Umran Malik | Image:
BCCI
- KKR will face RCB in IPL 2025 opener.
- KKR have named Chetan Sakariya as his replacement.
- Umran Malik has been ruled out of IPL 2025.
Kolkata Knight Riders have announced Chetan Sakariya as the replacement for Umran Malik, who has been ruled out of IPL 2025. Sakariya earlier joined the KKR camp as a net bowler and has now been included in the squad.
Umran Malik Has Been Ruled Out Of IPL 2025
An IPL statement confirmed the development.
“Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) picked Chetan Sakariya as a replacement for Umran Malik for the upcoming edition of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Umran Malik is ruled out of the season due to an injury. Sakariya has represented India in an ODI and two T20Is and has played 19 IPL games, scalping 20 wickets from the same. Sakariya, a left-arm medium pacer, joins KKR for INR 75 Lakh.”
Malik was snapped by KKR for 75 lakhs and is being tipped as one of the most talented Indian bowlers. He appeared in a single game for Sunrisers Hyderabad and wasn’t retained by the IPL 2024 runners up ahead of the mega auction. Optimism was high over his availability in IPL 2025 but the pacer has failed to prove his match fitness and Sakariya will fill in his boots. The left arm pacer is also making his return from an injury and KKR have now given him a stage to prove his worth.
The IPL 2024 champions also have the likes of Anrich Nortje and Spencer Johnson and it remains to be seen how the management plans to use their pacers in this edition. KKR will open their IPL 2025 campaign against RCB on March 22 at the Eden Gardens.
KKR IPL 2025 squad
Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Venkatesh Iyer (vice-captain), Quinton de Kock (wk), Rovman Powell (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Luvnith Sisodia (wk), Manish Pandey, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Moeen Ali, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Spencer Johnson, Mayank Markande, Anrich Nortje, Chetan Sakariya, Varun Chakravarthy.