The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly asked Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their squad ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) season. Rahman, bought by KKR during the December auctions in Abu Dhabi, has become a topic of debate after Indian political leaders showed discontent over the inclusion of Bangladeshi players. This comes after violence against the Hindu community in Bangladesh has become a serious topic.<h2>Mustafizur Rahman out of IPL 2026?</h2>“Due to the recent developments that are going on all across, BCCI has instructed the franchise KKR to release one of their players, Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh, from their squad,” BCCI Secretary Devjit Saikia told India Today.&nbsp;“BCCI has also said that if they ask for any replacement, BCCI is going to allow that replacement," he added.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-steve-smith-to-joe-root-5-active-batters-with-most-runs-in-ashes-ben-stokes-jonny-bairstow-usman-khawaja-1762275784636">From Steve Smith to Joe Root, 5 active batters with most runs in Ashes</a>&nbsp;During the IPL 2026 auctions in Abu Dhabi, KKR bought Rahman for Rs 9.2 crore, one of the highest during the auctions for a foreign player. However, with communal violence against Hindus in Bangladesh at its peak, BJP leaders have urged a boycott of Bangladeshi commodities and stars. Part of that boycott is Rahman’s inclusion in the KKR side for IPL 2026.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-leonard-hutton-to-don-bradman-5-batters-with-highest-individual-score-in-ashes-bob-simpson-bob-cowper-ashes-2025-26-1762276944046">From Leonard Hutton to Don Bradman, 5 batters with highest individual score in Ashes</a>&nbsp;On Thursday, ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sangeet Som slammed Shah Rukh Khan, co-owner of IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, for purchasing Rahman.&nbsp;"On one hand, Hindus are being killed in Bangladesh, and on the other hand, cricketers are being bought in the IPL. The traitorous film actor Shah Rukh Khan has bought Bangladeshi cricketer Rahman for Rs 9 crore. Such traitors have no right to live in this country," Som said during a public event in Meerut.

Mustafizur Rahman, bought by KKR during the December auctions in Abu Dhabi, has become a topic of debate after Indian political leaders showed discontent over the inclusion of Bangladeshi players.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly asked Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their squad ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) season. Rahman, bought by KKR during the December auctions in Abu Dhabi, has become a topic of debate after Indian political leaders showed discontent over the inclusion of Bangladeshi players. This comes after violence against the Hindu community in Bangladesh has become a serious topic. Mustafizur Rahman out of IPL 2026? “Due to the recent developments that are going on all across, BCCI has instructed the franchise KKR to release one of their players, Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh, from their squad,” BCCI Secretary Devjit Saikia told India Today. “BCCI has also said that if they ask for any replacement, BCCI is going to allow that replacement," he added. ALSO READ | From Steve Smith to Joe Root, 5 active batters with most runs in Ashes During the IPL 2026 auctions in Abu Dhabi, KKR bought Rahman for Rs 9.2 crore, one of the highest during the auctions for a foreign player. However, with communal violence against Hindus in Bangladesh at its peak, BJP leaders have urged a boycott of Bangladeshi commodities and stars. Part of that boycott is Rahman’s inclusion in the KKR side for IPL 2026. ALSO READ | From Leonard Hutton to Don Bradman, 5 batters with highest individual score in Ashes On Thursday, ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sangeet Som slammed Shah Rukh Khan, co-owner of IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, for purchasing Rahman. "On one hand, Hindus are being killed in Bangladesh, and on the other hand, cricketers are being bought in the IPL. The traitorous film actor Shah Rukh Khan has bought Bangladeshi cricketer Rahman for Rs 9 crore. Such traitors have no right to live in this country," Som said during a public event in Meerut.

Mustafizur Rahman, bought by KKR during the December auctions in Abu Dhabi, has become a topic of debate after Indian political leaders showed discontent over the inclusion of Bangladeshi players.

BCCI asks Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman amid tensions - Report

The inclusion of Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman in the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) team for IPL 2026, co-owned by Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan, has sparked a political stir. This controversy started after KKR acquired Rahman for a whopping ₹9.20 crore during the IPL auction. While some cricket experts hailed the move as a strategic decision, it triggered intense nationalistic reactions, particularly against the backdrop of deteriorating relations between India and Bangladesh following the death of a Hindu man in Mymensingh.<h2>Who said what</h2>BJP leader Sangeet Som strongly criticised Shah Rukh Khan's choice, backing Hindu spiritual leader Devkinandan Thakur, who labeled Khan a “traitor” for investing in players from a nation allegedly hostile to India. Som accused Khan of supporting a country where Hindus face persecution, including incidents of rape, violence, and anti-India protests. He further claimed that Khan, despite his success in India, was investing in a country that has shown hostility towards India. “People like Shah Rukh Khan will not succeed,” Som was quoted as saying to news agency ANI.&nbsp;In a similar vein, Shiv Sena's Sanjay Nirupam urged Khan to reconsider his decision, citing the potential backlash the Bangladeshi player could face amidst rising anti-Bangladesh sentiments. “Shah Rukh Khan should remove Rahman from the team for his own safety,” Nirupam told ANI. His concerns were echoed by another Shiv Sena (UBT) member, Anand Dubey, who suggested that Bangladeshi players should be barred from the IPL entirely. He stated that if Khan didn't act, it would show that he didn’t understand the national mood.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/uttarakhand-minister-s-husband-sparks-outrage-with-girls-for-20-25-thousand-in-bihar-remark-1767352623004">Uttarakhand minister’s husband sparks outrage with 'girls for ₹20-25 thousand in Bihar' remark</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> | Lucknow, UP: On KKR selecting a Bangladeshi player in the IPL auction, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate says, &quot;First of all, I want to ask who put the Bangladeshi players in that pool. This question is for the BCCI and the ICC. Home Minister&#39;s son, Jay Shah, should… <a href="https://t.co/IzM4w6goEK">pic.twitter.com/IzM4w6goEK</a>&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/2006970864378720440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

On the other hand, Congress leaders have rallied behind Shah Rukh Khan, criticising the BJP's stance. Congress MP Manickam Tagore denounced the accusations of “treason,” calling it an attack on India's pluralistic society. “Hate cannot define nationalism,” Tagore was quoted as saying to ANI. Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate also pointed fingers at the BCCI and ICC, asking who was responsible for including Bangladeshi players in the IPL auction pool and demanding answers from the cricket boards.&nbsp;Amid the controversy, religious leaders have weighed in as well. Maulana Sajid Rashidi, president of the All India Imam Association, defended Khan's decision, emphasising that sports and films transcend national borders. He called for action against those making inflammatory remarks about Khan, such as Devkinandan Thakur. Similarly, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, president of the All India Muslim Jamaat, said that Shah Rukh Khan's IPL pick was not an act of betrayal, reaffirming solidarity with the minority communities in Bangladesh and their safety.

Shah Rukh Khan's decision to include Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman in Kolkata Knight Riders' IPL squad has sparked political tension, with the BJP, Congress, and other leaders raising the issue

The inclusion of Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman in the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) team for IPL 2026, co-owned by Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan, has sparked a political stir. This controversy started after KKR acquired Rahman for a whopping ₹9.20 crore during the IPL auction. While some cricket experts hailed the move as a strategic decision, it triggered intense nationalistic reactions, particularly against the backdrop of deteriorating relations between India and Bangladesh following the death of a Hindu man in Mymensingh. Who said what BJP leader Sangeet Som strongly criticised Shah Rukh Khan's choice, backing Hindu spiritual leader Devkinandan Thakur, who labeled Khan a “traitor” for investing in players from a nation allegedly hostile to India. Som accused Khan of supporting a country where Hindus face persecution, including incidents of rape, violence, and anti-India protests. He further claimed that Khan, despite his success in India, was investing in a country that has shown hostility towards India. “People like Shah Rukh Khan will not succeed,” Som was quoted as saying to news agency ANI. In a similar vein, Shiv Sena's Sanjay Nirupam urged Khan to reconsider his decision, citing the potential backlash the Bangladeshi player could face amidst rising anti-Bangladesh sentiments. “Shah Rukh Khan should remove Rahman from the team for his own safety,” Nirupam told ANI. His concerns were echoed by another Shiv Sena (UBT) member, Anand Dubey, who suggested that Bangladeshi players should be barred from the IPL entirely. He stated that if Khan didn't act, it would show that he didn’t understand the national mood. Also Read: Uttarakhand minister’s husband sparks outrage with 'girls for ₹20-25 thousand in Bihar' remark

Shah Rukh Khan's decision to include Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman in Kolkata Knight Riders' IPL squad has sparked political tension, with the BJP, Congress, and other leaders raising the issue

SRK's buying of Bangladesh player Rahman for KKR in IPL amid tensions stirs political row

Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan has found himself in the centre of attention with less than three months to go before the Indian Premier League (IPL) season starts. Shah Rukh, co-owner of IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), has been slammed by ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sangeet Som. The former member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly has called Shah Rukh a “traitor” for buying Bangladesh player Mustafizur Rahman in the IPL auctions held in December.<h2>BJP slams Shah Rukh Khan</h2>"On one hand, Hindus are being killed in Bangladesh, and on the other hand, cricketers are being bought in the IPL. The traitorous film actor Shah Rukh Khan has bought Bangladeshi cricketer Rahman for Rs 9 crore. Such traitors have no right to live in this country," Som said during a public event in India’s Meerut.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-steve-smith-to-joe-root-5-active-batters-with-most-runs-in-ashes-ben-stokes-jonny-bairstow-usman-khawaja-1762275784636">From Steve Smith to Joe Root, 5 active batters with most runs in Ashes</a>&nbsp;During the IPL 2026 auctions in Abu Dhabi, KKR bought Rahman for Rs 9.2 crore, one of the highest during the auctions for a foreign player. However, with communal violence against Hindus in Bangladesh at its peak, BJP leaders have urged a boycott of Bangladeshi commodities and stars. Part of that boycott is Rahman’s inclusion in the KKR side for IPL 2026.&nbsp;However, Som was later slammed by his opposition leaders and allies for pointing a finger at Shah Rukh Khan.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-leonard-hutton-to-don-bradman-5-batters-with-highest-individual-score-in-ashes-bob-simpson-bob-cowper-ashes-2025-26-1762276944046">From Leonard Hutton to Don Bradman, 5 batters with highest individual score in Ashes</a>&nbsp;Congress leader Surender Rajput slammed the BJP and said it is a "traitor" party."They are attacking Shah Rukh Khan just because he is a Muslim," he told NDTV.BJP ally and UP minister Om Prakash Rajbhar also slammed Som, saying he keeps making such statements "to stay in the limelight".&nbsp;IPL 2026 is set to start in the final week of March, with the auctions having taken place in December. KKR have won the IPL three times, including their recent win in 2024 when they beat SunRisers Hyderabad in the final.

During the IPL 2026 auctions in Abu Dhabi, KKR bought Mustafizur Rahman for Rs 9.2 crore, one of the highest during the auctions for a foreign player. 

Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan has found himself in the centre of attention with less than three months to go before the Indian Premier League (IPL) season starts. Shah Rukh, co-owner of IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), has been slammed by ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sangeet Som. The former member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly has called Shah Rukh a “traitor” for buying Bangladesh player Mustafizur Rahman in the IPL auctions held in December. BJP slams Shah Rukh Khan "On one hand, Hindus are being killed in Bangladesh, and on the other hand, cricketers are being bought in the IPL. The traitorous film actor Shah Rukh Khan has bought Bangladeshi cricketer Rahman for Rs 9 crore. Such traitors have no right to live in this country," Som said during a public event in India’s Meerut. ALSO READ | From Steve Smith to Joe Root, 5 active batters with most runs in Ashes During the IPL 2026 auctions in Abu Dhabi, KKR bought Rahman for Rs 9.2 crore, one of the highest during the auctions for a foreign player. However, with communal violence against Hindus in Bangladesh at its peak, BJP leaders have urged a boycott of Bangladeshi commodities and stars. Part of that boycott is Rahman’s inclusion in the KKR side for IPL 2026. However, Som was later slammed by his opposition leaders and allies for pointing a finger at Shah Rukh Khan. ALSO READ | From Leonard Hutton to Don Bradman, 5 batters with highest individual score in Ashes Congress leader Surender Rajput slammed the BJP and said it is a "traitor" party. "They are attacking Shah Rukh Khan just because he is a Muslim," he told NDTV. BJP ally and UP minister Om Prakash Rajbhar also slammed Som, saying he keeps making such statements "to stay in the limelight". IPL 2026 is set to start in the final week of March, with the auctions having taken place in December. KKR have won the IPL three times, including their recent win in 2024 when they beat SunRisers Hyderabad in the final.

During the IPL 2026 auctions in Abu Dhabi, KKR bought Mustafizur Rahman for Rs 9.2 crore, one of the highest during the auctions for a foreign player.&nbsp;

IPL 2026: BJP leader slams Shah Rukh Khan, calls him 'traitor' after KKR purchases Bangladeshi player

Two-time IPL winner with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Jiostar expert, Robin Uthappa, has dropped suggestions for his former franchise on whom to chase at the IPL 2026 mini auction on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi. Having played a key role as a wicket-keeper batter in KKR’s success during his time with the team, Uthappa understands the need for having a quality one at the top of the order. With the auction just around the corner, he suggested a handful of top English players who could fill in and get the job done.&nbsp;The 2024 IPL winners have an almost settled squad at the helm, entering the IPL 2026 mini auction with the highest purse (INR 64.3 crore) and most slots to fill (13). Even though they have the uncapped Indian batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi in their ranks, bagging a foreigner like Tim Seifert, who just slammed his maiden BBL hundred on the auction day eve, or even England’s forgotten T20 hero Jonny Bairstow, could do a world of good to KKR.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cameron-green-sold-for-30-5-crore-here-is-what-happened-in-ipl-2026-mock-auction-kkr-mini-auction-1765865243525">Cameron Green sold for ₹30.5 crore? Here’s what happened in IPL 2026 mock auction</a> &nbsp;“Given KKR’s current squad balance, they should prioritise a solid wicketkeeper-batter. I don’t think they could play Angkrish Raghuvanshi as a wicketkeeper-batter, but I think they would look to get either Jonny Bairstow, Tim Seifert, or Finn Allen as a wicketkeeping option. They could also go for Ben Duckett, who we have not seen keep wickets yet. Don’t know if he is going to keep or if he is going to keep wickets, but he could certainly be an option,” Uthappa said while speaking exclusively to WION. &nbsp;While the idea of KKR chasing all-rounder Cameron Green is a no-brainer, given their urge to have Andre Russell’s like-for-like replacement, Uthappa also suggests that they go after pace bowling prodigy from Sri Lanka, Matheesha Pathirana. &nbsp;“They should look at fast bowling options as well, with Matheesha Pathirana for sure, and they should also go for Cameron Green, that’s a no-brainer. These are the three picks I would look at, while I would also look to get two wicketkeeping batters with either Bairstow or Seifert,” he continued.<h3>Who should lead KKR in IPL 2026? &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</h3>Amid a lack of leadership options at KKR, Uthappa feels the management is unlikely to tinker with that, further indicating that they are holding onto the core ahead of IPL 2026. &nbsp;“I do think they will continue to lead with Ajinkya Rahane in the IPL 2026, and KKR will try to get the core from last season back. I think they will try to get Venkatesh Iyer back for a lower price, but if they can’t get him, they will focus on getting Cameron Green. They will also look to develop Rinku Singh as a leader for the future, but in the IPL 2026, I think Ajinkya will continue to lead. The senior core will revolve around Rahane, Sunil Narine and Rovman Powell,” he concluded.&nbsp;&nbsp;Catch all the action from the IPL 2026 mini-auction, December 16, 2:30 PM onwards, LIVE on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network

With the highest remaining purse ahead of the mini auction, KKR are likely to chase several A-listers, including Cameron Green.

