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IPL 2025: Kolkata Knight Riders Team Preview – SWOT Analysis and Best XI | Cricket News – The Times of India

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IPL 2025: Kolkata Knight Riders Team Preview – SWOT Analysis and Best XI | Cricket News – The Times of India


Quinton de Kock and captain Ajinkya Rahane (Pic credit: KKR)

Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are gearing up to continue their dominance in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. With an eye on securing their fourth IPL title, KKR have made significant changes to their leadership while retaining the core of their championship-winning squad.
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Leadership change and key retentions
Veteran Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane has been appointed as the new captain, replacing Shreyas Iyer, who has moved to lead Punjab Kings. Rahane’s calm demeanor and wealth of experience are expected to bring stability to the squad.
KKR have retained several key players from their 2024 title-winning campaign, including the dynamic all-rounders Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy, power-hitters Rinku Singh and Ramandeep Singh, and pacer Harshit Rana. These core players will once again form the backbone of the team’s ambitions this season.

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New additions and squad depth
KKR have bolstered their lineup with some eye-catching signings ahead of the new season. Notable inclusions are: Wicketkeeper-batters Quinton de Kock and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, all-rounders Venkatesh Iyer and Moeen Ali, and pacers Anrich Nortje and Spencer Johnson.
These acquisitions significantly strengthen both the batting and bowling departments, giving the team greater flexibility and depth.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths:

  • Dynamic All-Rounders: Sunil Narine and Andre Russell are match-winners with both bat and ball, providing the team with balance and firepower.
  • Mystery Spin Duo: The combination of Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy remains a potent threat, capable of taking wickets at any stage of the game.
  • Hard-Hitting Finishers: Russell and Rinku Singh add a powerful punch to the lower order, capable of scoring quick runs in the death overs.
  • Solid Top Order: Ajinkya Rahane and Quinton de Kock bring experience and stability to the top, with the ability to rotate strike and accelerate when needed.

Weaknesses:

  • Inexperienced Pace Attack: Despite the presence of Anrich Nortje, the pace attack lacks experience overall. Harshit Rana is relatively new to the scene, and the absence of injured Umran Malik has forced KKR to rely on Chetan Sakariya and young pacers like Spencer Johnson and Vaibhav Arora.
  • Leadership Transition: With the departure of Shreyas Iyer and the change in support staff, the team might face an adjustment period under Rahane’s leadership.

Opportunities:

  • Building on Momentum: As defending champions, KKR have a great opportunity to continue their winning run and secure back-to-back titles.
  • New Captaincy Vision: Rahane’s leadership could bring a more composed approach, helping the team navigate crunch situations with calmness.

Threats:

  • Dependence on Key Players: Over-reliance on Russell, Chakaravarthy and Narine might become problematic if any of them gets injured or faces a slump in form.
  • Early Pressure: A slow start in the tournament could put pressure on the new captain and inexperienced pace bowlers.

KKR’s Best XI: Sunil Narine, Quinton de Kock (wk), Ajinkya Rahane (Captain), Manish Pandey, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Anrich Nortje, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Chetan Sakariya
KKR’s Full Squad for IPL 2025:

  • Batters: Ajinkya Rahane (C), Manish Pandey, Rovman Powell, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh
  • Wicketkeepers: Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Luvnith Sisodia
  • All-rounders: Moeen Ali, Venkatesh Iyer, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Andre Russell
  • Bowlers: Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Spencer Johnson, Mayank Markande, Anrich Nortje, Chetan Sakariya, Varun Chakaravarthy

With a balanced squad and a strong core of retained players, KKR look well-prepared to defend their title in IPL 2025. Their mix of seasoned campaigners and exciting new talents, along with the calm leadership of Ajinkya Rahane, could prove to be a winning combination.


Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, and live scores for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Find out how to watch IPL 2025 in Canada and the USA.





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Mohammed Shami calls Hardik Pandya ‘bhai’ and asks for his autograph – WATCH – The Times of India

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Mohammed Shami and Hardik Pandya (Image credit: Mumbai Indians)

NEW DELHI: Rohit Sharma struck his second consecutive half-century and stitched a crucial 53-run stand with Suryakumar Yadav (40*), powering Mumbai Indians to a dominant seven-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL on Wednesday. Chasing a modest target of 144, Mumbai wrapped up the win in just 15.4 overs, marking their fourth straight win and third successful chase in a row.
The chase was anchored by Rohit, who was at his fluent best with a 46-ball 70. He took charge early, launching Pat Cummins over deep square leg for a six and following it up with a crisp four in the third over.
Showing great awareness of the flat Hyderabad pitch, Rohit—who came in as an impact sub—was quick to capitalize, especially when Jaydev Unadkat took the pace off the ball. A powerful lofted six over cover in the fourth over set the tone for what would be a commanding innings.
Rohit’s composed yet aggressive approach, blending caution with controlled aggression, proved too good for the SRH bowlers. With Suryakumar complementing him well, the result was never in doubt.

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Earlier, Sunrisers Hyderabad, after a poor start, were bailed out by Heinrich Klaasen’s counter-attacking 71 off 44 balls. He shared a 99-run partnership with Abhinav Manohar (43 off 37), helping SRH recover to 143/8. Despite their efforts, it proved too little against a resurgent Mumbai side.
In a light-hearted post-match moment, SRH pacer Mohammad Shami was seen taking Hardik Pandya’s autograph on an ICC Champions Trophy 2025 jersey. Both players were part of India’s victorious campaign, where they beat New Zealand by four wickets in the final held in Dubai.
Mumbai, now with back-to-back wins over SRH this season, continue to build strong momentum in their campaign.





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IPL 2025 | Ishan Kishan’s bizarre dismissal in SRH-MI clash raises eyebrows

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Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Ishan Kishan
| Photo Credit: Reuters

India wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan’s bizarre caught-behind when his bat did not come in contact with the ball during an embarrassing SRH batting collapse on Wednesday (April 23, 2025) caught the eye in the IPL clash against Mumbai Indians.

Left-hander Kishan, who had just opened his account in the previous over, tried to work pacer Deepak Chahar’s first delivery, which was drifting down the leg side. The ball was collected by MI wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton and neither him nor the bowler showed any inclination to appeal for a caught behind.

On-field umpire Vinod Seshan was also close to declaring it a wide. But, to everyone’s surprise, Kishan walked away, indicating he had edged it to the keeper.

Surprised by the batter’s move, Seshan too raised his finger.

Kishan’s gesture had MI skipper Hardik Pandya — who had appealed half-heartedly — pat the left-hander on his helmet and shoulders.

Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya interacts with Sunrisers Hyderabad batsman Ishan Kishan as the latter returns after being dismissed during the IPL match on April 23, 2025
| Photo Credit:
K.V.S. Giri

Replays showed the ball was drifting away from Kishan’s bat when it passed the left-hander, and there was no spike on the UltraEdge either.

It is believed that, on most occasions, a batter comes to know whether he has edged the ball or not. But given the situation SRH are in on the points table — they are placed ninth — they needed to make the most of a flat batting wicket. Kishan’s dismissal saw SRH slump to 9/2 in the third over.

“You think you have seen it all after all these years and yet I must admit the Ishan Kishan’s dismissal leaves me perplexed,” wrote commentator Harsha Bhogle on X, expressing his surprise at the turn of events.





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