Updated March 13th 2025, 18:51 IST
Kolkata Knight Riders have roped in Chetan Sakaraiya as a net bowler for IPL 2025. Sakariya has earlier represented KKR alongside Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals in IPL.
The left-arm fast bowler was a part of the IPL 2024 KKR winning squad, but he wasn't picked in the IPL 2025 mega auction. A career-threatening injury looked to have derailed his cricket career but now KKR have come to his rescue offering the fast bowler a chance to resurrect his career.
It was Bharat Arun who spotted Sakariya and asked him to have a go with KKR as a net bowler. Sakaria was at the National Cricket Academy undergoing a recovery period, and despite consultation with a specialist, he failed to restore his pace and also lost his place in the Saurashtra team. Arun had a chat with Sakariya during the DY Patil T209 League and offered him the chance to be a part of KKR for IPL 2025. In the past, KKR stood with Sunil Narine when he faced some severe scrutiny regarding his bowling action, and now Sakariya could resume his career if he manages to impress the KKR hierarchy.
KKR do have a very stacked pace bowling lineup with the likes of Harshit Rana, Anrich Nortje and Spencer Johnson in the ranks, they might not need any new faces. But Nortje has been on the sidelines due to a back injury and the South African speedster also missed the Champions Trophy . Should he fail to get fit in time, Chakariya could be a back up option for the defending champions.
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, Umran Malik, Varun Chakravarthy.
Published March 13th 2025, 18:11 IST