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The Kolkata Knight Riders will kick off their IPL 2025 campaign against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 22 at the iconic Eden Gardens.
Varun Chakravarthy
Despite his late arrival to professional cricket, Varun has carved a niche for himself as one of India’s most dependable spinners. He played a crucial role in India’s recent ICC Champions Trophy victory, finishing as the tournament’s second-highest wicket-taker. In the finals against New Zealand, his crucial breakthroughs put the opposition on the back foot, solidifying his reputation as a match-winner.Varun Chakravarthy is a right-arm leg-spin bowler with a unique skill set. Like Anil Kumble, S. Venkataraghavan, Erapalli Prasanna, Krishnamachari Srikkanth, Javagal Srinath, and R. Ashwin, Chakravarthy also holds an engineering degree. He graduated with a B.Arch from SRM Institute of Science and Technology.
In 2019, Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) secured him for a staggering Rs 8.4 crore in the IPL auction. However, the much-anticipated breakthrough turned into another setback as injuries and inconsistency hampered his season. For a moment, it seemed as if his long-awaited opportunity had slipped through his fingers.
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But Varun was no stranger to comebacks. In 2020, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) took a chance on him, and this time, he delivered. With 17 wickets, including a remarkable five-wicket haul against Delhi Capitals, he became one of the tournament’s standout performers. His performances earned him a national call-up for India’s tour of Australia, though a fitness issue delayed his debut. When he finally got his chance in 2021, he proved his mettle on the international stage.
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Venkatesh Iyer
Kolkata Knight Riders star all-rounder and newly appointed vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer on Thursday said he cannot ignore the scrutiny surrounding his Rs 23.75-crore price tag but is determined to fulfil his responsibilities rather than letting the weight of expectations affect him. The left-handed batter, who also bowls occasional medium pace, earned a staggering Rs 23.75 crore deal -- more than 11 times his base price -- as KKR went all-out and used their RTM card following a fierce bidding war with Royal Challengers Bengaluru to bring him back."Obviously, you can't ignore it altogether. It exists. Wherever I go, I get asked about it," Iyer said at their pre-season media interaction at Eden Gardens.
Andre Russell
Attacking all-rounder from the Caribbean, Andre Russell is one of the most sought-after talents at the Indian Premier League. He has proved his credentials time and again with masterful batting and bowling performances in the past for KKR. His famed abilities as an impactful all-rounder have come to the fore time and again when his team has required. Be it in run-chases or setting a big total on the board, Andre Russell has been the trump card for KKR. He was one of the four retained players by the team management – thus showing the immense faith the franchise has in this game-changing all-rounder.Sunil Narine
One of the mainstays of KKR’s bowling attack for years, Sunil Narine’s batting exploits have come to the fore of late more than his bowling. He suffered a down-run in his bowling when he was called for a suspect action which forced him to modify his action. But Narine redeemed himself back with his batting capabilities when he was promoted as an opener by KKR. He gave blazing starts to his side and became a threat to the opposition in the early part of the innings. The team management has time and again reposed faith in his all-round abilities, he was retained by the franchise ahead of the 2022 IPL Auction and will be looking to contribute in this season as well.Rinku Singh
One of the mainstays of KKR’s bowling attack for years, Sunil Narine’s batting exploits have come to the fore of late more than his bowling. He suffered a down-run in his bowling when he was called for a suspect action which forced him to modify his action. But Narine redeemed himself back with his batting capabilities when he was promoted as an opener by KKR. He gave blazing starts to his side and became a threat to the opposition in the early part of the innings. The team management has time and again reposed faith in his all-round abilities, he was retained by the franchise ahead of the 2022 IPL Auction and will be looking to contribute in this season as well.KKR squad for IPL 2025:
-Batters: Rinku Singh (retained), Rovman Powell, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Luvnith Sisodia, Ajinkya Rahane.
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-Allrounders: Venkatesh Iyer (pace), Andre Russell (pace; retained), Sunil Narine (spin; retained), Ramandeep Singh (pace; retained), Anukul Roy (spin), Moeen Ali (spin).
-Spinners: Varun Chakravarthy (retained), Mayank Markande.
-Fast bowlers: Harshit Rana (retained), Vaibhav Arora, Anrich Nortje, Spencer Johnson, Umran Malik.
