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After winning the IPL 2024 title with a dominant campaign, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders enter IPL 2025 with significant upheaval in their leadership and coaching team.
KKR shocked fans by releasing Captain Shreyas Iyer after failing to agree on terms, ending his successful stint that saw KKR lift the trophy last year.
What made it even tougher was that Mentor Gautam Gambhir and Assistant Coach Abhishek Nayar departed to take up roles with the Indian team, leaving a big void in the strategic think-tank which masterminded their fourth IPL triumph.
Despite these changes, KKR have assembled a squad brimming with talent and depth, positioning them as frontrunners once again.
In a bold and unexpected move, KKR named Ajinkya Rahane, 36, as their captain for IPL 2025. Rahane, a seasoned campaigner, comes in with lot of captaincy experience from leading Mumbai in domestic cricket and a brief but successful stint as India's Test captain.
However, his appointment over all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, who fetched a staggering Rs 23.75 crore (Rs 237.5 million) at the mega auction and was named vice-captain, raised some eyebrows. The left-hander will be expected to lead KKR's batting charge in Shreyas' absence and is being groomed as the future leader of the team.
KKR has retained most of their championship-winning core, a testament to their smart retention strategy.
The likes of Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy and Ramandeep Singh -- all proven T20 performers -- form a robust foundation.
Mystery spinner Chakaravarthy, fresh off an impressive showing for India in the Champions Trophy, looks poised for another standout season.
Having finished as KKR's top wicket-taker in IPL 2024 with 21 scalps, his ability to bamboozle batters with his variations makes him a trump card, especially on the spin-friendly Eden Gardens pitches.
He forms one of IPL's most potent spin pairing with West Indian Sunil Narine, whose all-round brilliance -- tight bowling and explosive cameos -- have made him a standout player in T20 cricket in the last few years.
KKR's batting line-up exudes firepower. New addition Quinton de Kock, capable of making most of the Powerplay, steps in as a worthy replacement for Phil Salt at the top. His experience compliments an already stacked power-packed lower order featuring Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Moeen Ali, Ramandeep Singh and Rovman Powell -- all capable of single-handedly destroying any bowling attack on their day.
All-rounder Russell, the West Indian dynamo, could once again be the X-factor, with his ability to turn matches with bat or ball when at his destructive best. He played a vital role in KKR's triumph last season, picking up 19 wickets in 15 games, which smashing 222 runs lower down the order at an incredible strike rate of 185.
The pace department, though short of experiences, looks quite formidable. South African speedster Anrich Nortje, known for his express pace, headlines a versatile attack alongside India's rising star Harshit Rana, who impressed with his raw pace and aggression in the few matches he has played for India across formats.
Australian left-armer Spencer Johnson adds variety, while Russell's medium-pace and the dependable Vaibhav Arora along with Chetan Sakariya, who came in as the replacement for the injured Umran Malik, give the team management a lot of options.
Rahane's captaincy will be a lot of scrutiny. Can he and Head Coach Chandrakant Pandit replicate Shreyas's aggressive captaincy and Gambhir's tactical genius?
With a power-packed batting line-up, match-winning spinners and a solid pace attack, champions KKR are once again the team to beat.
Squad
Batters
Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Angkrish Raghuvanshi.
All-rounders
Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Moeen Ali, Ramandeep Singh
Wicket-keepers
Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Luvnith Sisodia.
Bowlers
Varun Chakravarthy, Anrich Nortje, Harshit Rana, Spencer Johnson, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande, Chetan Sakariya.
IPL Titles: 3 (2012, 2014, 2024)
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