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Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season kicks off with a highly anticipated clash between reigning champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on March 22, Saturday. All eyes will be on Kolkata's formidable spin duo, Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine, as they are set to play a key role in team's quest for a strong start to their title defense.
Ahead of the IPL opener mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy expressed his excitement for the upcoming contest, particularly the anticipated battle against Virat Kohli. Chakravarthy, who has displayed exceptional form since his return to the national team, will enter the match with a significant boost in confidence.
"Definitely excited to be coming up against Virat. Obviously, he's batted well against me, but I would like to do well against him also," Varun Chakravarthy said in the pre-match press conference.
Anyone at this level, you cannot think of it as an easy opposition. Every team in the IPL is as good as the other one. RCB have a quality team, but we have done our homework. I have done my homework too," he added.
Varun Chakravarthy's resurgence in the T20I format has been remarkable, evidenced by his impressive tally of 31 wickets since his return. His extraordinary strike rate of 8.9 across his last 12 matches underscores his current peak form and heightened confidence. The spin threat posed by Varun and Sunil Narine presents a formidable challenge for any opposition in the tournament. Moreover, the duo's confidence, bolstered by their title-winning success in the previous season, is likely to translate into even more potent bowling performances, potentially making their impact felt strongly in Saturday's opening match.
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Varun was full of praise for his teammates Sunil Narine as he said the superstar spinner is a legend of the game and one of the greats.
"He's a legend of the game, one of the greats. We had a few conversations this year, and he looks very well-prepared. He looks to take on the IPL just like how he did last year," the 33-year-old concluded.
KKR's IPL 2025 schedule:
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Saturday, 22-Mar-25, 7:30 PM, Kolkata
Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Wednesday, 26-Mar-25, 7:30 PM, Guwahati
Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Tuesday, 31-Mar-25, 7:30 PM, Mumbai
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Thursday, 03-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Kolkata
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants, Sunday, 06-Apr-25, 3:30 PM, Kolkata
Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Friday, 11-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Chennai
Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Tuesday, 15-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, New Chandigarh
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Gujarat Titans, Monday, 21-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Kolkata
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings, Saturday, 26-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Kolkata
Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Tuesday, 29-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Delhi
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals, Sunday, 04-May-25, 3:30 PM, Kolkata
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings, Wednesday, 07-May-25, 7:30 PM, Kolkata
Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Saturday, 10-May-25, 7:30 PM, Hyderabad
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Saturday, 17-May-25, 7:30 PM, Bengaluru
KKR's IPL 2025 squad
Rinku Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Anrich Nortje, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Spencer Johnson, Luvnith Sisodia, Ajinkya Rahane, Anukul Roy, Moeen Ali, Umran Malik