Two-time IPL winner with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Jiostar expert, Robin Uthappa, has dropped suggestions for his former franchise on whom to chase at the IPL 2026 mini auction on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi. Having played a key role as a wicket-keeper batter in KKR’s success during his time with the team, Uthappa understands the need for having a quality one at the top of the order. With the auction just around the corner, he suggested a handful of top English players who could fill in and get the job done. The 2024 IPL winners have an almost settled squad at the helm, entering the IPL 2026 mini auction with the highest purse (INR 64.3 crore) and most slots to fill (13). Even though they have the uncapped Indian batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi in their ranks, bagging a foreigner like Tim Seifert, who just slammed his maiden BBL hundred on the auction day eve, or even England’s forgotten T20 hero Jonny Bairstow, could do a world of good to KKR. Also read | Cameron Green sold for ₹30.5 crore? Here’s what happened in IPL 2026 mock auction “Given KKR’s current squad balance, they should prioritise a solid wicketkeeper-batter. I don’t think they could play Angkrish Raghuvanshi as a wicketkeeper-batter, but I think they would look to get either Jonny Bairstow, Tim Seifert, or Finn Allen as a wicketkeeping option. They could also go for Ben Duckett, who we have not seen keep wickets yet. Don’t know if he is going to keep or if he is going to keep wickets, but he could certainly be an option,” Uthappa said while speaking exclusively to WION. While the idea of KKR chasing all-rounder Cameron Green is a no-brainer, given their urge to have Andre Russell’s like-for-like replacement, Uthappa also suggests that they go after pace bowling prodigy from Sri Lanka, Matheesha Pathirana. “They should look at fast bowling options as well, with Matheesha Pathirana for sure, and they should also go for Cameron Green, that’s a no-brainer. These are the three picks I would look at, while I would also look to get two wicketkeeping batters with either Bairstow or Seifert,” he continued. Who should lead KKR in IPL 2026? Amid a lack of leadership options at KKR, Uthappa feels the management is unlikely to tinker with that, further indicating that they are holding onto the core ahead of IPL 2026. “I do think they will continue to lead with Ajinkya Rahane in the IPL 2026, and KKR will try to get the core from last season back. I think they will try to get Venkatesh Iyer back for a lower price, but if they can’t get him, they will focus on getting Cameron Green. They will also look to develop Rinku Singh as a leader for the future, but in the IPL 2026, I think Ajinkya will continue to lead. The senior core will revolve around Rahane, Sunil Narine and Rovman Powell,” he concluded. Catch all the action from the IPL 2026 mini-auction, December 16, 2:30 PM onwards, LIVE on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network

With the highest remaining purse ahead of the mini auction, KKR are likely to chase several A-listers, including Cameron Green.

EXCLUSIVE | IPL 2026 mini auction: Robin Uthappa suggests England stars for THIS role at KKR

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction is set to take place on December 16 in Abu Dhabi, UAE with as many as 45 players entering the event at the highest base price of INR 2 crore. The list features several big names including Steve Smith, Josh Inglis, Liam Livingstone, and Cameron Green as well. The upcoming season will also see a 'power coach' for the very first time. West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell will be fulfilling the role with his long-time franchise Kolkata Knight Riders after announcing his retirement from the cash-rich league.<h2>What is a power coach?</h2>After KKR released Russell before the upcoming auction, the West Indies all-rounder decided not to put up his name in the auction and announced his retirement from the league. KKR, however, kept him back in support staff as a power coach. What role will he play in this capacity remains unclear but his six-hitting prowess and KKR part-owner Shah Rukh Khan did give a hint about the responsibilities it may include.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/unluckiest-centurion-gaikwad-maiden-odi-century-comes-in-highest-chase-against-india-again-1764835074807">Unluckiest centurion? Gaikwad's maiden ODI century comes in highest chase against India - again</a>"The power coach - passing down the wisdom, the muscle and of course the power down to our boys in purple and gold," read a part of SRK's social media post.<h2>Russell's six-hitting in IPL</h2>The West Indies allrounder is known for his six hitting in T20s, especially in IPL, when it matters the most - the death overs. Russell is only one of the four batters in IPL to hit 100 or more sixes in 17-20 overs. The other three batters who have hit 100 or more sixes in IPL death overs are: MS Dhoni (186), Kieron Pollard (127), and AB de Villiers (112).Russell is also the joint-seventh on the list of batters with most sixes in IPL with 223 maximum. If he's able to pass on his ability to hit sixes to next generation of KKR batters, the fans can expect a lot of fireworks in the upcoming season for sure.

Russell is only one of the four batters in IPL to hit 100 or more sixes in 17-20 overs. The other three batters who have hit 100 or more sixes in IPL death overs are: MS Dhoni (186), Kieron Pollard (127), and AB de Villiers (112).

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction is set to take place on December 16 in Abu Dhabi, UAE with as many as 45 players entering the event at the highest base price of INR 2 crore. The list features several big names including Steve Smith, Josh Inglis, Liam Livingstone, and Cameron Green as well. The upcoming season will also see a 'power coach' for the very first time. West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell will be fulfilling the role with his long-time franchise Kolkata Knight Riders after announcing his retirement from the cash-rich league. What is a power coach? After KKR released Russell before the upcoming auction, the West Indies all-rounder decided not to put up his name in the auction and announced his retirement from the league. KKR, however, kept him back in support staff as a power coach. What role will he play in this capacity remains unclear but his six-hitting prowess and KKR part-owner Shah Rukh Khan did give a hint about the responsibilities it may include. Also Read - Unluckiest centurion? Gaikwad's maiden ODI century comes in highest chase against India - again "The power coach - passing down the wisdom, the muscle and of course the power down to our boys in purple and gold," read a part of SRK's social media post. Russell's six-hitting in IPL The West Indies allrounder is known for his six hitting in T20s, especially in IPL, when it matters the most - the death overs. Russell is only one of the four batters in IPL to hit 100 or more sixes in 17-20 overs. The other three batters who have hit 100 or more sixes in IPL death overs are: MS Dhoni (186), Kieron Pollard (127), and AB de Villiers (112). Russell is also the joint-seventh on the list of batters with most sixes in IPL with 223 maximum. If he's able to pass on his ability to hit sixes to next generation of KKR batters, the fans can expect a lot of fireworks in the upcoming season for sure.

Russell is only one of the four batters in IPL to hit 100 or more sixes in 17-20 overs. The other three batters who have hit 100 or more sixes in IPL death overs are: MS Dhoni (186), Kieron Pollard (127), and AB de Villiers (112).

Andre Russell is IPL's first POWER COACH - What will he do in this role

The IPL 2026 retention list—featuring the players kept and released by all ten Indian Premier League franchises ahead of the upcoming auction—was formally unveiled on Saturday (November 15). Punjab Kings held on to the largest squad, retaining 21 players, while Kolkata Knight Riders kept the fewest, with just 12. KKR made some major decisions, letting go of long-time star Andre Russell, who had been with the franchise since 2014, and releasing Venkatesh Iyer, their costliest signing in franchise history last season.&nbsp;Chennai Super Kings are expected to be highly active at the auction after parting ways with 13 players from their previous roster, including the now-retired Ravichandran Ashwin. MS Dhoni, however, remains with the team.Other high-profile names released across franchises include Glenn Maxwell, Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis, and Ravi Bishnoi. Unlike the drastic squad reshaping that typically happens before mega auctions—where teams can retain only a small core—franchises are allowed to keep the majority of their squads ahead of mini auctions, as long as they stay within the INR 120 crore budget and maintain a roster of 18 to 25 players.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fide-world-cup-2025-arjun-beats-aronian-with-black-pieces-to-reach-quarterfinals-harikrishna-to-play-tiebreak-1763217982942">FIDE World Cup 2025: Arjun beats Aronian with black pieces to reach quarterfinals; Harikrishna to play tiebreak</a>&nbsp;Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru retained 17 members of their title-winning squad, with Virat Kohli still at the forefront. A series of player trades have also reshaped teams heading into IPL 2026. CSK exchanged Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran with Rajasthan Royals in return for Sanju Samson. Donovan Ferreira rejoined RR from Delhi Capitals through a swap involving Nitish Rana.&nbsp;Shardul Thakur was traded from Lucknow Super Giants to Mumbai Indians in exchange for Arjun Tendulkar. LSG further strengthened their fast-bowling department by securing Mohammed Shami in an all-cash deal with Sunrisers Hyderabad. Additionally, Mumbai Indians picked up West Indies all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford from Gujarat Titans, while Mayank Markande returned to the MI setup in a move from KKR. The trade window remains open for further moves.<h2>Here is the complete list of all the teams</h2>Chennai Super KingsCurrent team and retained players: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ayush Mhatre, MS Dhoni, Dewald Brevis, Urvil Patel, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Shreyas Gopal, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis. Traded in: Sanju Samson (from RR).Released players: Rahul Tripathi, Vansh Bedi, C Andre Siddarth, Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Sam Curran (traded to RR), Ravindra Jadeja (traded to RR), Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, Shaik Rasheed, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, and Matheesha Pathirana.Purse remaining: Rs 43.40 crore&nbsp;Mumbai IndiansCurrent team and retained players: Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ryan Rickleton, Robin Minz, Mitchell Santner, Corbin Bosch, Naman Dhir, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Allah Ghafanzar, Ashwani Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Will Jacks. Traded in: Sherfane Rutherford (from GT), Mayank Markande (from KKR), Shardul Thakur (from LSG).Released players: Satyanarayana Raju, Reece Topley, KL Shrijith, Karn Sharma, Arjun Tendulkar (traded to LSG), Bevon Jacobs, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Lizaad Williams, and Vignesh Puthur.Purse remaining: Rs 2.75 crore&nbsp;Kolkata Knight RidersCurrent team and retained players: Ajinkya Rahane, Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Varun Chakravarthy, Ramandeep Singh, Ankul Roy, Rovman Powell, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav AroraReleased players: Andre Russell, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Venkatesh Iyer, Quinton de Kock, Moeen Ali, Anrich Nortje, Luvnith Sisodia, Chetan Sakariya, Spencer Johnson and Mayank Markande (traded to MI).Purse remaining: Rs 64.30 crore&nbsp;Royal Challengers BengaluruCurrent team and retained players: Rajat Patidar (c), Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nuwan Thushara, Rasikh Salam, Abhinandan Singh, and Suyash Sharma.Released players: Swastik Chikara, Mayank Agarwal, Tim Seifert, Liam Livingstone, Manoj Bhandage, Lungi Ngidi, Blessing Muzarabani, and Mohit Rathee.Purse remaining: Rs 16.40 crore&nbsp;Punjab KingsCurrent team and retained players: Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer, Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Musheer Khan, Pyala Avinash, Harnoor Pannu, Suryansh Shedge, Mitchell Owen, Xavier Bartlett, Lockie Ferguson, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Vishnu Vinod.Released players: Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis, Aaron Hardie, and Kuldeep Sen.Purse remaining: Rs 11.50 crore&nbsp;Gujarat TitansCurrent team and retained players: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Jos Buttler, Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Arshad Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Rashid Khan, Manav Suthar, Sai Kishore, Jayant Yadav.Released players: &nbsp;Sherfane Rutherford (traded to MI), Mahipal Lomror, Karim Janat, Dasun Shanaka, Gerald Coetzee, and Kulwant Khejroliya.Purse remaining: Rs 12.90 crore&nbsp;Rajasthan RoyalsCurrent team and retained players: Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Kunal Rathore, Lhuan-Dre Pretorius, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Jofra Archer, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya Singh, Tushar Deshpande, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kwena Maphaka, Ashok Sharma, Nandre Burger. Traded in: Ravindra Jadeja (from CSK), Sam Curran (from CSK).Released players: Sanju Samson (traded to CSK), Nitish Rana (traded to DC), Wanindu Hasaranga, and Maheesh TheekshanaPurse remaining: Rs 16.05 crore&nbsp;Sunrisers HyderabadCurrent team and retained players: Pat Cummins (c), Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aniket Verma, R. Smaran, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Kamindu Mendis, Harshal Patel, Brydon Carse, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga, Zeeshan Ansari.Released players: Mohammed Shami (traded to LSG), Adam Zampa, Rahul Chahar, Wiaan Mulder, Abhinav Manohar, Atharva Taide, and Sachin Baby.Purse remaining: Rs 25.50 crore&nbsp;Lucknow Super GiantsCurrent team and retained players: Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni, Aiden Markram, Matthew Breetzke, Himmat Singh, Rishabh Pant (c), Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Marsh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Arshin Kulkarni, Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan, Manimaran Siddharth, Digvesh Rathi, Prince Yadav, Akash Singh. Traded in: Mohammed Shami (from SRH).Released players: Aryan Juyal, David Miller, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Shardul Thakur (traded to MI), Akash Deep, Ravi Bishnoi, and Shamar Joseph.Purse remaining: Rs 22.95 crore&nbsp;Delhi CapitalsCurrent team and retained players:&nbsp;Axar Patel (c), KL Rahul, Abishek Porel, Tristan Stubbs, Karun Nair, Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Madhav Tiwari, Tripurana Vijay, Ajay Mandal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mitchell Starc, T. Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar, Dushmantha Chameera. Traded in: Nitish Rana.Released players: Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Donovan Ferreira (traded to RR), Sediqullah Atal, Manvanth Kumar, Mohit Sharma, and Darshan Nalkande.Purse remaining: Rs 21.80 crore

