Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders have brought Saurashtra left-arm pacer Chetan Sakariya as a replacement for Umran Malik. Umran Malik has been sidelined from IPL 2025 due to injury.
Since playing just one game for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2024, Malik has not participated in a competitive match. Sakariya, who was last seen playing competitively in a Ranji Trophy match for Saurashtra in February 2024, is also recovering from an injury.
Since making his debut in 2021, Malik has struggled with illnesses and injuries. After suffering from dengue, he was eventually pulled from the Duleep Trophy, which was scheduled to begin the 2024–25 domestic season. He then sustained a hip fracture.
Malik has taken 11 wickets at an economy rate of 10.48 in his eight T20I appearances to date. On the other hand, Sakariya has participated in just two Twenty20 International games and claimed only one wicket at an economy rate of 9.27.
Sakariya may be a like-for-like replacement for KKR’s first-choice left-arm fast bowler, Spencer Johnson, instead of Malik. Malik was KKR’s backup plan as an Indian option for Anrich Nortje, who is equally prone to injuries, but now KKR has to work on other plans due to Malik’s injury-forced absence.
KKR are the defending champions, defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2024 final.
Read More: Lucknow Super Giants Young Fast Bowling Sensation Mayank Yadav to Miss First Half of IPL 2025
Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2025 Squad
Rinku Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Anrich Nortje, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Spencer Johnson, Luvnith Sisodia, Ajinkya Rahane, Anukul Roy, Moeen Ali, Chetan Sakariya
