Kolkata Knight Riders have reinforced their squad for IPL 2025 by retaining a significant chunk of their title-winning core from last season.

The franchise has re-signed several key players, including Venkatesh Iyer, who was secured for ₹23.75 crore at the mega auction, alongside Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, and Ramandeep Singh.

Additionally, KKR have reacquired Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Manish Pandey, and Vibhav Arora.

As part of their squad strengthening, KKR have also brought back left-arm pacer Chetan Sakariya as a replacement for Umran Malik.

The 27-year-old, who has represented India in one ODI and two T20Is, returns to the team as he continues his recovery from an injury sustained in February 2024.

“I am really happy to be back. It feels like I never left,” Sakariya said after joining the squad on Monday. “The atmosphere in the team remains the same, and I am in a good state of mind as I prepare for the season.”

The Saurashtra pacer highlighted the support within the KKR setup, particularly from mentor Dwayne Bravo and bowling coach Bharat Arun.

“If you need help with tactics and planning, Bravo is there. If there are issues with rhythm, Bharat sir is the expert,” he said.

KKR, led by Ajinkya Rahane, will open their IPL 2025 campaign against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 22 at Eden Gardens.