IPL 2026 Retentions: Who stayed, who was released, and what each team can spend

The IPL 2026 retention list—featuring the players kept and released by all ten Indian Premier League franchises ahead of the upcoming auction—was formally unveiled on Saturday (November 15). Punjab Kings held on to the largest squad, retaining 21 players, while Kolkata Knight Riders kept the fewest, with just 12. KKR made some major decisions, letting go of long-time star Andre Russell, who had been with the franchise since 2014, and releasing Venkatesh Iyer, their costliest signing in franchise history last season. Chennai Super Kings are expected to be highly active at the auction after parting ways with 13 players from their previous roster, including the now-retired Ravichandran Ashwin. MS Dhoni, however, remains with the team. Other high-profile names released across franchises include Glenn Maxwell, Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis, and Ravi Bishnoi. Unlike the drastic squad reshaping that typically happens before mega auctions—where teams can retain only a small core—franchises are allowed to keep the majority of their squads ahead of mini auctions, as long as they stay within the INR 120 crore budget and maintain a roster of 18 to 25 players. Also Read: FIDE World Cup 2025: Arjun beats Aronian with black pieces to reach quarterfinals; Harikrishna to play tiebreak Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru retained 17 members of their title-winning squad, with Virat Kohli still at the forefront. A series of player trades have also reshaped teams heading into IPL 2026. CSK exchanged Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran with Rajasthan Royals in return for Sanju Samson. Donovan Ferreira rejoined RR from Delhi Capitals through a swap involving Nitish Rana. Shardul Thakur was traded from Lucknow Super Giants to Mumbai Indians in exchange for Arjun Tendulkar. LSG further strengthened their fast-bowling department by securing Mohammed Shami in an all-cash deal with Sunrisers Hyderabad. Additionally, Mumbai Indians picked up West Indies all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford from Gujarat Titans, while Mayank Markande returned to the MI setup in a move from KKR. The trade window remains open for further moves. Here is the complete list of all the teams Chennai Super Kings Current team and retained players: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ayush Mhatre, MS Dhoni, Dewald Brevis, Urvil Patel, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Shreyas Gopal, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis. Traded in: Sanju Samson (from RR). Released players: Rahul Tripathi, Vansh Bedi, C Andre Siddarth, Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Sam Curran (traded to RR), Ravindra Jadeja (traded to RR), Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, Shaik Rasheed, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, and Matheesha Pathirana. Purse remaining: Rs 43.40 crore Mumbai Indians Current team and retained players: Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ryan Rickleton, Robin Minz, Mitchell Santner, Corbin Bosch, Naman Dhir, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Allah Ghafanzar, Ashwani Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Will Jacks. Traded in: Sherfane Rutherford (from GT), Mayank Markande (from KKR), Shardul Thakur (from LSG). Released players: Satyanarayana Raju, Reece Topley, KL Shrijith, Karn Sharma, Arjun Tendulkar (traded to LSG), Bevon Jacobs, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Lizaad Williams, and Vignesh Puthur. Purse remaining: Rs 2.75 crore Kolkata Knight Riders Current team and retained players: Ajinkya Rahane, Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Varun Chakravarthy, Ramandeep Singh, Ankul Roy, Rovman Powell, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora Released players: Andre Russell, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Venkatesh Iyer, Quinton de Kock, Moeen Ali, Anrich Nortje, Luvnith Sisodia, Chetan Sakariya, Spencer Johnson and Mayank Markande (traded to MI). Purse remaining: Rs 64.30 crore Royal Challengers Bengaluru Current team and retained players: Rajat Patidar (c), Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nuwan Thushara, Rasikh Salam, Abhinandan Singh, and Suyash Sharma. Released players: Swastik Chikara, Mayank Agarwal, Tim Seifert, Liam Livingstone, Manoj Bhandage, Lungi Ngidi, Blessing Muzarabani, and Mohit Rathee. Purse remaining: Rs 16.40 crore Punjab Kings Current team and retained players: Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer, Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Musheer Khan, Pyala Avinash, Harnoor Pannu, Suryansh Shedge, Mitchell Owen, Xavier Bartlett, Lockie Ferguson, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Vishnu Vinod. Released players: Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis, Aaron Hardie, and Kuldeep Sen. Purse remaining: Rs 11.50 crore Gujarat Titans Current team and retained players: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Jos Buttler, Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Arshad Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Rashid Khan, Manav Suthar, Sai Kishore, Jayant Yadav. Released players: Sherfane Rutherford (traded to MI), Mahipal Lomror, Karim Janat, Dasun Shanaka, Gerald Coetzee, and Kulwant Khejroliya. Purse remaining: Rs 12.90 crore Rajasthan Royals Current team and retained players: Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Kunal Rathore, Lhuan-Dre Pretorius, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Jofra Archer, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya Singh, Tushar Deshpande, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kwena Maphaka, Ashok Sharma, Nandre Burger. Traded in: Ravindra Jadeja (from CSK), Sam Curran (from CSK). Released players: Sanju Samson (traded to CSK), Nitish Rana (traded to DC), Wanindu Hasaranga, and Maheesh Theekshana Purse remaining: Rs 16.05 crore Sunrisers Hyderabad Current team and retained players: Pat Cummins (c), Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aniket Verma, R. Smaran, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Kamindu Mendis, Harshal Patel, Brydon Carse, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga, Zeeshan Ansari. Released players: Mohammed Shami (traded to LSG), Adam Zampa, Rahul Chahar, Wiaan Mulder, Abhinav Manohar, Atharva Taide, and Sachin Baby. Purse remaining: Rs 25.50 crore Lucknow Super Giants Current team and retained players: Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni, Aiden Markram, Matthew Breetzke, Himmat Singh, Rishabh Pant (c), Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Marsh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Arshin Kulkarni, Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan, Manimaran Siddharth, Digvesh Rathi, Prince Yadav, Akash Singh. Traded in: Mohammed Shami (from SRH). Released players: Aryan Juyal, David Miller, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Shardul Thakur (traded to MI), Akash Deep, Ravi Bishnoi, and Shamar Joseph. Purse remaining: Rs 22.95 crore Delhi Capitals Current team and retained players: Axar Patel (c), KL Rahul, Abishek Porel, Tristan Stubbs, Karun Nair, Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Madhav Tiwari, Tripurana Vijay, Ajay Mandal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mitchell Starc, T. Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar, Dushmantha Chameera. Traded in: Nitish Rana. Released players: Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Donovan Ferreira (traded to RR), Sediqullah Atal, Manvanth Kumar, Mohit Sharma, and Darshan Nalkande. Purse remaining: Rs 21.80 crore

Big names released ahead of IPL 2026 auction—Glenn Maxwell, Faf Du Plessis, Andre Russell, David Miller and Ravi Bishnoi set for December 16 Abu Dhabi mini-auction

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have announced the appointment of New Zealand cricket legend Tim Southee as the team’s Bowling Coach for the upcoming Tata Indian Premier League 2026 season. Southee’s vast international experience, deep tactical understanding, and prior association with the franchise make him an invaluable addition to KKR’s coaching staff.&nbsp;One of the most accomplished fast bowlers of his generation, Tim Southee has been a cornerstone of New Zealand cricket for over 15 years. Having represented his country in 100+ Test matches, over 150 ODIs, and 120+ T20 Internationals, Southee has claimed more than 700 international wickets across formats. Renowned for his swing, accuracy, and leadership, he captained New Zealand in multiple formats and played pivotal roles in their 2019 ICC World Cup campaign and the 2021 ICC World Test Championship victory.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-steve-smith-to-joe-root-5-active-batters-with-most-runs-in-ashes-ben-stokes-jonny-bairstow-usman-khawaja-1762275784636">From Steve Smith to Joe Root, 5 active batters with most runs in Ashes</a>&nbsp;Southee is no stranger to the KKR family, having been part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad (2021, 2022, 2023) in the IPL during his playing career. Known for his professionalism and mentoring qualities, he made a strong impact both on and off the field before announcing his retirement from international cricket in 2025.&nbsp;Southee is no stranger to the KKR family, having been part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad (2021, 2022, 2023) in the IPL during his playing career. Known for his professionalism and mentoring qualities, he made a strong impact both on and off the field before announcing his retirement from international cricket in 2025.&nbsp;Speaking on the appointment, Venky Mysore, CEO of Kolkata Knight Riders, said, “We are delighted to welcome Tim Southee back to the KKR family, this time in a coaching capacity. Tim’s vast experience and technical expertise will be instrumental in shaping our bowling unit. His leadership qualities and calm approach make him an ideal mentor for our young bowlers.”&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-leonard-hutton-to-don-bradman-5-batters-with-highest-individual-score-in-ashes-bob-simpson-bob-cowper-ashes-2025-26-1762276944046">From Leonard Hutton to Don Bradman, 5 batters with highest individual score in Ashes</a>&nbsp;Southee expressed his excitement about returning to the franchise, saying, “KKR has always felt like home to me, and it’s an honour to return in this new role. The franchise has an incredible culture, passionate fans, and a great group of players. I look forward to working closely with the bowlers and helping the team achieve success in IPL 2026.”

One of the most accomplished fast bowlers of his generation, Tim Southee has been a cornerstone of New Zealand cricket for over 15 years. Having represented his country in 100+ Test matches, over 150 ODIs, and 120+ T20Is, Southee has claimed more than 700 international wickets across formats.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have announced the appointment of New Zealand cricket legend Tim Southee as the team’s Bowling Coach for the upcoming Tata Indian Premier League 2026 season. Southee’s vast international experience, deep tactical understanding, and prior association with the franchise make him an invaluable addition to KKR’s coaching staff. One of the most accomplished fast bowlers of his generation, Tim Southee has been a cornerstone of New Zealand cricket for over 15 years. Having represented his country in 100+ Test matches, over 150 ODIs, and 120+ T20 Internationals, Southee has claimed more than 700 international wickets across formats. Renowned for his swing, accuracy, and leadership, he captained New Zealand in multiple formats and played pivotal roles in their 2019 ICC World Cup campaign and the 2021 ICC World Test Championship victory. ALSO READ | From Steve Smith to Joe Root, 5 active batters with most runs in Ashes Southee is no stranger to the KKR family, having been part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad (2021, 2022, 2023) in the IPL during his playing career. Known for his professionalism and mentoring qualities, he made a strong impact both on and off the field before announcing his retirement from international cricket in 2025. Southee is no stranger to the KKR family, having been part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad (2021, 2022, 2023) in the IPL during his playing career. Known for his professionalism and mentoring qualities, he made a strong impact both on and off the field before announcing his retirement from international cricket in 2025. Speaking on the appointment, Venky Mysore, CEO of Kolkata Knight Riders, said, “We are delighted to welcome Tim Southee back to the KKR family, this time in a coaching capacity. Tim’s vast experience and technical expertise will be instrumental in shaping our bowling unit. His leadership qualities and calm approach make him an ideal mentor for our young bowlers.” ALSO READ | From Leonard Hutton to Don Bradman, 5 batters with highest individual score in Ashes Southee expressed his excitement about returning to the franchise, saying, “KKR has always felt like home to me, and it’s an honour to return in this new role. The franchise has an incredible culture, passionate fans, and a great group of players. I look forward to working closely with the bowlers and helping the team achieve success in IPL 2026.”

One of the most accomplished fast bowlers of his generation, Tim Southee has been a cornerstone of New Zealand cricket for over 15 years. Having represented his country in 100+ Test matches, over 150 ODIs, and 120+ T20Is, Southee has claimed more than 700 international wickets across formats.

IPL 2026: Tim Southee joins three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders as bowling coach

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have appointed former Australian cricketer Shane Watson as their assistant coach for the upcoming 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Watson, one of Australia’s most accomplished all-rounders, brings extensive international experience, leadership skills, and a deep understanding of modern franchise cricket to the role. Having played 59 Tests, 190 ODIs, and 58 T20 Internationals for Australia, Watson accumulated over 10,000 runs and took more than 280 wickets across all formats. He was a key figure in Australia's victorious 2007 and 2015 ICC World Cup teams and contributed to several significant series wins during his career. Watson’s IPL journey, spanning from 2008 to 2020, saw him play 145 matches, during which he scored four centuries.&nbsp;Since retiring from international cricket, Watson has seamlessly transitioned into coaching and mentorship roles in various global T20 leagues, further honing his expertise in the shorter formats of the game. Sharing thoughts on Watson’s appointment, KKR CEO Venky Mysore expressed excitement about the new addition to the team, saying that Watson’s experience both as a player and coach would be invaluable in shaping the team’s strategy and culture. "We are thrilled to welcome Shane Watson to the KKR family. His experience as a player and coach at the highest level will add immense value to our team culture and preparation. His understanding of the T20 format is world-class, and we look forward to his contributions both on and off the field."&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/-india-s-passion-and-energy-have-driven-sa20-s-success-says-former-proteas-skipper-graeme-smith-1763026277939">'India’s passion and energy have driven SA20’s success', says former Proteas skipper Graeme Smith</a>&nbsp;Watson himself shared his enthusiasm about joining KKR, describing it as an honour to be part of such an iconic team. He said, “It's a great honour to be part of a franchise as iconic as Kolkata Knight Riders. I've always admired the passion of KKR fans and the team's commitment to excellence. I'm eager to work closely with the coaching group and players to help bring another title to Kolkata.” With Watson now part of the coaching team, KKR is looking to bolster its strategic approach ahead of the 2026 IPL. KKR has reached the IPL finals four times, lifting the trophy in 2012, 2014, and 2024, and finished runners-up in 2021.

IPL 2026: THIS two-time IPL winner Australian all-rounder joins Kolkata Knight Riders as assistant coach

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have appointed former Australian cricketer Shane Watson as their assistant coach for the upcoming 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Watson, one of Australia’s most accomplished all-rounders, brings extensive international experience, leadership skills, and a deep understanding of modern franchise cricket to the role. Having played 59 Tests, 190 ODIs, and 58 T20 Internationals for Australia, Watson accumulated over 10,000 runs and took more than 280 wickets across all formats. He was a key figure in Australia's victorious 2007 and 2015 ICC World Cup teams and contributed to several significant series wins during his career. Watson’s IPL journey, spanning from 2008 to 2020, saw him play 145 matches, during which he scored four centuries. Since retiring from international cricket, Watson has seamlessly transitioned into coaching and mentorship roles in various global T20 leagues, further honing his expertise in the shorter formats of the game. Sharing thoughts on Watson’s appointment, KKR CEO Venky Mysore expressed excitement about the new addition to the team, saying that Watson’s experience both as a player and coach would be invaluable in shaping the team’s strategy and culture. "We are thrilled to welcome Shane Watson to the KKR family. His experience as a player and coach at the highest level will add immense value to our team culture and preparation. His understanding of the T20 format is world-class, and we look forward to his contributions both on and off the field." Also Read: 'India’s passion and energy have driven SA20’s success', says former Proteas skipper Graeme Smith Watson himself shared his enthusiasm about joining KKR, describing it as an honour to be part of such an iconic team. He said, “It's a great honour to be part of a franchise as iconic as Kolkata Knight Riders. I've always admired the passion of KKR fans and the team's commitment to excellence. I'm eager to work closely with the coaching group and players to help bring another title to Kolkata.” With Watson now part of the coaching team, KKR is looking to bolster its strategic approach ahead of the 2026 IPL. KKR has reached the IPL finals four times, lifting the trophy in 2012, 2014, and 2024, and finished runners-up in 2021.

Kolkata Knight Riders have lifted the Indian Premier League title three times (2012, 2014 and 2024). The franchise is the third-most successful team in the cash-rich league

Cheteshwar Pujara was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2010, but his season ended before it even began. A torn ACL — one of the most dreaded injuries in sport — ruled him out without a single appearance. In her book, The Diary of a Cricketer’s Wife, Pujara’s wife Puja reveals how Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) co-owner Shah Rukh Khan stepped in during one of the toughest phases of their lives.&nbsp;She recalled how a desperate attempt to take an impossible catch changed everything — leaving Pujara with a ruptured ligament, an urgent need for surgery, and a sudden pause in his rising cricket career. According to the book, Shah Rukh Khan assured the family that Pujara had immense potential and deserved world-class medical care. KKR took over every logistical detail — from passports to visas to arranging travel — even ensuring Pujara’s father could accompany him to Cape Town for treatment.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-aus-5th-t20i-india-seal-series-2-1-after-match-in-brisbane-called-off-due-to-rain-1762602654546">IND vs AUS 5th T20I: India seal series 2-1 after match in Brisbane called off due to rain</a>&nbsp;Pujara’s father recalls that Shah Rukh personally insisted the batter receive the best medical support available. When he sensed the family’s concerns about being in South Africa without a support system, he offered to fly down any relative or doctor they trusted. A KKR representative even told the family that the franchise would take care of anyone they wished to bring along for the surgery, making sure Pujara had familiar faces around him during the difficult period.&nbsp;The operation in Cape Town went smoothly, and Pujara eventually returned stronger. Though the injury came at a crucial point — just as he was emerging as a standout performer in domestic cricket — the timely surgery and support helped him resume his journey towards becoming one of India’s most dependable Test batters.

