IPL 2025: KKR Sign Chetan Sakariya As Replacement Of Umran Malik. The shocking news comes out from KKR’s camp for IPL 2025. Umran Malik, an upcoming star, is out of the tournament due to injury. Chetan Sakariya has been called in by the franchise to fill the gap for next season.
The IPL 2025 season will start on March 22. It will be important for KKR to shoot for their fourth IPL title under the able captaincy of Ajinkya Rahane. He has to work with the team to bear the loss of a major player, Umran Malik.
Thus, with the inclusion of Sakariya, he gets that once again the chance to rectify himself in IPL, as he has not had consistent game time over the past seasons. The left-arm pacer can take this opportunity to deliver match-winning performances for KKR. Now the KKR bowling attack will include the likes of Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Anrich Nortje, and Chetan Sakariya.
Also Read: IPL 2025 KKR: Kolkata Knight Riders Full Schedule, Squad, and Captains
A major setback for KKR in IPL 2025 is Malik’s injury
One of the fastest bowlers in India, Umran Malik was expected to play the key role for KKR. Malik’s raw pace could have been an asset to KKR’s bowling attack. As he was known for his ability to bowl over 150 km/h consistently. Unfortunately, the BCCI medical team announced that Malik would remain completely out of the IPL 2025 season due to injury.
The exact details of the injury have not been disclosed. It appears to be either stress or a muscle strain, considering the workload of a fast bowler. Malik had fitness issues in the previous season. That might mitigate his unfortunate story even before the start of this season.
Chetan Sakariya Joins KKR as Replacement
KKR, on its part, has now added Sakariya joining them as available in place of Malik. The left-arm pacer, who has played for past seasons of IPL with Rajasthan, Delhi, and now KKR, will wear the purple-gold jersey.
Sakariya was unsold in IPL 2025, but suddenly, he gets the chance to showcase his talent at the very highest level; Sakariya is 27. He has played 19 IPL matches, taking 20 wickets for an economy rate of around 8.5. While he doesn’t have Malik’s extreme pace, Sakariya’s use of swing and effective slower deliveries makes him a valuable addition to the roster.
Also Read: IPL 2025 CSK: Chennai Super Kings Full Schedule, Squad and Captains
Sakariya is seen as a valuable player in domestic cricket. He has played significant roles for Saurashtra in both the Ranji Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. This would help KKR a lot in creating a stronger pace attack—the combination of his control and international experience has got his name in one ODI and two T20s for India.
