Chetan Sakariya Joins KKR
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have signed left-arm fast bowler Chetan Sakariya as a replacement for Umran Malik for the IPL 2025 season. Malik, who was bought for INR 75 lakh, has been ruled out due to an unspecified injury.
Sakariya, 27, was part of KKR’s squad last season but did not play any matches. He went unsold in the mega auction last year but now gets another chance as a replacement player, signing for INR 75 lakh.
Sakariya has played 19 IPL matches between 2021 and 2023, taking 20 wickets with an economy rate of 8.43. He started his IPL career with Rajasthan Royals before moving to Delhi Capitals in 2022. In total, he has taken 65 wickets in 46 T20 matches with a solid economy rate of 7.69.
KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS SQUAD
AJINKYA RAHANE
RINKU SINGH
QUINTON DE KOCK
RAHMANULLAH GURBAZ
ANGKRISH RAGHUVANSHI
ROVMAN POWELL
MANISH PANDEY
LUVNITH SISODIA
VENKATESH IYER
ANUKUL ROY
MOEEN ALI
RAMANDEEP SINGH
ANDRE RUSSELL
ANRICH NORT JE
VAIBHAV ARORA
MAYANK MARKANDE
SPENCER JHONSON
HARSHIT RANA
SUNIL NARINE
VARUN CHAKARAVARTHY
CHETAN SAKARIYA
KKR Captain
Ajinkya Rahane
Ajinkya Rahane, a right-handed batsman from Mumbai, is known for his talent, consistency, and aggressive play. He made his first-class debut for Mumbai in 2007. In just his second Ranji Trophy season, he scored 1,089 runs, helping Mumbai win their 38th title.
Rahane continued to score heavily and impressed in the Emerging Players Trophy in Australia, which earned him a place in India’s ODI team in 2011. He showed his class early in his career and was part of the Indian Test squad for a long time before finally making his Test debut in 2013 against Australia.
His debut wasn’t great, but he quickly bounced back. In just his third Test, he scored two half-centuries in Durban. He became India’s go-to player in tough overseas conditions, scoring his first Test century in New Zealand. His match-winning century on a difficult pitch at Lord’s in 2014 was crucial in India’s first win there in 28 years. During India’s tour of Australia, he scored 399 runs in four Tests.
While Rahane wasn’t as successful in ODIs, he did score a century in Birmingham in 2014. One of his most memorable ODI knocks was a 79-run innings against South Africa in the 2015 World Cup. His form dipped after a 188-run knock against New Zealand in 2016, but he still contributed against Australia.
In the IPL, Rahane started with Mumbai but found real success with Rajasthan Royals. He was a consistent scorer at the top of the order and was made captain after Steven Smith’s suspension. He later played for Pune, Delhi, and Kolkata before joining Chennai Super Kings in 2023, where he adopted a more aggressive batting style.
Rahane has also done well in domestic cricket. He led Mumbai to their 42nd Ranji Trophy title in 2023-24, playing an important 73-run knock in the final. He was the highest run-scorer in the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring 469 runs at a strike rate of 164.56, and was named Player of the Series. His IPL 2023 season with Chennai was also impressive, where he scored 209 runs at a strike rate of 199.05, including a quickfire 71 off 29 balls.
Rahane made a comeback to international cricket in the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia, where he completed 5,000 Test runs, becoming the 13th Indian to achieve this. His selection was largely due to his IPL performances, showing his adaptability in different formats. Though he isn’t a regular in the Indian team now, his strong domestic performances keep him in contention. His form in domestic cricket earned him a place in the 2025 IPL auction, where he was picked by Kolkata and later named as the team’s captain.