Was Shah Rukh Khan the reason Cheteshwar Pujara recovered? Former cricketer’s wife reveals what really happened

Cheteshwar Pujara was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2010, but his season ended before it even began. A torn ACL — one of the most dreaded injuries in sport — ruled him out without a single appearance. In her book, The Diary of a Cricketer’s Wife, Pujara’s wife Puja reveals how Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) co-owner Shah Rukh Khan stepped in during one of the toughest phases of their lives. She recalled how a desperate attempt to take an impossible catch changed everything — leaving Pujara with a ruptured ligament, an urgent need for surgery, and a sudden pause in his rising cricket career. According to the book, Shah Rukh Khan assured the family that Pujara had immense potential and deserved world-class medical care. KKR took over every logistical detail — from passports to visas to arranging travel — even ensuring Pujara’s father could accompany him to Cape Town for treatment. Also Read: IND vs AUS 5th T20I: India seal series 2-1 after match in Brisbane called off due to rain Pujara’s father recalls that Shah Rukh personally insisted the batter receive the best medical support available. When he sensed the family’s concerns about being in South Africa without a support system, he offered to fly down any relative or doctor they trusted. A KKR representative even told the family that the franchise would take care of anyone they wished to bring along for the surgery, making sure Pujara had familiar faces around him during the difficult period. The operation in Cape Town went smoothly, and Pujara eventually returned stronger. Though the injury came at a crucial point — just as he was emerging as a standout performer in domestic cricket — the timely surgery and support helped him resume his journey towards becoming one of India’s most dependable Test batters.

Puja Pujara reveals how Shah Rukh Khan and KKR arranged full support and surgery in Cape Town after Pujara’s ACL injury halted his IPL 2010 debut

Five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Mumbai Indians have dismissed Rohit Sharma’s rumoured move to Kolkata Knight Riders with a viral post on Thursday (Oct 30). Rohit, who was recently seen in a brilliant form for the Indian team, was speculated to have a move to KKR, but those calls have now been shut down. The six-time IPL champion will stay with Mumbai and the way the franchise announced it, caught everyone’s eye.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">𝗦𝘂𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 ye toh confirm hai, but at (K)night… मुश्किल ही नहीं, नामुमकिन है! 💙 <a href="https://t.co/E5yH3abB4g">pic.twitter.com/E5yH3abB4g</a>&mdash; Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) <a href="https://twitter.com/mipaltan/status/1983840194324525397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>MI dismiss Rohit’s KKR move</h2>On Thursday (Oct 30), MI posted a message for their fans reading, “𝗦𝘂𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 ye toh (this is) confirm hai, but at (K)night… मुश्किलही नहीं, नामुमकिन है! (It is just not difficult but impossible).”&nbsp;Highlight the word Knight, the social media admin of the Mumbai Indians referred to the Kolkata Knight Riders. Rumours were at full speed after IPL 2024 when Rohit was reported to have been on his way out of Mumbai after Hardik Pandya was made captain. However, he was one of the six players retained by the franchise during the mega auctions held in November 2024.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/5-players-with-most-runs-in-women-s-odi-world-cup-history-debbie-hockley-mithali-raj-janette-brittin-charlotte-edwards-suzie-bates-1757606297874">From Mithali Raj to Janette Brittin, 5 players with most runs in Women's ODI World Cup history</a>&nbsp;With the latest retention window set to close next month, MI’s post has all but shut down any speculations of a move away from the franchise for Rohit. The legendary batter has been part of all five of MI’s IPL-winning campaigns, leading them on all occasions. He first signed for the franchise in 2011 after being released by the Deccan Chargers.&nbsp;His move to Mumbai has been a huge success, helping the side win the IPL and now-abolished Champions League.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-women-s-odi-world-cup-2025-all-you-need-to-know-about-indian-women-s-team-schedule-squad-fixtures-and-more-1758556378933">Women's ODI World Cup 2025: All you need to know about Indian women's team schedule, squad, fixtures and more</a>&nbsp;Now in his twilight, Rohit will be eager to make an impact and help the franchise end a six-year wait for an IPL title. Mumbai have not won an IPL title since the 2020 season, and the last time they lifted the trophy on home soil was in 2019.

With the latest retention window set to close next month, MI’s post has all but shut down any speculations of a move away from the franchise for Rohit Sharma. 

Five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Mumbai Indians have dismissed Rohit Sharma’s rumoured move to Kolkata Knight Riders with a viral post on Thursday (Oct 30). Rohit, who was recently seen in a brilliant form for the Indian team, was speculated to have a move to KKR, but those calls have now been shut down. The six-time IPL champion will stay with Mumbai and the way the franchise announced it, caught everyone’s eye.

With the latest retention window set to close next month, MI’s post has all but shut down any speculations of a move away from the franchise for Rohit Sharma.&nbsp;

Rohit Sharma to KKR? Here's how Mumbai Indians dismissed star batter's rumoured move former IPL champions

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) officially named former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar as their new head coach on Thursday (Oct 30) ahead of the upcoming IPL season. Nayar replaces Chandrakant Pandit, who parted ways with the franchise after the IPL 2025 season. The former Mumbai all-rounder first joined KKR in 2018 as the head of the KKR Academy in Mumbai, where he trained several young players and built strong ties with star players like Rinku Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy, who still praise him for his mentorship.&nbsp;&nbsp;Abhishek Nayar was also a part of Chandrakant Pandit’s support staff that helped the team to win the IPL 2024 title, their third trophy.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also Check - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/5-bowlers-fastest-to-50-wickets-in-t20is-dhruvkumar-maisuria-syazrul-idrus-ajantha-mendis-mark-adair-alpesh-ramjani-1761819657323">From Mark Adair to Ajantha Mendis, 5 bowlers fastest to 50 wickets in T20Is</a>&nbsp;When Gautam Gambhir was appointed India’s head coach, he also brought Nayar and fielding coach Ryan ten Doeschate with him as assistant coaches. However, Nayar was removed from the national supports staff earlier this year after India’s poor performance in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Sitanshu Kotak has replaced him as India’s new batting coach.&nbsp;Although Nayar doesn’t have major achievements as a coach yet, but he has worked closely with top players like Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Dinesh Karthik, all of them credited him for helping them to overcome the tough phases in their careers. After leaving the Team India job, Nayar returned to KKR and also worked as the head coach of UP Warriorz in the Women’s Premier League last season.&nbsp;&nbsp;KKR CEO Venky Mysore praised Nayar’s appointment, saying his strong connection with the players and deep understanding of the game have helped the team’s progress. &nbsp;"Abhishek has been a vital part of the Knight Riders setup since 2018, shaping our players both on and off the field. His understanding of the game and connection with players have been key to our growth. We're thrilled to see him take over as Head Coach and lead KKR into its next chapter," said Mysore.&nbsp;As a player, Nayar featured in 60 IPL matches from 2008 to 2014 for Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings, Pune Warriors India and Rajasthan Royals. He also represented India in three ODIs in 2009.

KKR CEO Venky Mysore praised Nayar’s appointment, saying his strong connection with the players and deep understanding of the game have helped the team’s progress.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) officially named former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar as their new head coach on Thursday (Oct 30) ahead of the upcoming IPL season. Nayar replaces Chandrakant Pandit, who parted ways with the franchise after the IPL 2025 season. The former Mumbai all-rounder first joined KKR in 2018 as the head of the KKR Academy in Mumbai, where he trained several young players and built strong ties with star players like Rinku Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy, who still praise him for his mentorship. Abhishek Nayar was also a part of Chandrakant Pandit’s support staff that helped the team to win the IPL 2024 title, their third trophy. Also Check - From Mark Adair to Ajantha Mendis, 5 bowlers fastest to 50 wickets in T20Is When Gautam Gambhir was appointed India’s head coach, he also brought Nayar and fielding coach Ryan ten Doeschate with him as assistant coaches. However, Nayar was removed from the national supports staff earlier this year after India’s poor performance in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Sitanshu Kotak has replaced him as India’s new batting coach. Although Nayar doesn’t have major achievements as a coach yet, but he has worked closely with top players like Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Dinesh Karthik, all of them credited him for helping them to overcome the tough phases in their careers. After leaving the Team India job, Nayar returned to KKR and also worked as the head coach of UP Warriorz in the Women’s Premier League last season. KKR CEO Venky Mysore praised Nayar’s appointment, saying his strong connection with the players and deep understanding of the game have helped the team’s progress. "Abhishek has been a vital part of the Knight Riders setup since 2018, shaping our players both on and off the field. His understanding of the game and connection with players have been key to our growth. We're thrilled to see him take over as Head Coach and lead KKR into its next chapter," said Mysore. As a player, Nayar featured in 60 IPL matches from 2008 to 2014 for Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings, Pune Warriors India and Rajasthan Royals. He also represented India in three ODIs in 2009.

KKR CEO Venky Mysore praised Nayar’s appointment, saying his strong connection with the players and deep understanding of the game have helped the team’s progress.

Kolkata Knight Riders name Abhishek Nayar as head coach ahead of IPL 2026

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have reportedly appointed former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar as their new head coach for the upcoming IPL season. As per reports, the franchise informed him of the decision last week and an official announcement is expected soon. Nayar first joined KKR in 2018 as the head of the KKR Academy in Mumbai, where he trained several young players and built strong ties with star players like Rinku Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy, who still praise him for his mentorship.&nbsp;&nbsp;The former Mumbai all-rounder later became KKR’s batting coach and was part of Chandrakant Pandit’s support staff that helped the team to win the IPL 2024 title, their third trophy. However, the franchise parted ways with Chandrakant Pandit after a disappointing 2025 campaign.&nbsp;Also Read -<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-ipl-2026-former-india-all-rounder-sairaj-bahutule-joins-punjab-kings-as-spin-bowling-coach-1761216115969"> IPL 2026: Former India all-rounder Sairaj Bahutule joins Punjab Kings as spin bowling coach</a>&nbsp;When Gautam Gambhir was appointed India’s head coach, he also brought Nayar and fielding coach Ryan ten Doeschate with him as assistant coaches. However, Nayar was removed from the national supports staff earlier this year after India’s poor performance in the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Sitanshu Kotak has replaced him as India’s new batting coach.&nbsp;Although Nayar doesn’t have major achievements as a coach yet, but he has worked closely with top players like Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Dinesh Karthik, all of them credited him for helping them to overcome the tough phases in their careers.&nbsp;Also Read -<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2026-auction-expected-to-be-held-in-december-check-dates-players-retention-deadline-and-more-details-1760098858946"> IPL 2026 auction expected to be held in December - Check dates, players, retention deadline and more details</a>&nbsp;The Indian Express on Sunday (Oct 26) confirmed the news of his promotion within the team setup. Now, it will be interesting to see how he handles the greater responsibility of leading KKR as head coach. Earlier this year, he was also appointed as the head coach of the Women's Premier League team UP Warriorz, so it’s unclear if he will continue in that role.&nbsp;

KKR’s decision to appoint Nayar comes right before the IPL 2026 auction, which is expected to take place between late November and early December this year.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have reportedly appointed former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar as their new head coach for the upcoming IPL season. As per reports, the franchise informed him of the decision last week and an official announcement is expected soon. Nayar first joined KKR in 2018 as the head of the KKR Academy in Mumbai, where he trained several young players and built strong ties with star players like Rinku Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy, who still praise him for his mentorship. The former Mumbai all-rounder later became KKR’s batting coach and was part of Chandrakant Pandit’s support staff that helped the team to win the IPL 2024 title, their third trophy. However, the franchise parted ways with Chandrakant Pandit after a disappointing 2025 campaign. Also Read - IPL 2026: Former India all-rounder Sairaj Bahutule joins Punjab Kings as spin bowling coach When Gautam Gambhir was appointed India’s head coach, he also brought Nayar and fielding coach Ryan ten Doeschate with him as assistant coaches. However, Nayar was removed from the national supports staff earlier this year after India’s poor performance in the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Sitanshu Kotak has replaced him as India’s new batting coach. Although Nayar doesn’t have major achievements as a coach yet, but he has worked closely with top players like Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Dinesh Karthik, all of them credited him for helping them to overcome the tough phases in their careers. Also Read - IPL 2026 auction expected to be held in December - Check dates, players, retention deadline and more details The Indian Express on Sunday (Oct 26) confirmed the news of his promotion within the team setup. Now, it will be interesting to see how he handles the greater responsibility of leading KKR as head coach. Earlier this year, he was also appointed as the head coach of the Women's Premier League team UP Warriorz, so it’s unclear if he will continue in that role.

KKR’s decision to appoint Nayar comes right before the IPL 2026 auction, which is expected to take place between late November and early December this year

IPL 2026: Former India all-rounder Abhishek Nayar set to become KKR head coach: Report

Shah Rukh Khan, also known as the 'King of Bollywood,' is not only a top movie star but also a big name in the cricket world. His love for cricket and sharp business mind have helped him to create one of the most famous T20 cricket brands — the Knight Riders Group. SRK's cricket journey began with the introduction of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008. KKR began as underdogs but went on to win the Indian Premier League (IPL) title three times in 2012, 2014, and 2024. Apart from SRK, Juhi Chawla, along with her husband Jay Mehta also own a stake (45%) in the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).&nbsp;Shah Rukh Khan then took his Knight Riders brand global by singing teams in international premier leagues like - CPL (Caribbean Premier League), MLC (Major League Cricket) and ILT (International League T20) etc.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="England's Brydon Carse considered toe amputation once and now is a part of formidable pace attack">England's Brydon Carse considered toe amputation once and now is a part of formidable pace attack</a>&nbsp;SRK's Global teams includes -&nbsp;<ul><li>&nbsp;Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), a team that has won the title four times (2015, 2017, 2018, 2020).</li><li>&nbsp;Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR) in Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA, helping promote cricket in North America.</li><li>&nbsp;Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the International League T20 (ILT20).</li></ul>Before the 2025 CPL season, Shah Rukh Khan’s Trinbago Knight Riders made headlines by picking two Pakistani players in the draft on June 18.&nbsp;Mohammad Amir The experienced left-arm fast bowler has played four CPL seasons, taking 51 wickets in 39 games at an impressive average of 18.09.&nbsp;Usman TariqA young off-spinner who impressed in PSL 2025 by taking 10 wickets in just 5 games for Quetta Gladiators. This will be his first CPL season, and fans are eagerly waiting to see how he performs on Caribbean pitches. Pakistani players are still banned from playing IPLSince 2009, due to political tensions between India and Pakistan, the BCCI has not allowed Pakistani players to take part in the Indian Premier League.&nbsp;

Before the 2025 CPL (Caribbean Premier League) season, Shah Rukh Khan’s Trinbago Knight Riders made headlines by picking two Pakistani players in the draft on June 18.

