Ajinkya Rahane took charge for the Kolkata Knight Riders in their season opener, delivering an impressive half-century against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Eden Gardens. After the visitors struck early by getting Quinton de Kock out in the first over, they quickly found themselves on the receiving end of Rahane and Sunil Narine's batting for the next nine overs.

The defending champions batted first after Rajat Patidar won the toss and chose to bowl, kicking off the season following a dazzling opening ceremony.

De Kock struggled to find his rhythm and was dismissed for just four runs by Josh Hazlewood in the first over, bringing Rahane to the crease. The new captain took a moment to acclimate to the pitch before unleashing a flurry of powerful shots against the RCB bowlers. The out-of-favor Indian player looked in fantastic form, reaching his half-century in just 25 balls.

He wasn't afraid to go for big hits, even finishing his half-century with a six. His aggressive play allowed Sunil Narine to settle in; although he started off a bit slow, he soon found his rhythm and began to dominate the RCB bowlers with his precise hitting.

By the end of the 10th over, RCB had already conceded 107 runs while taking two wickets. They managed to dismiss Sunil on the last ball of the over, which provided a small relief, but allowing over 100 runs in such a short span was a tough blow for them in their season debut.

Fans on social media had a field day mocking RCB for their lackluster bowling performance in the first half of the innings. KKR's dominant batting display reminded many of the 2008 IPL opener when Brendon McCullum (158*) wreaked havoc on the RCB bowlers.

Narine scored 44 runs off 26 balls, hitting 5 fours and 3 sixes before getting out. Although he fell short of a half-century, he played a crucial role in setting up a strong total in the high-stakes match.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who is injured, will not be playing in the match against KKR

RCB felt the absence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who they signed for ₹10.75 crore, after announcing on their social media that the experienced fast bowler picked up a minor injury.

After winning the toss, RCB's captain Rajat Patidar shared his thoughts, saying, "We've chosen to bowl first since the pitch seems solid. It's an incredible experience to lead RCB and a fantastic chance to learn from some amazing players. We've been preparing well for the past 10-15 days. I'm a bit uncertain about the impact player rule. We're going with three fast bowlers and two spinners."

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