The much-anticipated IPL 2025 season opener is underway, with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) winning the toss and electing to bowl first against Ajinkya Rahane-led team. The toss was conducted at 7:14 PM, with home captain Rahane flipping the coin and RCB skipper Rajat Patidar calling it correctly with "heads." Speaking after the toss, Patidar expressed excitement about leading an IPL side for the first time and shared his confidence in the team’s preparation. He noted that the pitch looks good, with some assistance for fast bowlers but not excessively so. His team will be fielding three pacers and two spinners. However, he candidly shared that he is not aware of the impact players. Rahane, on the other hand, expressed his honor in leading the franchise and emphasized continuity within the squad, saying that the core sqaud is intact. He highlighted their strategy to bat first, post a strong total, and then defend it. He urged his players to enjoy the game and execute their plans effectively. According to the pitch report, there is a good covering of grass, though slightly less than before. Experts predict that new-ball bowlers will benefit from bounce, while wrist spinners could play a crucial role. With a batting-friendly track, a high-scoring contest is expected, with a 200-plus total likely. Read also: Watch: SRK Makes Rinku & Kohli Dance at IPL 2025 Opening Ceremony Playing XI for Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Kolkata Knight Riders: Quinton de Kock (WK), Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane (C), Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy. Impact Subs: Anrich Nortje, Manish Pandey, Vaibhav Arora, Anukul Roy and Luvnith Sisodia Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt (WK), Rajat Patidar (C), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Rasikh Salam, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal Impact Subs: Devdutt Padikkal, Abhinandan Singh, Manoj Bhandage, Romario Shepherd and Swapnil Singh.