Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has roped in 27-year-old pacer Chetan Sakariya as their net bowler ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 which is set to start from March 22.
Chetan Sakariya joins KKR as net bowler ahead of IPL 2025
Notably, the former Delhi Capitals pacer Chetan Sakariya went unsold in the IPL 2025 mega auction. The left-arm pacer, who was previously a member of the Knight Riders squad, will initially serve as a net bowler. This move marks his return to the same franchise that acquired him for Rs 50 lakh in the IPL 2024 auction, though he did not feature in any matches during the previous season.
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Chetan Sakariya's professional cricket career has been marked by both success and setbacks. While he contributed to Saurashtra's Ranji Trophy win prior to his IPL entry, he subsequently experienced a decline in form, which resulted in limited playing time with the Delhi Capitals across two seasons. Adding to his challenges, a significant wrist injury sidelined him from all forms of cricket. However, Sakariya made a comeback after recovering from his injury. Upon regaining full fitness, he made a strong impression on the Kolkata Knight Riders' bowling coach during a T20 tournament held in Mumbai, leading to his re-association with the franchise.
Chetan Sakariya now has an opportunity to revitalise his cricketing career in his role as a net bowler for the Kolkata Knight Riders. For this position, he will receive a fee of Rs 2 lakh. Beyond the financial aspect, this role provides him with invaluable access to train alongside top-tier players and learn from a highly respected support staff. This staff includes figures like bowling coach Arun, mentor Dwayne Bravo, head coach Chandrakant Pandit, and assistant coach Ottis Gibson, all of whom can contribute to enhancing his on-field skills.
Sakariya's international career began in July 2021 with an ODI against Sri Lanka in Colombo, followed by two T20I appearances during the same tour. To date, he has taken three wickets in his three international matches. In the IPL, Sakariya has demonstrated his potential, securing 20 wickets in 19 games at an average of 29.95. He made his IPL debut in 2021 with the Rajasthan Royals and subsequently played for the Delhi Capitals for the following two seasons.
KKR's full schedule for IPL 2025:
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Saturday, 22-Mar-25, 7:30 PM, Kolkata
Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Wednesday, 26-Mar-25, 7:30 PM, Guwahati
Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Tuesday, 31-Mar-25, 7:30 PM, Mumbai
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Thursday, 03-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Kolkata
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants, Sunday, 06-Apr-25, 3:30 PM, Kolkata
Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Friday, 11-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Chennai
Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Tuesday, 15-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, New Chandigarh
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Gujarat Titans, Monday, 21-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Kolkata
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings, Saturday, 26-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Kolkata
Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Tuesday, 29-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Delhi
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals, Sunday, 04-May-25, 3:30 PM, Kolkata
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings, Wednesday, 07-May-25, 7:30 PM, Kolkata
Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Saturday, 10-May-25, 7:30 PM, Hyderabad
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Saturday, 17-May-25, 7:30 PM, Bengaluru
KKR's squad for IPL 2025:
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, Umran Malik