March 22, 2025: Bollywood superstar and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) co-owner Shah Rukh Khan extended his warm wishes to the team ahead of their opening match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. In a heartwarming video shared by KKR’s official Instagram handle, SRK was seen greeting each player individually in the dressing room, offering his blessings and encouragement.
“God bless you. Please be healthy, be happy. And thank you, Chandu sir, for looking after them. Welcome aboard to the new members. Thank you, Ajinkya, for joining us and being a captain. God bless you, and I hope you will find a good home here and play well with all of us. Have a good evening, a good match, and be healthy,” Shah Rukh Khan said, showering positivity on the team.
The post was captioned, “King Khan ka pyaar, Knights ke naam, Shahrukh Khan | #AmiKKR | #TATAIPL2025 | #KKRvRCB.”
Shah Rukh Khan’s Stylish Entrance at IPL 2025 Opening Ceremony
On Friday evening, Shah Rukh Khan arrived in Kolkata to attend the grand opening ceremony of IPL 2025 at Eden Gardens. Sporting a white T-shirt paired with denim jeans, the actor made a stylish entrance that caught the eyes of fans and onlookers. His arrival at the airport was equally heartwarming as he waved and blew kisses to his excited fans, showing love and appreciation for their support.
A Historic Match: KKR vs. RCB
KKR’s opening match against RCB has revived memories of the inaugural IPL game in 2008, where Brendon McCullum’s stunning knock of 158 runs helped KKR defeat RCB in a historic contest. The upcoming match has a lot of added excitement, with both teams entering the season with new leadership.
Ajinkya Rahane has taken over as KKR’s captain, while Rajat Patidar will lead RCB. Patidar’s leadership will be put to the test as RCB aims to break its four-match losing streak against KKR.
Spin Attack: The Key to Victory
Spin bowling is expected to play a crucial role in the game. KKR boasts a seasoned spin attack, including the deadly duo of Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine, with additional support from Moeen Ali and Anukul Roy. On the other hand, RCB will rely on Krunal Pandya to lead their spin department, supported by Swapnil Singh, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, and young spinner Suyash Sharma, who previously played for KKR in 2023.
Batting Showdown: RCB vs. KKR
The batting line-ups of both teams are set to provide an exciting contest. RCB’s explosive batting unit includes Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Liam Livingstone, Phil Salt, and Jitesh Sharma. Meanwhile, KKR’s batting order is headlined by the experienced Quinton de Kock, along with Rinku Singh, Ajinkya Rahane, and Venkatesh Iyer.
KKR Squad: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Venkatesh Iyer (vc), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Quinton de Kock (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Mayank Markande, Anrich Nortje, Vaibhav Arora, Manish Pandey, Luvnith Sisodia (wk), Anukul Roy, Rovman Powell, Moeen Ali, Chetan Sakariya, Spencer Johnson.
RCB Squad: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar (c), Swastik Chikara, Devdutt Padikkal, Jitesh Sharma, Philip Salt, Manoj Bhandage, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Liam Livingstone, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell, Swapnil Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Nuwan Thushara, Lungi Ngidi, Yash Dayal, Rasikh Dar Salam, Suyash Sharma, Mohit Rathee, Abhinandan Singh.