Last Updated on 2 weeks by Charbel Coorey

Despite their inconsistent season, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are still in with a shot of making the playoffs. They play the three bottom teams in their final four games, starting with today against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at Eden Gardens.

KKR come into the 53rd match of IPL 2025 off the back of a crucial win over Delhi Capitals (DC) on April 29. Sunil Narine was at his all-round best, and if he shows that same form here, we can expect RR to struggle further given their difficulties against spin this season.

Ajinkya Rahane’s team come up against a RR side with nothing to play for. It remains to be seen whether this enables RR to play with total freedom and try have a positive finish to what has been a very difficult season. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Jofra Archer have provided the highlights, with very little support from the rest. If that remains the case, then RR will be relying on individual brilliance once again.

In this article, we will look at the possible playing XIIs, Eden Gardens pitch report, fantasy cricket tips and Dream11 Prediction for the 53rd match of IPL 2025.

IPL 2025 53rd Match: KKR vs RR Possible Playing XIIs

KKR could stick with the same team that beat Delhi Capitals earlier this week.

Kolkata Knight Riders: 1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2. Sunil Narine, 3. Ajinkya Rahane (c), 4. Angkrish Raghuvanshi, 5. Venkatesh Iyer, 6. Rinku Singh, 7. Andre Russell, 8. Rovman Powell, 9. Anukul Roy, 10. Harshit Rana, 11. Varun Chakravarthy, 12. Vaibhav Arora

Wanindu Hasaranga could return after missing the MI match due to a niggle.

Rajasthan Royals: 1. Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2. Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 3. Nitish Rana, 4. Riyan Parag (c), 5. Dhruv Jurel (wk), 6. Shimron Hetmyer, 7. Wanindu Hasaranga, 8. Jofra Archer, 9. Maheesh Theekshana, 10. Kumar Kartikeya, 11. Akash Madhwal, 12. Shubham Dubey

Eden Gardens Kolkata Pitch Report and Weather

Eden Gardens has been a high-scoring ground this season. The last four games have seen first innings totals of 200/6, 238/3, 198/3 and 201/4. The team batting first has won three of the four completed matches in IPL 2025.

In this day game, there will be the temptation to bat first. LSG hammered 238 in the day game here on April 8. A very hot and humid afternoon is forecast with a chance of some rain, but hopefully the weather will be fine for the match.

Fantasy Cricket Tips for KKR vs RR: Top Picks/Key Players to Watch

Top wicket-keeper picks:

• Rahmanullah Gurbaz offers the most potential for fantasy points in this game as he opens the batting. He will be looking to build on his promising 26 (12) in the last game against DC.

Key batter picks:

• Yashasvi Jaiswal has struck five fifties and a 49 in his past eight knocks. The left-hander has scored 19 runs off nine balls without dismissal against Harshit Rana.
• Ajinkya Rahane is KKR’s leading run-scorer this season with 297 at an average of 37.12 and strike rate of 149.24.
• Angkrish Raghuvanshi is a solid pick at number four. He scored a 32-ball 44 in his last outing vs DC and 22* (17) against RR earlier this season.
• Vaibhav Suryavanshi can go big on his day, as he showed in his incredible display earlier this week. The KKR attack could look to bowl as full as possible early.

Top all-rounder picks:

• Sunil Narine is a top Dream11 captaincy choice for this match. He scored 27 (16) and took 3/29 in the last game and faces a RR side that has had its problems against spin.
• Riyan Parag has eight 20+ scores in his past ten innings. However, he has gone past 40 just once. The potential is there for the RR captain to make a bigger score. He also bowls and fields in the hotspot positions which can mean more fantasy points.

Key bowler picks:

• Varun Chakravarthy will be key against RR’s batting lineup. He has taken 11 wickets in eight matches against RR, including 2/17 earlier this season. He has good numbers against Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer (see matchups below).
• Jofra Archer has been RR’s biggest threat this season, although he has picked up just three wickets in his past four matches. He has a good record against Ajinkya Rahane (see matchups below).

Other Players to Consider for your Fantasy Cricket Teams

• Andre Russell can be a handy pick if KKR bat first. Also, he can play a role with the ball, where he often picks up a wicket or two.
• Vaibhav Arora and Harshit Rana have 10+ wickets this season. They both took two wickets against RR earlier in IPL 2025.

Stats and Other Important Matchups

• Head-to-head: Matches 31, KKR 15, RR 14, N/R 2.
• Sunil Narine vs Shimron Hetmyer in all T20s: 86 balls, 77 runs, one dismissal.
• Jofra Archer vs Ajinkya Rahane in the IPL: Nine balls, one run, one dismissal.
• Varun Chakravarthy vs Shimron Hetmyer in the IPL: 10 balls, seven runs, two dismissals.
• Varun Chakravarthy vs Riyan Parag: four balls, seven runs, one dismissal.

IPL 2025 52nd Match: KKR vs RR Dream11 Prediction

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article, as well as your own instincts, to create your teams. 

Option 1:

Option 2:

IPL 2025 52nd Match: KKR vs RR Match Prediction – Who will win?

Barring some individual brilliance for RR, KKR should win this match well.