Shah Rukh Khan, also known as the 'King of Bollywood,' is not only a top movie star but also a big name in the cricket world. His love for cricket and sharp business mind have helped him to create one of the most famous T20 cricket brands — the Knight Riders Group. SRK's cricket journey began with the introduction of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008. KKR began as underdogs but went on to win the Indian Premier League (IPL) title three times in 2012, 2014, and 2024. Apart from SRK, Juhi Chawla, along with her husband Jay Mehta also own a stake (45%) in the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Shah Rukh Khan then took his Knight Riders brand global by singing teams in international premier leagues like - CPL (Caribbean Premier League), MLC (Major League Cricket) and ILT (International League T20) etc. Also Read - England's Brydon Carse considered toe amputation once and now is a part of formidable pace attack SRK's Global teams includes - Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), a team that has won the title four times (2015, 2017, 2018, 2020). Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR) in Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA, helping promote cricket in North America. Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the International League T20 (ILT20). Before the 2025 CPL season, Shah Rukh Khan’s Trinbago Knight Riders made headlines by picking two Pakistani players in the draft on June 18. Mohammad Amir The experienced left-arm fast bowler has played four CPL seasons, taking 51 wickets in 39 games at an impressive average of 18.09. Usman Tariq A young off-spinner who impressed in PSL 2025 by taking 10 wickets in just 5 games for Quetta Gladiators. This will be his first CPL season, and fans are eagerly waiting to see how he performs on Caribbean pitches. Pakistani players are still banned from playing IPL Since 2009, due to political tensions between India and Pakistan, the BCCI has not allowed Pakistani players to take part in the Indian Premier League.

Before the 2025 CPL (Caribbean Premier League) season, Shah Rukh Khan’s Trinbago Knight Riders made headlines by picking two Pakistani players in the draft on June 18.

Shah Rukh Khan picks two star Pakistani players for his Knight Riders team, check their names inside

Former India player Robin Uthappa believes that Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Shreyas Iyer was 'underappreciated' at his previous team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The statement comes a day after Punjab finished as the table toppers of IPL 2025 and secured a place in Qualifier 1."Shreyas has always been an exceptional captain. You always sensed that he felt underappreciated at KKR despite adding value there," Uthappa said while talking to JioHotstar. "He moved to a franchise where not much had been achieved historically, and then went on to win it for them. That says a lot about his leadership and belief," he added.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/elegance-over-power-the-rise-of-sai-sudharsan-in-india-cricket-set-up-1748326266888">Elegance over Power: The rise of Sai Sudharsan in India cricket set-up</a>Iyer has led from the front in the season, scoring 514 runs in 14 games - the most for PBKS - at an average of 51 and a strike rate of 172. He has scored five fifties in the season as well.Punjab, under skipper Iyer, finished the season with 19 points from nine wins, one no result and four losses out of 14 games played. They lost the last match by six wickets against DC and looked to lose momentum at the wrong time but the win against a resurgent MI gives them confidence going into the playoffs."You want momentum at the right point in the tournament and the right kind of impetus going into the play-offs. Punjab started the tournament exceptionally well, lost a bit of steam towards the back end of the league stage, but regained momentum just before the play-offs," said Uthappa."Granted, they're losing a player or two to national duty, but even within the squad, the batting line-up looks really solid. For me, Arshdeep Singh hasn't quite fired yet, and that actually augurs well for Punjab. It means he's due for a big performance and will be raring to go in crucial games," he added.

Iyer has led from the front in the season, scoring 514 runs in 14 games - the most for PBKS - at an average of 51 and a strike rate of 172. He has scored five fifties in the season as well.

Former India player Robin Uthappa believes that Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Shreyas Iyer was 'underappreciated' at his previous team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The statement comes a day after Punjab finished as the table toppers of IPL 2025 and secured a place in Qualifier 1. "Shreyas has always been an exceptional captain. You always sensed that he felt underappreciated at KKR despite adding value there," Uthappa said while talking to JioHotstar. "He moved to a franchise where not much had been achieved historically, and then went on to win it for them. That says a lot about his leadership and belief," he added. Also Read - Elegance over Power: The rise of Sai Sudharsan in India cricket set-up Iyer has led from the front in the season, scoring 514 runs in 14 games - the most for PBKS - at an average of 51 and a strike rate of 172. He has scored five fifties in the season as well. Punjab, under skipper Iyer, finished the season with 19 points from nine wins, one no result and four losses out of 14 games played. They lost the last match by six wickets against DC and looked to lose momentum at the wrong time but the win against a resurgent MI gives them confidence going into the playoffs. "You want momentum at the right point in the tournament and the right kind of impetus going into the play-offs. Punjab started the tournament exceptionally well, lost a bit of steam towards the back end of the league stage, but regained momentum just before the play-offs," said Uthappa. "Granted, they're losing a player or two to national duty, but even within the squad, the batting line-up looks really solid. For me, Arshdeep Singh hasn't quite fired yet, and that actually augurs well for Punjab. It means he's due for a big performance and will be raring to go in crucial games," he added.

Iyer has led from the front in the season, scoring 514 runs in 14 games - the most for PBKS - at an average of 51 and a strike rate of 172. He has scored five fifties in the season as well.

'Felt underappreciated,' Ex-player on why PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer left KKR despite winning IPL 2024

After a miserable campaign for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2025. The Knights might take these 5 best players for the next season and build a strong team.

After a miserable campaign for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2025. The Knights might take these 5 best players for the next season and build a strong team.

Five knights, one kingdom: KKR might retain these 5 players post IPL 2025. Details inside

Punjab Kings may have taken another step towards the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) Playoffs after their match against Delhi Capitals was abandoned due to floodlights failure on Thursday (May 8). While there is no official word from the IPL governing council (at the time of writing) over the outcome of the match and points distribution, we assume both Punjab and Delhi will be awarded one point each, as a rearrangement of fixtures looks highly unlikely. So, what happens to the IPL 2025 standings? Who will it affect most?<o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">Punjab in IPL 2025 Playoffs?<o:p></o:p></h2>
Assuming both Punjab and Delhi get a point, the former will take a step closer to the Playoffs as they will be on 16 points from 12 matches. A win on Thursday could have seen the 2014 runners-up go top of the standings, but that won&rsquo;t be the case as they will now sit level with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT) on 16 points. <o:p></o:p>
For Delhi, they will reach 14 points from 12 matches, level with Mumbai Indians, who have also played 12 matches. Both Delhi and Mumbai, in this case, are separated by Net Run Rate (NRR) and will go head-to-head on May 15 at Wankhede Stadium in a virtual Playoff match to decide who finishes in the top four. <o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">End of the road for KKR?<o:p></o:p></h2>
A point for Delhi will all but end Kolkata Knight Riders&rsquo; journey in the IPL Playoffs race. With two matches to go, KKR can reach a maximum of 15 points if they win their remaining matches. However, they won&rsquo;t be able to finish in the top three as RCB, GT and PBKS already have 16 points to their name. Interestingly, both Delhi and Mumbai (both with 14 points) play in a head-to-head match on May 15, thus meaning another team will reach 16 points, therefore eliminating KKR.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indo-pak-war-latest-news-we-are-proud-neeraj-chopra-reacts-on-indian-defence-forcesswift-reply-to-pakistani-attack-9049871" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Indo-Pak War | 'We are proud,' Neeraj Chopra reacts on Indian defence forces' swift reply to Pakistani attack</a>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">Can KKR still qualify for IPL 2025 Playoffs?<o:p></o:p></h2>
Technically, KKR can still reach the IPL 2025 Playoffs but need a miracle of sorts. They would need Mumbai to lose to Punjab on Sunday (May 11) and on the same day need Gujarat Titans to win against Delhi Capitals. This will mean, both Mumbai and Delhi will enter the head-to-head contest on May 15 with 14 points each. For KKR, this match should end in a washout or no result and both teams need to share the points and finish with 15 points each. <o:p></o:p>
In this scenario, if KKR win both their matches and the above equation is satisfied, coupled with at least one defeat for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in one of the matches, then the fourth spot will be decided on NRR. The trio of Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata will then contest for the fourth spot. <o:p></o:p>
However, a washout between DC and MI remains a highly unlikely probability.

PBKS may have taken another step towards the IPL 2025 Playoffs after their match against Delhi Capitals was abandoned due to floodlights failure on Thursday (May 8). India News | Cricket | Sports

Punjab Kings may have taken another step towards the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) Playoffs after their match against Delhi Capitals was abandoned due to floodlights failure on Thursday (May 8). While there is no official word from the IPL governing council (at the time of writing) over the outcome of the match and points distribution, we assume both Punjab and Delhi will be awarded one point each, as a rearrangement of fixtures looks highly unlikely. So, what happens to the IPL 2025 standings? Who will it affect most? Punjab in IPL 2025 Playoffs? Assuming both Punjab and Delhi get a point, the former will take a step closer to the Playoffs as they will be on 16 points from 12 matches. A win on Thursday could have seen the 2014 runners-up go top of the standings, but that won’t be the case as they will now sit level with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT) on 16 points. For Delhi, they will reach 14 points from 12 matches, level with Mumbai Indians, who have also played 12 matches. Both Delhi and Mumbai, in this case, are separated by Net Run Rate (NRR) and will go head-to-head on May 15 at Wankhede Stadium in a virtual Playoff match to decide who finishes in the top four. End of the road for KKR? A point for Delhi will all but end Kolkata Knight Riders’ journey in the IPL Playoffs race. With two matches to go, KKR can reach a maximum of 15 points if they win their remaining matches. However, they won’t be able to finish in the top three as RCB, GT and PBKS already have 16 points to their name. Interestingly, both Delhi and Mumbai (both with 14 points) play in a head-to-head match on May 15, thus meaning another team will reach 16 points, therefore eliminating KKR. ALSO READ | Indo-Pak War | 'We are proud,' Neeraj Chopra reacts on Indian defence forces' swift reply to Pakistani attack Can KKR still qualify for IPL 2025 Playoffs? Technically, KKR can still reach the IPL 2025 Playoffs but need a miracle of sorts. They would need Mumbai to lose to Punjab on Sunday (May 11) and on the same day need Gujarat Titans to win against Delhi Capitals. This will mean, both Mumbai and Delhi will enter the head-to-head contest on May 15 with 14 points each. For KKR, this match should end in a washout or no result and both teams need to share the points and finish with 15 points each. In this scenario, if KKR win both their matches and the above equation is satisfied, coupled with at least one defeat for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in one of the matches, then the fourth spot will be decided on NRR. The trio of Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata will then contest for the fourth spot. However, a washout between DC and MI remains a highly unlikely probability.

IPL 2025: Punjab Kings near Playoffs, Kolkata Knight Riders on the brink of exit

Here are 5 players Kolkata Knight Riders might release after IPL 2025, featuring Ajinkya Rahane, Ramandeep Singh, Vaibhav Arora, Quinton de Kock and Manish Pandey. Cricket | Sports | Photos

KKR might release these 5 players after IPL 2025: No. 3 will shock you

Kolkata Knight Riders&rsquo; chances of qualifying for the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) Playoffs took a major hit on Wednesday (May 7) as they lost to already eliminated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by two wickets. The defeat at the Eden Gardens has seen the three-time champions on the brink of elimination before the Playoffs. However, Ajinkya Rahane and Co. need a mathematical miracle along with a helping hand to reach the Playoffs.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">KKR need a mathematical miracle</h2>
At the time of writing, KKR, with two matches in hand, can reach a maximum of 15 points (if they win), meaning they can no longer finish in the top two of the IPL 2025 standings. Another defeat for the defending champions will see their elimination get official, while a win will see them stay in the hunt for a Playoff place for another day.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">What favour would KKR need?</h2>
Assuming KKR win both their matches, SunRisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru will drop points as a result. SRH are already out of the Playoff race and RCB are uncatchable since they already are on 16 points. KKR will need Punjab Kings to win all their matches, including beating Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians in the head-to-head matches.
This means PBKS will finish in the top three, leaving Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Lucknow Super Giants scrambling for the fourth place. Since Mumbai and Delhi are facing each other in a head-to-head contest on Thursday (May 15), KKR will need the Capitals to win at the Wankhede Stadium. KKR will also need Lucknow Super Giants to lose at least one of their three matches.
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If the above set of equations are achieved, then KKR and DC will finish on 15 points while Mumbai will end the league phase with 14 points. Lucknow will also end with 14 points or fewer, leaving Delhi and Kolkata scrambling for a place in the Playoffs.
In this case, NRR will play a vital role in sending either team to the IPL 2025 Playoffs. Both KKR and DC have positive run rates and will be largely influenced by the margin of their wins and defeats in the remaining matches.
However, any other set of results will see Kolkata Knight Riders pack their bags early from IPL 2025. &nbsp;

KKR’s chances of qualifying for the IPL 2025 Playoffs took a major hit on Wednesday (May 7) as they lost to already eliminated CSK by two wickets. India News | Cricket | Sports

Kolkata Knight Riders’ chances of qualifying for the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) Playoffs took a major hit on Wednesday (May 7) as they lost to already eliminated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by two wickets. The defeat at the Eden Gardens has seen the three-time champions on the brink of elimination before the Playoffs. However, Ajinkya Rahane and Co. need a mathematical miracle along with a helping hand to reach the Playoffs. KKR need a mathematical miracle At the time of writing, KKR, with two matches in hand, can reach a maximum of 15 points (if they win), meaning they can no longer finish in the top two of the IPL 2025 standings. Another defeat for the defending champions will see their elimination get official, while a win will see them stay in the hunt for a Playoff place for another day. What favour would KKR need? Assuming KKR win both their matches, SunRisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru will drop points as a result. SRH are already out of the Playoff race and RCB are uncatchable since they already are on 16 points. KKR will need Punjab Kings to win all their matches, including beating Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians in the head-to-head matches. This means PBKS will finish in the top three, leaving Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Lucknow Super Giants scrambling for the fourth place. Since Mumbai and Delhi are facing each other in a head-to-head contest on Thursday (May 15), KKR will need the Capitals to win at the Wankhede Stadium. KKR will also need Lucknow Super Giants to lose at least one of their three matches. ALSO READ | Rohit Sharma announces retirement from Test cricket If the above set of equations are achieved, then KKR and DC will finish on 15 points while Mumbai will end the league phase with 14 points. Lucknow will also end with 14 points or fewer, leaving Delhi and Kolkata scrambling for a place in the Playoffs. In this case, NRR will play a vital role in sending either team to the IPL 2025 Playoffs. Both KKR and DC have positive run rates and will be largely influenced by the margin of their wins and defeats in the remaining matches. However, any other set of results will see Kolkata Knight Riders pack their bags early from IPL 2025.

KKR's IPL 2025 Playoffs Qualification scenario: Can Ajinkya Rahane's side book top four berth, here's what the standings say

As defending champions <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=kolkata+knight+riders" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Kolkata Knight Riders</a> (KKR) gear up to face off against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=MS+Dhoni" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">MS Dhoni</a>-led Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday (7 Mays) in the City of Joy, an unexpected challenge surrounds the clash - the weather of Kolkata.
The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=imd" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Indian Meteorological Department</a> has issued forecasts that could disrupt the crucial fixture for KKR at Eden Gardens. After a partly cloudy Monday (6 May) with moderate rain and thunderstorms in Kolkata, Tuesday&rsquo;s (7 May) forecast isn&rsquo;t any brighter. A thunderstorm with lightning is expected during the day, which might very well wash out the match.
For KKR, this isn't just another league-stage game. With five wins, five losses, and one no-result so far, they sit sixth on the points table. A rain-affected match that ends in no result would distrubute both teams one point each, taking KKR to 12 points with just two games left to play affecting their IPL 2025 playoffs scenario.
Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/pakistan/nothing-comes-close-to-losing-gambhir-calls-for-no-cricket-against-pakistan-in-icc-tournaments-9041337" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">'Nothing comes close to losing...': Gambhir calls for no cricket against Pakistan in ICC tournaments</a>
Even if they win both remaining matches, KKR would finish with a maximum of 16 points. While 16 is usually enough to squeeze into the playoffs, however this time their fate won&rsquo;t be entirely in their own hands.
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">KKR would need help from GT, DC and LSG</h2>
To qualify, they&rsquo;ll need help from other teams. Gujarat Titans (GT) must lose all of their remaining matches. Delhi Capitals (DC), currently competing for a spot, should lose at least two of their last three games. Meanwhile, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) must drop at least one of their next three fixtures.
Only if this chain of scenarios happen in KKR&rsquo;s favour, they just might seal their spot in the playoffs.
Elsewhere, CSK although officially out of playoff contention will look to play party spoilers. With nothing to lose and Dhoni likely playing one of his final IPL games, the yellow army may go all out against KKR.
As fans eagerly await the result, all eyes will be on the rain gods that could decide the fate of KKR's chance in the IPL 2025 playoffs.

