Synopsis
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have begun their preparations for IPL 2025 with a week-long training camp in Mumbai, involving nine Indian players. This camp, running until February 28, focuses on skill enhancement and team bonding ahead of the season-opening game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 22.Key Takeaways
- KKR's Indian players are training in Mumbai.
- Training camp lasts until February 28.
- Focus on strength, skill training, and team bonding.
- Upcoming camp in Kolkata from March 12.
- Season opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 22.
Mumbai, Feb 22 (NationPress) The reigning champions, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), have announced that a group of nine players from their Indian squad has commenced preparations for IPL 2025 with a week-long training camp in Mumbai. This camp will continue until February 28. The franchise secured its third IPL title in 2024 by defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final held in Chennai.
The training camp in Mumbai includes players such as Rinku Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Ramandeep Singh, Vaibhav Arora, Anukul Roy, Manish Pandey, Luvnith Sisodia, Mayank Markande, and Angkrish Raghuvanshi.
This camp is being led by head coach Chandrakant Pandit, focusing on specialized strength and conditioning, net skill training, match simulation, and team bonding exercises. “Players not engaged in domestic cricket are available and have joined us for this brief pre-season camp. This is a regular practice for us each season. We will also conduct a camp in Kolkata starting March 12, where international players will join after the ICC Champions Trophy,” said Pandit.
“Our true preparations will commence once the entire squad is present, but this camp will assist us in finding our rhythm. Having our core group intact instills confidence, and with the new players we acquired at the auction, our combinations will be robust, similar to last season,” Pandit remarked in a statement released by the franchise.
Alongside Pandit, the training camp features bowling coach Bharat Arun, spin bowling coach Carl Crowe, strength & conditioning coach Sagar V., and head physio Prasanth Panchada. “We have numerous nets and match simulation planned for the upcoming days, providing an opportunity for most of the group to reconnect,” Crowe commented.
“It’s great to see many familiar faces, along with a few new ones. Keeping the squad fresh is essential. While we had a very successful year, we must continue to explore ways to progress. Everyone is eagerly anticipating the tournament,” Crowe added.
KKR will launch their IPL 2025 campaign with an opening match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, exactly a month later on March 22. The franchise has yet to announce its captain for the 2025 IPL season, following the departure of their 2024 title-winning captain Shreyas Iyer, who is now the captain of Punjab Kings.
