Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the defending champs, got Chetan Sakariya to fill in for Umran Malik, a fast bowler, for the next Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2025. Umran, famous for his crazy speed, played for Sunrisers Hyderabad from 2021 to 2024. KKR bought him for Rs 75 lakhs at the auction, but he’s out for the season because he got injured. Sakariya, a left-arm medium pacer, has played for India in one ODI and two T20Is and has been in 19 IPL games, grabbing 20 wickets.
KKR has made some changes for the 2025 season, with both players and coaches. Shreyas Iyer, who captained them to the title last year, was let go before the auction and then picked up by Punjab Kings, where he’s now the captain. Since he’s gone, KKR picked Ajinkya Rahane as captain, and Venkatesh Iyer is his second-in-command.
Rahane led Mumbai to a win in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy not long ago. He also scored the most runs in the competition, 469 in nine matches, with five half-centuries. He was named Player of the Tournament.
The defending champs kicked off their pre-tournament camp in Kolkata with a pooja ceremony at Eden Gardens on Wednesday. Coaches and players joined in before starting cricket stuff at the historic venue. Captain Rahane and Eden Gardens’ pitch guy, Sujan Mukherjee, did the rituals to honor the game and hope for another great IPL run.
With good players, experienced leaders, and fans at Eden Gardens, KKR looks ready to defend their title in the IPL 2025 season. They start at home against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 22.