Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders have begun their pre-season preparations with a week-long domestic players' training stint in Mumbai, ahead of their main camp in Kolkata starting March 12 at Eden Gardens.
KKR, who are yet to announce their skipper for the upcoming season, will kick off their IPL 2025 campaign against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Eden Gardens on March 22.
Shreyas Iyer, who led them to the 2024 title, has been released and will now captain Punjab Kings.
Among the frontrunners for the role are veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane, acquired at his base price of Rs 1.5 crore, and Venkatesh Iyer, who was re-signed by KKR for a staggering Rs 23.75 crore after being released, making him the third most expensive player in the IPL auction.
The Mumbai camp, running from February 21-28, features nine domestic players, including Iyer, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Vaibhav Arora, and rising talent Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who impressed in 2024.
Newcomers Mayank Markande and Luvnith Sisodia are also part of the setup.
"The players who are not currently involved in domestic cricket are available and have joined us for this short pre-season camp. This is a normal routine for us every season," head coach Chandrakant Pandit said in a release.
"We will also have a camp in Kolkata from March 12 onwards, where we will have the international players available post the ICC Champions Trophy. Our real preparation will start when the whole squad assembles, but this camp will help us get into a rhythm.
"We have our core group intact which gives us confidence, and I am sure that with the players we have brought in (at the Auction), our combinations will be very strong like last season," Pandit added.
Spin bowling coach Carl Crowe added:
"We've got lots of nets, lots of match simulation planned for the next few days. So, it's an opportunity for most of the group to get back together."
"It's good to see a lot of known guys here, but also a few new faces. It's important to keep the squad fresh."
"Obviously, we had a very successful year last year, but you got to keep thinking about ways to get forward. Everyone is really excited for the whole tournament. The coaching staff also includes bowling coach Bharat Arun, Strength and Conditioning Coach Sagar V, and Head Physio Prasanth Panchada."
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