Tearaway pacer Umran Malik has joined the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) camp ahead of their must-win match against Punjab Kings. KKR takes on PBKS at Eden Gardens on Saturday, April 26.
KKR roped in Umran Malik for 75 lakhs in the IPL 2025 mega auction. However, he could not play the initial games due to an injury. Now he has joined the camp, and he will continue his rehabilitation process with the franchise.
Malik will not be playing for KKR for the rest of the season. However, he will continue to stay with the side as he continues his rehabilitation process. The exact nature of his injury is not yet known.
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Umran Malik Joins KKR To Continue His "Return To Cricket" Program
KKR's official X handle confirmed the news of Umran joining the squad ahead of their crucial match against Punjab Kings on Saturday.
#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 wrote on their X handle.
Umran Malik has been one of the many Indian pacers who have been injury-prone. He made his IPL debut in 2021 for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), where he picked up five wickets. His breakthrough season came in 2022 when he took 22 wickets for the franchise and made a mark in the IPL due to his rapid pace. He clocked over 150 kmph regularly. His exploits with the ball led him to make his ODI and T20I debut for India that year. However, since then, he has not been a part of the Indian team due to his consistent injury concerns.
KKR added him to the squad, banking on his pace. However, he was ruled out at the last minute due to an injury. KKR then roped in Chetan Sakariya as his replacement.
"KKR pick Chetan Sakariya as a replacement for Umran Malik. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) picked Chetan Sakariya as a replacement for Umran Malik for the upcoming edition of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Umran Malik is ruled out of the season due to an injury. Sakariya has represented India in an ODI and two T20Is and has played 19 IPL games, scalping 20 wickets from them. Sakariya, a left-arm medium pacer, joins KKR for INR 75 Lakh," the Indian Premier League website announced via an official release on March 16.
Meanwhile, KKR are placed seventh in the IPL 2025 points table heading into their reverse fixture against PBKS. They were bowled out for just 95 runs in their previous game, chasing 112 runs to win. They need to win all their remaining games to make it through to the playoffs.
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