets in 13 matches at an impressive average of 20.15, with a best of 3-24.