In a surprising setback for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), veteran fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar missed out of the much-anticipated opening match of the IPL 2025 season against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens. The seasoned pacer’s absence was confirmed when the playing XI was announced ahead of the high-voltage encounter.
Why Is Bhuvneshwar Kumar Not Playing Today?
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is reportedly suffering from a fever, which has forced him to sit out of RCB’s first match of the season. The news comes as a major blow for the franchise and fans alike, especially given the hype surrounding his acquisition at the IPL 2025 mega auction. Kumar was the most expensive player on the second day of the auction, with RCB shelling out a whopping INR 10.75 crore to secure his services.
Toss Update and Match Details
The toss for the opening clash was delayed due to an energetic opening ceremony at Eden Gardens. However, once proceedings resumed, RCB captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and opted to bowl first.
RCB skipper Rajat Patidar stated at toss, “We have decided to bowl first, the pitch looks hard. Amazing to lead RCB and great opportunity to learn from the great players. We have done proper preparations for the last 10-15 days. I am confused with this impact player. We are going with 3 fast bowlers and 2 spinners.”
KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane stated at toss, “It’s an honour to lead this team. Our preparation has been good, the core group has been the same. Looking forward to bat well first and defend later on. It is all about giving the players the freedom and allow them to play as a unit. We are playing 3 fast bowlers and 2 spinners.”
Playing XIs of both teams
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Impact Subs: Devdutt Padikkal, Abhinandan Singh, Manoj Bhandage, Romario Shepherd, Swapnil Singh
Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy
Kolkata Knight Riders Impact Subs: Anrich Nortje, Manish Pandey, Vaibhav Arora, Anukul Roy, Luvnith Sisodia
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.