IPL: Predicting KKR strongest playing XI

Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders will be on a new journey without the influential guidance of Gautam Gambhir and Shreyas Iyer, who played pivotal roles in their 2024 success. This season, Ajinkya Rahane takes over as captain, tasked with leading the team effectively as they kick off their campaign against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Eden Gardens on March 22.

KKR last faced RCB in the opening game during the very first season of the IPL. A lot of changes have been made in the coaching staff as well. Dwayne Bravo has been brought in as a mentor in place of Gambhir. Ottis Gibson has been named the Assistant Coach. Chandrakant Pandit is the head coach, Bharat Arun is the bowling coach, and Carl Crowe is the spin bowling coach.

KKR's strongest predicted playing XI features explosive openers, Quinton de Kock and Sunil Narine. De Kock, acquired for INR 3.6 Crore, is expected to provide fiery starts alongside Narine, who contributed significantly last season with 488 runs and 17 wickets.

The middle order is bolstered by Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, and Rinku Singh. Iyer, the third most expensive player in the auction at INR 23.75 Crore, will solidify the batting lineup. Rahane, looking to bounce back after a challenging season with Chennai Super Kings, will lead by example. 

Pandey seeks redemption after a lackluster performance in recent seasons, while Rinku Singh's aggressive batting style will be crucial during the middle overs. Ramandeep Singh can also be tried in the middle order, considering he can bowl a few overs and is a gun fielder as well.

All-rounder Andre Russell is expected to play a key role as a finisher and a wicket-taker in the middle overs. The bowling attack will include Anrich Nortje, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, and Vaibhav Arora, with Nortje leading the pace attack.

As an impact player, Mayank Markande could replace Manish Pandey, bringing additional spin options to exploit Kolkata's turning pitch. KKR will aim to defend their title with this strong playing 11.

Here’s the strongest playing 11 of Kolkata Knight Riders for IPL 2025:

Quinton de Kock (wk), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rinku Singh, Manish Pandey, Andre Russell, Anrich Nortje, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora.

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