The Indian Meteorological Department has issued forecasts that could disrupt the crucial fixture for KKR. After a partly cloudy Monday(6 May) with moderate rain and thunderstorms in Kolkata, Tuesday’s (7 May) forecast isn’t any brighter. Sports Cricket

As defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) gear up to face off against MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday (7 Mays) in the City of Joy, an unexpected challenge surrounds the clash - the weather of Kolkata. The Indian Meteorological Department has issued forecasts that could disrupt the crucial fixture for KKR at Eden Gardens. After a partly cloudy Monday (6 May) with moderate rain and thunderstorms in Kolkata, Tuesday’s (7 May) forecast isn’t any brighter. A thunderstorm with lightning is expected during the day, which might very well wash out the match. For KKR, this isn't just another league-stage game. With five wins, five losses, and one no-result so far, they sit sixth on the points table. A rain-affected match that ends in no result would distrubute both teams one point each, taking KKR to 12 points with just two games left to play affecting their IPL 2025 playoffs scenario. Also Read | 'Nothing comes close to losing...': Gambhir calls for no cricket against Pakistan in ICC tournaments Even if they win both remaining matches, KKR would finish with a maximum of 16 points. While 16 is usually enough to squeeze into the playoffs, however this time their fate won’t be entirely in their own hands. KKR would need help from GT, DC and LSG To qualify, they’ll need help from other teams. Gujarat Titans (GT) must lose all of their remaining matches. Delhi Capitals (DC), currently competing for a spot, should lose at least two of their last three games. Meanwhile, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) must drop at least one of their next three fixtures. Only if this chain of scenarios happen in KKR’s favour, they just might seal their spot in the playoffs. Elsewhere, CSK although officially out of playoff contention will look to play party spoilers. With nothing to lose and Dhoni likely playing one of his final IPL games, the yellow army may go all out against KKR. As fans eagerly await the result, all eyes will be on the rain gods that could decide the fate of KKR's chance in the IPL 2025 playoffs.

IPL 2025: Rain threat looms over KKR vs CSK clash at Eden Gardens

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) registered a narrow one-run win over already eliminated Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) on Sunday (May 4) as they kept their narrow Playoff hopes alive. Now on 11 points from 11 matches, KKR are still mathematically in the race to defend their IPL crown, which they won last year defeating SunRisers Hyderabad. So here&rsquo;s how they can still qualify for the IPL 2025 Playoffs.<o:p></o:p>
<figure class="image"><img alt="IPL Table" src="https://img-cdn.publive.online/fit-in/969x688/filters:format(webp)/wion/media/media_files/2025/05/04/tx8VQVZR1dXDtxMiW1Wi.png" style="width: 969px;">
<figcaption>IPL Table</figcaption>
</figure>
&nbsp;
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Can KKR reach last four in IPL 2025?<o:p></o:p></h2>
As things stand, KKR have three matches in hand and can reach a maximum of 17 points if they win all of those. This gives them a chance to book their place in the final four, but will also need a helping hand from other teams. The scenario will be greatly influenced by some head-to-head matches from teams sitting in current top four as Mumbai Indians host Gujarat Titans. <o:p></o:p>
If KKR win their remaining three matches &ndash; Chennai Super Kings, SunRisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, they will stand a good chance of reaching the Playoffs. At the time, Delhi Capitals should not win more than two matches from their remaining four, Punjab Kings should not win more than two matches from their remaining four matches while at least one of Gujarat Titans or Mumbai Indians should end with less than 18 points to pave KKR a way into the IPL 2025 Playoffs.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-prabhsimran-singh-to-rahul-tewatia-five-uncapped-indian-batters-with-most-ipl-runs-manan-vohra-ayush-badoni-9032282" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">From Prabhsimran Singh to Rahul Tewatia five uncapped Indian batters with most IPL runs</a> 
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">KKR&rsquo;s Remaining matches<o:p></o:p></h2>
May 7 &ndash; Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings<o:p></o:p>
May 10 &ndash; SunRisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders<o:p></o:p>
May 17 &ndash; Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders<o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">RR lose another close contest<o:p></o:p></h2>
Having already lost close contests against Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan suffered another narrow defeat. Needing three runs to win on the final ball of the innings, RR managed to score only one run and therefore lost by one. The result had no implications for RR as they are already out of the IPL 2025 Playoff race. For KKR they keep their narrow Playoff hopes alive as they now have 11 points in 11 matches.<o:p></o:p>

Now on 11 points from 11 matches, KKR are still mathematically in the race to defend their IPL crown, which they won last year defeating SunRisers Hyderabad. India News | Cricket | Sports

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) registered a narrow one-run win over already eliminated Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) on Sunday (May 4) as they kept their narrow Playoff hopes alive. Now on 11 points from 11 matches, KKR are still mathematically in the race to defend their IPL crown, which they won last year defeating SunRisers Hyderabad. So here’s how they can still qualify for the IPL 2025 Playoffs. IPL Table Can KKR reach last four in IPL 2025? As things stand, KKR have three matches in hand and can reach a maximum of 17 points if they win all of those. This gives them a chance to book their place in the final four, but will also need a helping hand from other teams. The scenario will be greatly influenced by some head-to-head matches from teams sitting in current top four as Mumbai Indians host Gujarat Titans. If KKR win their remaining three matches – Chennai Super Kings, SunRisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, they will stand a good chance of reaching the Playoffs. At the time, Delhi Capitals should not win more than two matches from their remaining four, Punjab Kings should not win more than two matches from their remaining four matches while at least one of Gujarat Titans or Mumbai Indians should end with less than 18 points to pave KKR a way into the IPL 2025 Playoffs. ALSO READ | From Prabhsimran Singh to Rahul Tewatia five uncapped Indian batters with most IPL runs KKR’s Remaining matches May 7 – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings May 10 – SunRisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders May 17 – Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders RR lose another close contest Having already lost close contests against Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan suffered another narrow defeat. Needing three runs to win on the final ball of the innings, RR managed to score only one run and therefore lost by one. The result had no implications for RR as they are already out of the IPL 2025 Playoff race. For KKR they keep their narrow Playoff hopes alive as they now have 11 points in 11 matches.

IPL 2025: Here's how KKR can qualify for Playoffs after narrow win over RR - all scenarios explained

From SunRisers Hyderabad to Kolkata Knight Riders here's a look at 6 teams with highest Powerplay totals also including Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings. Cricket | Sports | Photos

From SunRisers Hyderabad to Kolkata Knight Riders 6 teams with highest Powerplay totals

Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Delhi Capitals by 14 runs to keep their IPL play-off hopes alive on Tuesday (April 29). Their bowlers, led by Sunil Narine 3/29, then restricted the Capitals to 190/9 despite contributions by Faf du Plessis (62), Axar Patel (43) and Vipraj Nigam (38).
Earlier in the innings, Kolkata Knight Riders&rsquo; top-order gave them a flying start but the middle order failed to capitalise on it as they posted 204/9 against&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/delhi-capitals">Delhi Capitals.</a>
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Coming into the game with three losses in their last five matches, KKR got off to a phenomenal start as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/sunil-narine">Sunil Narine</a> (27) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (26) put on the team&rsquo;s highest opening stand of the season -- 48 runs off just 17 balls -- after DC skipper Axar Patel (2/27) won the toss and opted to bowl.
Narine took on Dushmantha Chameera, smashing him for 26 runs in the second over. Gurbaz hammered <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/mitchell-starc">Mitchell Starc</a> for 17 runs in the third over before being dismissed by him on the last delivery.
<h2>Starc takes 3/43 for DC</h2>
KKR brought up their 50 in the fourth over and ended the powerplay strongly at 79/1, with Narine unbeaten on 26 and Rahane on 21.&nbsp;
Rovman Powell partnered Russell for the final two overs. KKR crossed the 200-run mark in the last over, courtesy of a six by Russell on the first ball. However, DC struck back, with Starc removing Powell and Anukul Roy in consecutive deliveries. Russell was run out by Abhishek Porel on the penultimate ball. KKR lost three wickets in the final over and finished at 204/9.
For DC, Mitchell Starc (3/43) was the pick of the bowlers. Vipraj Nigam (2/41) and Axar Patel (2/27) picked up two wickets each, while Dushmantha Chameera (1/43) took one. Mukesh Kumar and Kuldeep Yadav went wicketless.

India News, Sports: Sunil Narine took 3/29, to restrict the Capitals to 190/9 despite contributions by Faf du Plessis (62), Axar Patel (43) and Vipraj Nigam (38)

Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Delhi Capitals by 14 runs to keep their IPL play-off hopes alive on Tuesday (April 29). Their bowlers, led by Sunil Narine 3/29, then restricted the Capitals to 190/9 despite contributions by Faf du Plessis (62), Axar Patel (43) and Vipraj Nigam (38). Earlier in the innings, Kolkata Knight Riders’ top-order gave them a flying start but the middle order failed to capitalise on it as they posted 204/9 against Delhi Capitals. Also Read: Scottish FA bans trans women from women's football— Will England follow? Coming into the game with three losses in their last five matches, KKR got off to a phenomenal start as Sunil Narine (27) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (26) put on the team’s highest opening stand of the season -- 48 runs off just 17 balls -- after DC skipper Axar Patel (2/27) won the toss and opted to bowl. Narine took on Dushmantha Chameera, smashing him for 26 runs in the second over. Gurbaz hammered Mitchell Starc for 17 runs in the third over before being dismissed by him on the last delivery. Starc takes 3/43 for DC KKR brought up their 50 in the fourth over and ended the powerplay strongly at 79/1, with Narine unbeaten on 26 and Rahane on 21. Rovman Powell partnered Russell for the final two overs. KKR crossed the 200-run mark in the last over, courtesy of a six by Russell on the first ball. However, DC struck back, with Starc removing Powell and Anukul Roy in consecutive deliveries. Russell was run out by Abhishek Porel on the penultimate ball. KKR lost three wickets in the final over and finished at 204/9. For DC, Mitchell Starc (3/43) was the pick of the bowlers. Vipraj Nigam (2/41) and Axar Patel (2/27) picked up two wickets each, while Dushmantha Chameera (1/43) took one. Mukesh Kumar and Kuldeep Yadav went wicketless.

IPL 2025: All-round Kolkata Knight Riders beat Delhi Capitals by 14 runs

DC vs KKR Dream11 Prediction: Delhi Capitals: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=delhi+capitals" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Delhi Capitals</a> (DC) will take on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=kolkata+knight+riders" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Kolkata Knight Riders</a> (KKR) at the Arun Jaitley stadium in New Delhi on Tuesday (Apr 29). DC are coming into this contest after facing a defeat against RCB, while KKR's last match ended in a no-result. So here's our take on who should make it to the Dream11 for the DC vs KKR contest.&nbsp;
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">DC vs KKR Match Preview</h2>
Delhi Capitals (DC) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head into the match sitting fourth and seventh, respectively, on the points table. Delhi Capitals will look for a win to solidify their position in the points table. However, a defeat for KKR will see them drop crucial points in the race for the IPL 2025 playoffs.
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">DC vs KKR Dream11 Prediction MyPlaying 11</h2>
Wicketkeeper: Abhishek Porel, Rahmanullah Gurbaz 
Batters: Karun Nair, Tristan Stubbs, KL Rahul(C), Angriksh Raghuvanshi 
All-Rounders: Axar Patel, Moeen Ali, Vipraj Nigam 
Bowlers:&nbsp; Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje
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<h2 style="text-align: justify;">DC vs KKR Head-to-Head Records</h2>
Friday's meeting between DC and KKR will be the 35th overall in the IPL. The visitors lead the competition with 18 wins. Delhi, on the other hand, has won 15 encounters, and one match has ended in a no-result.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">3 Top Captain Or Vice-Captain Choices<o:p></o:p></h2>
1. KL Rahul
KL Rahul is the leading run scorer for Delhi Capitals with 364 runs in nine innings. He has been in good form in the past matches and is a good pick for the captain.
2. Karun Nair
Karun Nair has been in great touch recently and is an explosive batter top of the order. He dominates the game in the first powerplay and takes on the bowlers all around the park.
3. Kuldeep Yadav
Left arm Chinaman spinner, Kuldeep Yadav has dismissed 12 batters with a great economy of 6.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-updated-points-table-indian-premier-league-rankings-standings-net-run-rate-8888780" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">'Updated IPL 2025 Points Table': Check points table, match results, NRR with wins, loss and other key details</a>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">DC vs KKR Fantasy Cricket Tips<o:p></o:p></h2>
KL Rahul and Mitchell Starc will be value additions to the contest, so we suggest you pick them in the Dream11 for the IPL 2025 contest.&nbsp;
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders Team Analysis<o:p></o:p></h2>
DC: DC are placed fourth on the points table with six wins and three losses in nine matches thus far. They lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by six wickets in the previous tie and will be looking to bounce back and turn the momentum for the remainder of IPL 2025.
KKR: KKR are placed seventh on the table with three wins, five losses and one no-result in nine matches. They will aim to find a win and stay alive in the tournament.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Arun Jaitley Stadium Pitch Report<o:p></o:p></h2>
The captain winning the toss is likely to bowl first at the Arun Jaitley stadium especially after observing how the DC vs RCB game unfolded at this venue. With the pitch showing signs of wear late in the tournament, spinners could dominate and reverse swing may help seamers.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Suggested playing 11 No. 2 for MI vs CSK Dream11 Fantasy Cricket<o:p></o:p></h2>
Wicketkeeper: Rahmanullah Gurbaz 
Batters: Faf du Plessis, Ajinkya Rahane, Ashutosh Sharma, Rinku Singh 
All-Rounders: Andre Russell, Sunil Narine 
Bowlers: Vaibhav Arora, Mukesh Kumar, Dushmanta Chameera, Varun Chakravarthy 
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Match Prediction: Who Will Win MI vs CSK?</h2>
Delhi will be looking for a win and to strengthen their position in the top four of the points table.. However, we expect KKR to beat DC seeing the spin bowling of KKR with likes of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy
Disclaimer: The fantasy tips and facts expressed within this article are the author's personal opinions and WION does not promote or endorse any sort of betting activity. They do not reflect the views of WION. It is not a reflection of the actual points you might earn. WION does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.

