The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season will resume on May 17, with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) taking on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. This high-pressure match is pivotal for KKR’s playoff chances, and hence, it is a must-win game.
Russell, Narine, and Overseas Stars Set to Return for KKR
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KKR’s foreign players, including important West Indies all-rounders Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, will arrive in Bengaluru between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning. The players were in Dubai after the IPL was postponed temporarily on May 9 due to India-Pakistan cross-border tensions.
After a ceasefire announcement on May 10, the IPL organizers assured the league would resume, and franchises such as KKR recalled their international players.
Complete List of Returning KKR Players
Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Rovman Powell, and team mentor Dwayne Bravo will fly from Dubai.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan) will meet them in Dubai before flying to India.
Anrich Nortje (South Africa) will fly into Bengaluru from the Maldives.
Updates on Moeen Ali (UK) and Spencer Johnson (Australia) are pending.
There is uncertainty about Quinton de Kock’s comeback.
In the meantime, the Indian players and coaching staff of KKR will be reaching Bengaluru in phases beginning Wednesday.
KKR’s Qualification Scenario: Playoff Hopes Hang in Balance
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KKR is currently placed sixth on the IPL 2025 points table with 5 victories, 1 no-result, and 12 games played. To remain in the playoff hunt, KKR needs to:
- Beat RCB on May 17
- Won their last league match vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on May 25 in Delhi
- Two victories will propel KKR to 15 points, which might ensure a playoff spot based on other games’ results.
IPL 2025 Modified Schedule and Venues
The organizing committee of the IPL unveiled the revised schedule for the rest of the 2025 season. Main points:
- 13 league matches and 4 playoff matches are left
- League games to be played at Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and Bengaluru
Playoff fixtures:
Qualifier 1 – May 29
Eliminator – May 30
Qualifier 2 – June 1
Final – June 3
Playoff grounds to be declared
As the IPL 2025 tournament gets underway again, Russell and KKR will come under scrutiny to deliver in their remaining matches. With Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, the big guns, returning, the Kolkata-based franchise would like to come back strongly and set up a place for themselves in the playoffs. Their game against RCB on May 17 will be crucial for determining their tournament fate.
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