In a big boost for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), tearaway pacer Umran Malik has joined their squad to continue his rehab and return to cricket programme with the franchise for the remainder of the IPL 2025 season. This development came right ahead of KKR's clash against Punjab Kings on April 26 at the Eden Gardens.
Umran Malik joins KKR squad
However, Umran has not joined KKR as an official playing member of the squad, but will work with the team and support staff to get back to his best.
"#UmranMalik has joined the squad in Kolkata to continue his rehab and “return to cricket” programme with KKR for the remainder of the season. He’s not joining as an official playing member of the squad, but will work with the team and support staff to get back to his best! Welcome to the family, Umran," KKR's social media post read.
Earlier in March, Umran was ruled out of the IPL 2025 due to injury. Subsequently, the franchise named spinner Chetan Sakariya as his replacement in the squad.
KKR had acquired the services of Umran Malik for a sum of Rs 75 lakhs in the IPL 2025 mega auction after he was released by his former team Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Despite an initial burst of fame following his limited appearances in the IPL, Malik has struggled with injuries, hindering his consistent participation. Since his IPL debut in 2021, he has featured in only 26 matches. Adding to his woes, he has only played a full IPL season once, in 2022. His last appearance in an international game was in 2023, after which he has remained out of contention.
Talking about KKR's performance in the IPL 2025 season, their struggles have been quite apparent. Ajinkya Rahane's team faces a significant challenge in their bid to defend their IPL title, although they still maintain a mathematical possibility of qualifying for the knockout stage. If they secure victories in all their remaining matches, they could potentially reach 16 points. However, considering their current form, achieving such a clean sweep appears to be a formidable task. Despite their difficulties, KKR still retains a slight buffer, as they could afford to lose one more match and still reach the generally considered qualification benchmark of 16 points. Key players such as Andre Russell and Venkatesh Iyer have not performed to their expected levels thus far, and the team will be hoping for a resurgence in their form as they navigate the crucial remaining matches of the season.