Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], March 22 (ANI): Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and opted to bowl against the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders in the tournament opener of the 18th edition of the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) at the iconic Eden Gardens on Saturday.

The last time KKR and RCB played the tournament opener was back in the inaugural edition, 2008. Since then, KKR has won three titles, while RCB is still in the hunt for its first one.

Both squads have experienced a change in leadership, with Ajinkya Rahane assuming command of KKR and Rajat Patidar at the helm of RCB.

RCB is eager to end its string of defeats against KKR, as it has been unsuccessful in its last four meetings with them. Before the toss, Spencer Johnson received his maiden (KKR) cap from the franchise icon Sunil Narine. Notably, seasoned pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who was acquired for Rs 10.75 crore, was absent from RCB's playing XI.

After winning the toss, RCB captain Rajat Patidar said during the time of the toss, 'We have decided to bowl first, the pitch looks hard. It is amazing to lead RCB and a great opportunity to learn from the great players. We have made proper preparations for the last 10-15 days. I am confused with this impact player. We are going with three fast bowlers and two spinners.'

KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane said during the time of the toss, 'It's an honour to lead this team. Our preparation has been good, the core group has been the same. Looking forward to batting well first and defending later on. It is all about giving the players the freedom and allowing them to play as a unit. We are playing three fast bowlers and two spinners.'

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Virat Kohli, Philip Salt(w), Rajat Patidar(c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Rasikh Dar Salam, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Impact Subs: Devdutt Padikkal, Abhinandan Singh, Manoj Bhandage, Romario Shepherd, Swapnil Singh

Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy.

Kolkata Knight Riders Impact Subs: Anrich Nortje, Manish Pandey, Vaibhav Arora, Anukul Roy, Luvnith Sisodia. (ANI)