KKR's quest to make a perfect start in their title defense  

Betting Odds

Our Predictions 

• Quinton de Kock has odds of 3.45 to be Kolkata Knight Riders' best batter  
• Virat Kohli  has odds of 2.40 to be Royal Challengers Bengaluru's best batter 
• Varun Chakravarthy has odds of 3.20 to be Kolkata Knight Riders' best bowler 
• Josh Hazlewood  has odds of 3.00 to be Royal Challengers Bengaluru's best bowler 

MATCH PREVIEW     

The 18th season of the Indian Premier League will kick off in Kolkata's iconic Eden Gardens. Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders will look to make a perfect start to the season as they take on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at home. The Kolkata Knight Riders had a dream season last year where they topped the points table and were brilliant in the playoffs. The team enjoys a good record at home and against the RCB. They will start the game with favorable odds. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru have a strong batting lineup and shall look to leverage it in the opening game. They have lost the last two games they have played at Eden Gardens, and it will be interesting to see if they can surprise the KKR with a strong performance in the latter's backyard.  

Kolkata Knight Riders Preview      

Ajinkya Rahane takes over the team's captaincy from Shreyas Iyer, who has moved to the Punjab Kings. While his captaincy has raised a few eyebrows, Rahane brings much experience. KKR has a great record against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, winning the last four games between the two teams. They have a great record at home and shall start favorites on cricket betting sites. Rahane will expect a strong show from his players to win this game and set the tone for the rest of the season.  

Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Quinton de Kock are aggressive players, and the team expects a good start from this pair. Venkatesh Iyer must anchor the innings in the middle order and add runs with Manish Pandey and Ajinkya Rahane. The side has firepower in the lower middle order and shall expect a good show from hitters like Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, and Sunil Narine.  

The bowling attack has seen several changes this season. The team needs good spells with the new ball from Vaibhav Arora and Harshit Rana. Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy are the spearheads of this attack, and they must keep the scoring rate in check in the middle overs. The team expects a good show in the supporting role from Harshit Rana, Russell, and Ramandeep Singh.  

Expected Starting XI for Kolkata Knight Riders      

Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rinku Singh, Quinton de Kock (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Manish Pandey (Impact Player) 

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Preview      

Rajat Patidar steps into the big shoes of Faf du Plessis, and it will be a big challenge for him to lead a star-studded lineup. The team has a history of poor starts in the tournament, which brings down their odds on cricket-betting apps. KKR will be a hard nut to crack at Eden Gardens, and Patidar needs a strong show from his bowling attack as they take on a batting powerhouse.  

Virat Kohli adds an x-factor to this batting lineup and will look to deliver a good start in this game with his new partner, Philip Salt. The team needs a good show from Devdutt Padikkal, Liam Livingstone, and Rajat Patidar in the middle order. Krunal Pandya, Tim David, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are good hitters, and the team expects quick runs from them during the death overs.  

The bowling attack will face a big challenge, and the team needs early strikes from Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Lungi Ngidi has to use his strength well in the middle overs with Suyash Sharma. The team will also need a good show in the supporting roles from Yash Dayal, Krunal Pandya, and Liam Livingstone.  

Expected Starting XI for Royal Challengers Bengaluru         

Rajat Patidar (c), Virat Kohli, Phillip Salt (wk), Liam Livingstone, Devdutt Padikkal, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Suyash Sharma, Tim David, Lungi Ngidi (Impact Player)  

TOSS: To Bowl First      

The last seven games at this venue have seen the side chasing the score win on five occasions. The wicket is flat, and defending a total is never easy. The side winning the toss won't hesitate to bowl first and aim to restrict the opposition to a small total.  

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS      

We expect overcast skies over Kolkata, and we may see rain interruptions during this game. The batting surface will be good, but the bowlers will enjoy bowling under overcast skies. Spinners do well on this track as the ball can turn sharply. The side batting first will need 200 runs to feel safe.  

OUR PREDICTION      

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru come into this game with baggage. They have struggled at this venue and have a poor record against the Kolkata Knight Riders. The bowling attack must be at the top of its game for the team to have a strong chance in this contest. The Knight Riders have firepower in the batting and a strong spin attack. We expect it to be a close game, but the Knight Riders have a slight edge.  

Our prediction is for Kolkata Knight Riders to win