Delhi Capitals will face Kolkata Knight Riders in the 48th match of IPL 2025. Delhi will aim to win, whereas a defeat for KKR could see them in trouble. India News Cricket Sports

DC vs KKR Dream11 Prediction: Delhi Capitals: Delhi Capitals (DC) will take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Arun Jaitley stadium in New Delhi on Tuesday (Apr 29). DC are coming into this contest after facing a defeat against RCB, while KKR's last match ended in a no-result. So here's our take on who should make it to the Dream11 for the DC vs KKR contest. DC vs KKR Match Preview Delhi Capitals (DC) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head into the match sitting fourth and seventh, respectively, on the points table. Delhi Capitals will look for a win to solidify their position in the points table. However, a defeat for KKR will see them drop crucial points in the race for the IPL 2025 playoffs. DC vs KKR Dream11 Prediction MyPlaying 11 Wicketkeeper: Abhishek Porel, Rahmanullah Gurbaz Batters: Karun Nair, Tristan Stubbs, KL Rahul(C), Angriksh Raghuvanshi All-Rounders: Axar Patel, Moeen Ali, Vipraj Nigam Bowlers: Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje Also Read: Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav praise teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi after record-breaking ton in IPL 2025 DC vs KKR Head-to-Head Records Friday's meeting between DC and KKR will be the 35th overall in the IPL. The visitors lead the competition with 18 wins. Delhi, on the other hand, has won 15 encounters, and one match has ended in a no-result. 3 Top Captain Or Vice-Captain Choices 1. KL Rahul KL Rahul is the leading run scorer for Delhi Capitals with 364 runs in nine innings. He has been in good form in the past matches and is a good pick for the captain. 2. Karun Nair Karun Nair has been in great touch recently and is an explosive batter top of the order. He dominates the game in the first powerplay and takes on the bowlers all around the park. 3. Kuldeep Yadav Left arm Chinaman spinner, Kuldeep Yadav has dismissed 12 batters with a great economy of 6. ALSO READ | 'Updated IPL 2025 Points Table': Check points table, match results, NRR with wins, loss and other key details DC vs KKR Fantasy Cricket Tips KL Rahul and Mitchell Starc will be value additions to the contest, so we suggest you pick them in the Dream11 for the IPL 2025 contest. Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders Team Analysis DC: DC are placed fourth on the points table with six wins and three losses in nine matches thus far. They lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by six wickets in the previous tie and will be looking to bounce back and turn the momentum for the remainder of IPL 2025. KKR: KKR are placed seventh on the table with three wins, five losses and one no-result in nine matches. They will aim to find a win and stay alive in the tournament. Arun Jaitley Stadium Pitch Report The captain winning the toss is likely to bowl first at the Arun Jaitley stadium especially after observing how the DC vs RCB game unfolded at this venue. With the pitch showing signs of wear late in the tournament, spinners could dominate and reverse swing may help seamers. Suggested playing 11 No. 2 for MI vs CSK Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Wicketkeeper: Rahmanullah Gurbaz Batters: Faf du Plessis, Ajinkya Rahane, Ashutosh Sharma, Rinku Singh All-Rounders: Andre Russell, Sunil Narine Bowlers: Vaibhav Arora, Mukesh Kumar, Dushmanta Chameera, Varun Chakravarthy Match Prediction: Who Will Win MI vs CSK? Delhi will be looking for a win and to strengthen their position in the top four of the points table.. However, we expect KKR to beat DC seeing the spin bowling of KKR with likes of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy Disclaimer: The fantasy tips and facts expressed within this article are the author's personal opinions and WION does not promote or endorse any sort of betting activity. They do not reflect the views of WION. It is not a reflection of the actual points you might earn. WION does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.

DC vs KKR Dream11 Prediction: Check Team, captain and vice-captain picks for Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders

Photos, Sports, Cricket: Cricket is known for comebacks, and IPL has witnessed many such instances. Here are the top 5 greatest team comebacks in Indian Premier League

Top 5 greatest comebacks in IPL history

The Indian Premier League has given fans countless unforgettable moments. Here’s a look at the five most thrilling last-over finishes in IPL. Cricket Sports Photos

IPL: 5 iconic last-over thrillers that left fans breathless

Gujarat Titans' top order fired once again as the visitors defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 39 runs in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) on Monday (April 21).
Put to bat, skipper Shubman Gill sizzled with a 55-ball 90 as fellow opener Sai Sudharsan (52) also continued his purple patch with yet another half-century to help GT post 198/3.&nbsp;GT bowlers then restricted the hosts to 159/8 despite skipper Ajinkya Rahane's 50.
<h2>&nbsp;Gill's masterclass</h2>
Earlier in the innings, Shubman Gill's masterclass innings along with Jos Buttler's explosive hitting helped Gujarat Titans (GT) reach 198/3 against the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the ongoing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/indian-premier-league">Indian Premier League</a> (IPL) 2025 at Eden Gardens. &nbsp;
After being asked to bat by the Knight Riders, GT's opening pair started applying brakes on the scoring rate, gradually dealing with the danger from Vaibhav Arora and Moeen Ali. Gujarat found its first boundary of the match on the 12th delivery after Sudharsan went on the back foot and sliced the ball aggressively find the fence.
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While&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/shubman-gill">Shubman Gill</a> was cautiously settling in at the other end, Sudharsan picked up two boundaries with his exquisite strokes in the next over which helped increase the scoring rate. The GT skipper, who was on 6 (11) after the fourth over, started flexing his muscles with his bat against his former team.
As GT decided to go full throttle in the second half of the first innings, Kolkata found the breakthrough. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/andre-russell">Andre Russell</a> hit the deck hard and generated extra bounce to outwit Sudharsan and lure out a faint edge to Gurbaz behind the stumps, ending the sizzling 114-run opening stand.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/jos-buttler">Jos Buttler</a> came in and went all guns blazing by slamming a hat-trick of fours to take away 13 from Russell's over despite the loss of a wicket. Towards the end of the innings, Rahul Tewatia failed to live up to his reputation of playing a flashy cameo. Jos Buttler (41*) and Shahrukh Khan (11*) combined to take away 18 runs from the final over to take GT to 198/3.

Cricket, Sports: Earlier in the innings, Shubman Gill's masterclass innings along with Jos Buttler's explosive hitting helped Gujarat Titans reach 198/3 against KKR

Gujarat Titans' top order fired once again as the visitors defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 39 runs in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) on Monday (April 21). Put to bat, skipper Shubman Gill sizzled with a 55-ball 90 as fellow opener Sai Sudharsan (52) also continued his purple patch with yet another half-century to help GT post 198/3. GT bowlers then restricted the hosts to 159/8 despite skipper Ajinkya Rahane's 50. Gill's masterclass Earlier in the innings, Shubman Gill's masterclass innings along with Jos Buttler's explosive hitting helped Gujarat Titans (GT) reach 198/3 against the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at Eden Gardens. After being asked to bat by the Knight Riders, GT's opening pair started applying brakes on the scoring rate, gradually dealing with the danger from Vaibhav Arora and Moeen Ali. Gujarat found its first boundary of the match on the 12th delivery after Sudharsan went on the back foot and sliced the ball aggressively find the fence. Also Read: IPL 2025: Injured Sanju Samson to miss game against RCB While Shubman Gill was cautiously settling in at the other end, Sudharsan picked up two boundaries with his exquisite strokes in the next over which helped increase the scoring rate. The GT skipper, who was on 6 (11) after the fourth over, started flexing his muscles with his bat against his former team. As GT decided to go full throttle in the second half of the first innings, Kolkata found the breakthrough. Andre Russell hit the deck hard and generated extra bounce to outwit Sudharsan and lure out a faint edge to Gurbaz behind the stumps, ending the sizzling 114-run opening stand. Jos Buttler came in and went all guns blazing by slamming a hat-trick of fours to take away 13 from Russell's over despite the loss of a wicket. Towards the end of the innings, Rahul Tewatia failed to live up to his reputation of playing a flashy cameo. Jos Buttler (41*) and Shahrukh Khan (11*) combined to take away 18 runs from the final over to take GT to 198/3.

IPL 2025: Shubman Gill stars as Gujarat Titans beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 39 runs

Former Team India assistant batting coach <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/abhishek-nayar" rel="dofollow">Abhishek Nayar</a> has found solace in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ipl-2025" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025</a> return, just days after the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/cricket-abhishek-nayar-t-dilip-sacked-by-bcci-from-gautam-gambhirs-cpaching-staff-after-poor-display-in-australia-report-8970874" rel="dofollow">Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) cut short his national contract</a> midway through the season. The former Mumbai all-rounder has rejoined Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as part of their backroom staff, attending the team&rsquo;s training session from Saturday (Apr 19) onwards, IPL franchise KKR announced in a statement.
"Abhishek Nayar has rejoined our support staff. He is likely to be at training at Eden today," KKR&rsquo;s statement read, per Cricbuzz.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m9o7nzt2-e3kkhyq1-t5vfkf0j">
Welcome back home, <a href="https://twitter.com/abhisheknayar1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@abhisheknayar1</a> 💜 <a href="https://t.co/IwJQTnAWxa">pic.twitter.com/IwJQTnAWxa</a>
&mdash; KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) <a href="https://twitter.com/KKRiders/status/1913559286132637967?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
Nayar is no next-door backroom staff member at the franchise, as he has been their man behind the scenes, working on grooming players in their academy over the years. Despite such credentials besides his name, the BCCI decided against renewing his central contract, due in June this year, following Team India&rsquo;s batting failure during their past two Test series (against New Zealand at home and Australia Down Under), which they lost.&nbsp;
While India&rsquo;s batting failure on the rank turners at home brought shame, as they surrendered the Test series (0-3) for the first time in history, failing to deliver against the famous Aussie pace attack despite drawing first blood in the series, it mounted pressure on Abhishek.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-ipl-2025-gujarat-titans-gt-coach-ashish-nehra-handpicks-india-fielder-bigger-than-jonty-rhodes-ravindra-jadeja-8979643" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025: GT coach Ashish Nehra handpicks THIS India fielder bigger than Jonty Rhodes</a>
Following the horrendous tour Down Under, where India conceded the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade and the chance to qualify for their third straight WTC Final (in June), the BCCI conducted a review meeting, where Nayar&rsquo;s role came under the scanner. While multiple voices within the management raised questions about his responsibilities, feedback from the players helped the BCCI conclude it.&nbsp;
However, it&rsquo;s the first instance in Indian Cricket history that the board terminated a backroom staff member&rsquo;s contract handpicked by the head coach (Gautam Gambhir here).&nbsp;
<h2>KKR to the Indian Team to back to KKR</h2>
Meanwhile, after Gambhir mentored KKR to its third IPL title last year, the BCCI appointed him as Rahul Dravid&rsquo;s replacement as Team India&rsquo;s all-format head coach. Nayar, who was part of KKR&rsquo;s backroom staff last season, joined Gambhir in the Indian camp last year, only for him to vacate the spot ahead of a heavy away summer.&nbsp;
Besides Nayar, the BCCI also sacked the fielding coach, T Dilip, and the conditioning coach, Soham Desai, with the Indian Cricket Board deciding to implement the new changes ahead of the England Test series, starting shortly after the IPL 2025.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

It’s the first time in Indian Cricket history that the BCCI terminated a backroom staff member’s contract, handpicked by the head coach (Gambhir here). Sports, Cricket

Former Team India assistant batting coach Abhishek Nayar has found solace in IPL 2025 return, just days after the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) cut short his national contract midway through the season. The former Mumbai all-rounder has rejoined Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as part of their backroom staff, attending the team’s training session from Saturday (Apr 19) onwards, IPL franchise KKR announced in a statement. "Abhishek Nayar has rejoined our support staff. He is likely to be at training at Eden today," KKR’s statement read, per Cricbuzz. Welcome back home, @abhisheknayar1 💜 pic.twitter.com/IwJQTnAWxa — KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 19, 2025 Nayar is no next-door backroom staff member at the franchise, as he has been their man behind the scenes, working on grooming players in their academy over the years. Despite such credentials besides his name, the BCCI decided against renewing his central contract, due in June this year, following Team India’s batting failure during their past two Test series (against New Zealand at home and Australia Down Under), which they lost. While India’s batting failure on the rank turners at home brought shame, as they surrendered the Test series (0-3) for the first time in history, failing to deliver against the famous Aussie pace attack despite drawing first blood in the series, it mounted pressure on Abhishek. Also read | IPL 2025: GT coach Ashish Nehra handpicks THIS India fielder bigger than Jonty Rhodes Following the horrendous tour Down Under, where India conceded the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade and the chance to qualify for their third straight WTC Final (in June), the BCCI conducted a review meeting, where Nayar’s role came under the scanner. While multiple voices within the management raised questions about his responsibilities, feedback from the players helped the BCCI conclude it. However, it’s the first instance in Indian Cricket history that the board terminated a backroom staff member’s contract handpicked by the head coach (Gautam Gambhir here). KKR to the Indian Team to back to KKR Meanwhile, after Gambhir mentored KKR to its third IPL title last year, the BCCI appointed him as Rahul Dravid’s replacement as Team India’s all-format head coach. Nayar, who was part of KKR’s backroom staff last season, joined Gambhir in the Indian camp last year, only for him to vacate the spot ahead of a heavy away summer. Besides Nayar, the BCCI also sacked the fielding coach, T Dilip, and the conditioning coach, Soham Desai, with the Indian Cricket Board deciding to implement the new changes ahead of the England Test series, starting shortly after the IPL 2025. (With inputs from agencies)

Abhishek Nayar finds solace in IPL 2025 return after BCCI cuts short contract

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Ajinkya Rahane acknowledged that the team was reckless during their loss against Punjab Kings. KKR failed to chase 111 on Tuesday (Apr 15) and lost the game by 16 runs. They were in cruise control at 62/2 when Rahane was dismissed by Yuzvendra Chahal LBW. Rahane refused the referral which later showed that it would have saved him. The skipper took the blame for that.
"I'll take the blame, played the wrong shot, was missing, but it started from there. I didn't want to take a chance at the time, I wasn't sure as well. wicket was not that easy, 111 was chaseable, we batted really badly as a batting unit, bowlers did really well against a strong Punjab batting line up. I thought we were reckless, should take full responsibility as a unit. Too many things going through my head. Very disappointed. Need to keep myself really calm and think about what I'm going to talk to the boys," said Rahane after the loss.
Also Read -&nbsp;<a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-ipl-2025-pbks-skipper-shreyas-iyer-wins-heart-with-two-word-post-after-win-vs-kkr-8967725" aria-label="IPL 2025 | PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer wins heart with TWO-WORD post after win vs KKR">IPL 2025 | PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer wins heart with TWO-WORD post after win vs KKR</a>
The architect of the win was spinner Yuzvendra Chahal who returned with the figures of 4/28 in four overs including his 16-run last over of the quota.&nbsp;
KKR's innings took a tumble when Rahane was dismissed and floodgates were opened. After Chahal sent back Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Maxwell removed Venkatesh Iyer and KKR were suddenly 74/5 from 62/3.
In the next over, Chahal removed Rinku Singh and Ramandeep Singh on two consecutive balls to break the chase open. Marco Jansen removed Harshit Rana in the next over before returning to dismiss Andre Russell as the last wicket.
The 16-run win by PBKS came in an IPL record - smallest total defended and with that the winning team now sits on fourth place with four wins and eight points from six games.

