Kolkata Knight Riders dealt with a major blow as the star speedster Umran Malik was ruled out of the upcoming Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025) due to an injury. Umran Malik was snapped up by the Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 75 lakh at the IPL 2025 mega auction last year.
After Jammu & Kashmir speedster Umran Malik was ruled out of the upcoming season due to an unspecified injury, the KKR brought in the left-arm fast bowler Chetan Sakariya as Umran’s replacement for the upcoming IPL 2025 season. The IPL didn’t mention anything about the pacer’s injury.
Umran Malik ruled out of the IPL 2025 due to an injury
Umran has been out of action since IPL 2024, where he played just one match for Sunrisers Hyderabad during their journey to the finals. The 25-year-old pacer, who is known for his raw pace, touching 150 kmph, had made a strong impact when he burst onto the scene in 2021.
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However, injuries, illness, and lack of consistency slowed down his growth. The Indian pacer was set to play in the Duleep Trophy at the start of the 2024-25 domestic season but had to pull out due to dengue. Soon after, he suffered a hip fracture, further delaying his return to competitive cricket.
And now Umran missed another opportunity to put himself back into the spotlight for India’s return. Malik has represented India in eight T20I matches and has taken 11 wickets, but his economy rate is on the higher side at 10.48, and it went against him.
KKR signs Chetan Sakariya as a replacement for Umran Malik
Meanwhile, the IPL has confirmed that Chetan Sakariya was signed up by the defending champions KKR as Umran’s replacement for the upcoming tournament, starting on March 22 in Kolkata. They also revealed that Sakariya rejoined the Kolkata franchise at the same price as Umran—INR 75 lakhs.
The IPL said in a media release, “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.”
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Sakariya was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders’ squad during their title-winning campaign in 2024, but he didn’t get a chance to play in any matches. Despite going unsold at the IPL 2025 mega auction, the defending champions have now brought him back as Malik’s replacement.
Chetan Sakariya could step in for Spencer Johnson!
The left-arm pacer has played 19 IPL matches across three seasons, picking up 20 wickets with an economy rate of 8.43. He started his IPL journey with Rajasthan Royals before joining Delhi Capitals in 2022, and now he is part of the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Sakariya could step in for Spencer Johnson as KKR’s left-arm pace option. With Malik sidelined, KKR now lacks an Indian fast bowler to cover for the injury-prone Anrich Nortje. He is also making a comeback from injury. His last competitive match was a Ranji Trophy game for Saurashtra in February 2024.
Sakariya played one ODI and two T20Is for India in 2021 but was dropped soon after. In T20 cricket, the Indian pacer has been impressive, taking 65 wickets in 46 matches with a solid economy rate of 7.69.
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