They were in cruise control at 62/2 when Rahane was dismissed by Yuzvendra Chahal LBW. Rahane refused the referral which later showed that it would have saved him. Cricket Sports

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Ajinkya Rahane acknowledged that the team was reckless during their loss against Punjab Kings. KKR failed to chase 111 on Tuesday (Apr 15) and lost the game by 16 runs. They were in cruise control at 62/2 when Rahane was dismissed by Yuzvendra Chahal LBW. Rahane refused the referral which later showed that it would have saved him. The skipper took the blame for that. "I'll take the blame, played the wrong shot, was missing, but it started from there. I didn't want to take a chance at the time, I wasn't sure as well. wicket was not that easy, 111 was chaseable, we batted really badly as a batting unit, bowlers did really well against a strong Punjab batting line up. I thought we were reckless, should take full responsibility as a unit. Too many things going through my head. Very disappointed. Need to keep myself really calm and think about what I'm going to talk to the boys," said Rahane after the loss. Also Read - IPL 2025 | PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer wins heart with TWO-WORD post after win vs KKR The architect of the win was spinner Yuzvendra Chahal who returned with the figures of 4/28 in four overs including his 16-run last over of the quota. KKR's innings took a tumble when Rahane was dismissed and floodgates were opened. After Chahal sent back Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Maxwell removed Venkatesh Iyer and KKR were suddenly 74/5 from 62/3. In the next over, Chahal removed Rinku Singh and Ramandeep Singh on two consecutive balls to break the chase open. Marco Jansen removed Harshit Rana in the next over before returning to dismiss Andre Russell as the last wicket. The 16-run win by PBKS came in an IPL record - smallest total defended and with that the winning team now sits on fourth place with four wins and eight points from six games.

IPL 2025 | Skipper Rahane blasts KKR batters for 'reckless' performance vs PBKS, takes full blame for...

Punjab Kings defended the lowest-ever total in Indian Premier League (IPL) history as they beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 16 runs in a thrilling match on Tuesday (April 15).
Chasing 112 for a win, KKR were comfortably placed at 71 for 3 in 9.1 overs, but they suffered a shocking collapse to be bowled out for 95 in 15.1 overs.&nbsp;KKR lost seven wickets and scored just 24 runs in six overs after that. Yuzvendra Chahal led a stunning comeback for Punjab Kings (PBKS) with figures of 4/28.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/olympics/cricket-la-2028-games-ioc-reveals-venue-for-crickets-olympics-return-8966048">LA 2028 Games: IOC reveals venue for cricket&rsquo;s Olympics return</a>
<h2>Low-scoring match</h2>
Earlier in the innings, Punjab Kings suffered a batting collapse after a fiery powerplay spell by Harshit Rana helped defending champions <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/kolkata-knight-riders">Kolkata Knight Riders</a> bowl out Punjab Kings (PBKS) for just 111 runs in 15.3 overs at Mullanpur on Tuesday (April 15) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
After electing to bat first, PBKS was off to a fine start. Openers Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran came out all guns blazing.&nbsp;The duo feasted on Vaibhav Arora's pace, taking him down for 20 runs, with three fours and a six, with Prabhsimran being the aggressor.&nbsp;However, the combo of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/harshit-rana">Harshit Rana</a> and Ramandeep Singh, kickstarted PBKS's downfall, as Priyansh (22 in 12 balls) and skipper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/shreyas-iyer">Shreyas Iyer</a> (0) were dismissed in same over. PBKS were left reeling at 39/2 in 3.4 overs.
In the fifth over, Josh Inglis was cleaned up by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/varun-chakaravarthy">Varun Chakaravarthy</a> for just two runs. Punjab Kings were 42/3 in 4.5 overs. In the final over of the powerplay, Prabhsimran launched Harshit for two sixes, unfazed by the loss of wickets. But once again, Prabhsimran was removed by the duo of Harshit-Ramandeep for 30 in 15 balls, with two fours and three sixes. PBKS was 54/4 at the end of powerplay.
Nehal Wadhera and Glenn Maxwell tried stitching a partnership. However, Anrich Nortje got Wadhera (10) caught by Venkatesh Iyer while attempting a flick, at deep square leg. PBKS was 74/5 in 8.4 overs. Glenn Maxwell (7) continued his poor run, was dismissed by Varun Chakaravarthy.
Sunil Narine also picked up Suryansh Shedge (4) and Marco Jansen (1). PBKS were struggling at 86/8 in 11 overs.&nbsp;In the 16th over, Shashank (18 in 17 balls, with a four and six) and Xavier Bartlett (11 in 15 balls) were dismissed. PBKS were bundled out for 111 in 15.3 overs.
Harshit (3/25) was the pick of the bowlers for KKR, while Narine (2/14) and Varun (2/21) were also brilliant. Vaibhav and Nortje got a wicket each.

Sports: Yuzvendra Chahal led a stunning comeback for Punjab Kings (PBKS) with figures of 4/28 after KKR bowlers restricted PBKS to 111 runs inside 16 overs

Punjab Kings defended the lowest-ever total in Indian Premier League (IPL) history as they beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 16 runs in a thrilling match on Tuesday (April 15). Chasing 112 for a win, KKR were comfortably placed at 71 for 3 in 9.1 overs, but they suffered a shocking collapse to be bowled out for 95 in 15.1 overs. KKR lost seven wickets and scored just 24 runs in six overs after that. Yuzvendra Chahal led a stunning comeback for Punjab Kings (PBKS) with figures of 4/28. Also Read: LA 2028 Games: IOC reveals venue for cricket’s Olympics return Low-scoring match Earlier in the innings, Punjab Kings suffered a batting collapse after a fiery powerplay spell by Harshit Rana helped defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders bowl out Punjab Kings (PBKS) for just 111 runs in 15.3 overs at Mullanpur on Tuesday (April 15) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. After electing to bat first, PBKS was off to a fine start. Openers Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran came out all guns blazing. The duo feasted on Vaibhav Arora's pace, taking him down for 20 runs, with three fours and a six, with Prabhsimran being the aggressor. However, the combo of Harshit Rana and Ramandeep Singh, kickstarted PBKS's downfall, as Priyansh (22 in 12 balls) and skipper Shreyas Iyer (0) were dismissed in same over. PBKS were left reeling at 39/2 in 3.4 overs. In the fifth over, Josh Inglis was cleaned up by Varun Chakaravarthy for just two runs. Punjab Kings were 42/3 in 4.5 overs. In the final over of the powerplay, Prabhsimran launched Harshit for two sixes, unfazed by the loss of wickets. But once again, Prabhsimran was removed by the duo of Harshit-Ramandeep for 30 in 15 balls, with two fours and three sixes. PBKS was 54/4 at the end of powerplay. Nehal Wadhera and Glenn Maxwell tried stitching a partnership. However, Anrich Nortje got Wadhera (10) caught by Venkatesh Iyer while attempting a flick, at deep square leg. PBKS was 74/5 in 8.4 overs. Glenn Maxwell (7) continued his poor run, was dismissed by Varun Chakaravarthy. Sunil Narine also picked up Suryansh Shedge (4) and Marco Jansen (1). PBKS were struggling at 86/8 in 11 overs. In the 16th over, Shashank (18 in 17 balls, with a four and six) and Xavier Bartlett (11 in 15 balls) were dismissed. PBKS were bundled out for 111 in 15.3 overs. Harshit (3/25) was the pick of the bowlers for KKR, while Narine (2/14) and Varun (2/21) were also brilliant. Vaibhav and Nortje got a wicket each.

IPL 2025: Chahal casts magic 'spell' as Punjab Kings beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 16 runs in low-scoring thriller

On the festive occasion of Poila Baisakh on Tuesday (April 15), Kolkata, the city of joy, welcomed the Bengali New Year with food and happiness. Kolkata Knight Riders wicket-keeper batsman&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/quinton-de-kock">Quinton de Kock</a> revealed a side that fans don&rsquo;t often see when he is at the crease. &ldquo;My wife chills, I do all the cooking,&rdquo; the South African cricketer smiled while preparing a traditional Bengali dish in KKR&rsquo;s cooking show Knight Bite.
In the special festive episode, de Kock was joined by fellow Proteas pacer <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/anrich-nortje" rel="dofollow">Anrich Nortje</a> and Indian batter Manish Pandey. The trio celebrated the New Year by cooking a fusion version of paturi &mdash; a Bengali favourite where fish or prawns are wrapped in banana leaves and grilled. But, they gave it a South African twist with peri-peri marinade.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-isl-final-2025-losing-stinks-and-this-one-bfc-captain-chhetri-pens-down-emotional-note-after-loss-to-mohun-bagan-8965336">ISL Final 2025: 'Losing stinks, and this one...': BFC captain Chhetri pens down emotional note after loss to Mohun Bagan</a>
&ldquo;I live in the kitchen back home,&rdquo; said de Kock. &ldquo;Cooking relaxes me. It&rsquo;s something I really enjoy.&rdquo;&nbsp;Nortje laughed as he added, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s my first time in the kitchen in a very long time.&rdquo;
<h2>'Winning IPL trophy in my first year was best'</h2>
Both South Africans also opened up about their love for fishing. &ldquo;The adrenaline you get from fishing, and the places it takes you Amazon, St. Charles, mid-Africa &mdash; it&rsquo;s incredible,&rdquo; de Kock shared.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/manish-pandey">Manish Pandey</a>, who played a key role in KKR&rsquo;s 2014 title win, reflected on his journey with the team. &ldquo;My first season, my first trophy and the final in my home city, Bengaluru. It&rsquo;s still one of my favourite memories.&rdquo;
As they tasted their Bengali-South African creation, de Kock said, &ldquo;Not spicy for me,&rdquo; clearly at home with the bold flavours.

Sports: Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders are currently placed fifth in the IPL points table. Out of the six games played, KKR has won three and lost as many

On the festive occasion of Poila Baisakh on Tuesday (April 15), Kolkata, the city of joy, welcomed the Bengali New Year with food and happiness. Kolkata Knight Riders wicket-keeper batsman Quinton de Kock revealed a side that fans don’t often see when he is at the crease. “My wife chills, I do all the cooking,” the South African cricketer smiled while preparing a traditional Bengali dish in KKR’s cooking show Knight Bite. In the special festive episode, de Kock was joined by fellow Proteas pacer Anrich Nortje and Indian batter Manish Pandey. The trio celebrated the New Year by cooking a fusion version of paturi — a Bengali favourite where fish or prawns are wrapped in banana leaves and grilled. But, they gave it a South African twist with peri-peri marinade. Also Read: ISL Final 2025: 'Losing stinks, and this one...': BFC captain Chhetri pens down emotional note after loss to Mohun Bagan “I live in the kitchen back home,” said de Kock. “Cooking relaxes me. It’s something I really enjoy.” Nortje laughed as he added, “It’s my first time in the kitchen in a very long time.” 'Winning IPL trophy in my first year was best' Both South Africans also opened up about their love for fishing. “The adrenaline you get from fishing, and the places it takes you Amazon, St. Charles, mid-Africa — it’s incredible,” de Kock shared. Manish Pandey, who played a key role in KKR’s 2014 title win, reflected on his journey with the team. “My first season, my first trophy and the final in my home city, Bengaluru. It’s still one of my favourite memories.” As they tasted their Bengali-South African creation, de Kock said, “Not spicy for me,” clearly at home with the bold flavours.

IPL 2025: This KKR cricketer says ‘My wife chills, I cook’–You won’t believe who!

Kolkata Knight Riders&rsquo; <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/manish-pandey">Manish Pandey</a> revealed his daily schedule and training regime and his secret to keeping a fit persona. The defending champions are currently placed fifth in the table with six points from six games. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/kolkata-knight-riders">Kolkata Knight Riders</a> has won three and lost as many.
Known for his graceful batting and electric fielding, the Indian star highlighted how he imbibes discipline in his daily schedule. He said, &ldquo;Being from an army background, it helped me as a kid because we had the opportunity to play a lot of different sports back then. So, that really helped me as a kid to have that early foundation of the kind of fitness," Pandey said in an episode of 'Train Like a Knight'.
Shedding some light on his workout routine for the week, Manish Pandey underscored the importance of keeping things simple. &ldquo;I keep it very simple, try and stick to my goals, which is two strength and two cardio sessions in a week.&rdquo;
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-how-pakistan-super-league-has-sparked-a-cricketing-revival-in-pakistan-8961367">How Pakistan Super League has sparked a cricketing revival in Pakistan?</a>
<h2>'Don't like to have heavy breakfast'</h2>
In terms of having a healthy, nutritious meal plan, the 35-year-old shared that he prefers having a light breakfast and then heading for his workouts. &ldquo;I'm not a big breakfast eater. My typical breakfast would contain eggs and porridge because I can start my workout immediately after an hour or so.&rdquo;
&ldquo;For my afternoon meals, I go a little heavy because I feel I've finished my gym. Then I can set myself for an evening sport. Probably get another boiled egg or something there. And a little bit of curd to accompany the whole thing&rdquo;, he added.
The host of the show also spoke about the advancements in sports nutrition over the years, referring to the high protein curd that contains 25 grams of protein and is low in fat with no added sugar, to which the cricketer added, &ldquo;Any kind of meal I'm having, either it's rice, dal, there must be curd in it. It's obviously good for the gut, especially during the summers, to make one feel nice and light.&rdquo;
To enhance his recovery post matches, Manish Pandey shared that he also looks at other sources like flax seeds and fish oil, which is rich in omega three and important for recovery and general body health.
Kolkata Knight Riders will next face <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/punjab-kings">Punjab Kings</a> on Tuesday (April 15).&nbsp;

Sports: In terms of having a healthy, nutritious meal plan, the 35-year-old shared that he prefers having a light breakfast and then heading for his workouts

Kolkata Knight Riders’ Manish Pandey revealed his daily schedule and training regime and his secret to keeping a fit persona. The defending champions are currently placed fifth in the table with six points from six games. Kolkata Knight Riders has won three and lost as many. Known for his graceful batting and electric fielding, the Indian star highlighted how he imbibes discipline in his daily schedule. He said, “Being from an army background, it helped me as a kid because we had the opportunity to play a lot of different sports back then. So, that really helped me as a kid to have that early foundation of the kind of fitness," Pandey said in an episode of 'Train Like a Knight'. Shedding some light on his workout routine for the week, Manish Pandey underscored the importance of keeping things simple. “I keep it very simple, try and stick to my goals, which is two strength and two cardio sessions in a week.” Also Read: How Pakistan Super League has sparked a cricketing revival in Pakistan? 'Don't like to have heavy breakfast' In terms of having a healthy, nutritious meal plan, the 35-year-old shared that he prefers having a light breakfast and then heading for his workouts. “I'm not a big breakfast eater. My typical breakfast would contain eggs and porridge because I can start my workout immediately after an hour or so.” “For my afternoon meals, I go a little heavy because I feel I've finished my gym. Then I can set myself for an evening sport. Probably get another boiled egg or something there. And a little bit of curd to accompany the whole thing”, he added. The host of the show also spoke about the advancements in sports nutrition over the years, referring to the high protein curd that contains 25 grams of protein and is low in fat with no added sugar, to which the cricketer added, “Any kind of meal I'm having, either it's rice, dal, there must be curd in it. It's obviously good for the gut, especially during the summers, to make one feel nice and light.” To enhance his recovery post matches, Manish Pandey shared that he also looks at other sources like flax seeds and fish oil, which is rich in omega three and important for recovery and general body health. Kolkata Knight Riders will next face Punjab Kings on Tuesday (April 15).

IPL 2025: Gut healthy and nutritious! Here's what KKR’s Manish Pandey has revealed about his Army-inspired lifestyle

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