Kolkata, March 3: Three-time Indian Premier League champions Kolkata Knight Riders will arrive in Kolkata on March 17 to begin their pre-season preparations, with the first training session scheduled for March 18.
According to KKR team officials, several uncapped players, Tejasvi Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ramandeep Singh, Prashant Solanki, and Sarthak Ranjan, will be part of the training camp as the franchise gears up for the new season. Team captain Ajinkya Rahane will also join the training camp. However, Rinku Singh and Varun Chakravarty are expected to join the team a day or two late, after the completion of their national duties with the team at the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026.
A seismic transformation has swept through the squad and coaching setup, reshaping the team’s identity. One of the biggest changes sees long-time match-winner Andre Russell stepping away from the playing XI. However, the veteran all-rounder isn’t going far; he will now lend his explosive experience from the sidelines as the team’s new power coach, guiding the next generation from behind the scenes.
Abhishek Nayar is also set to don a new hat, becoming the head coach of the team. The former Indian cricketer currently serves as the head coach of the WPL team UP Warriorz. Nayar was also part of Gautam Gambhir’s camp, which led the KKR to its third IPL title in 2024.
KKR’s IPL 2025 Performance
The Kolkata-based franchise was a dominant force in the 2024 season, winning nine matches and showcasing remarkable consistency throughout the campaign.
However, the 2025 season told a different story for KKR. This was primarily due to two major changes which shaped the campaign for King Khan’s team, one was the removal of Shreyas Iyer from the squad, who led them to the 2024 title,e and the second was Gautam Gambhir’s departure from being the head coach of the team.
As a result, the defending champions failed to qualify for the playoffs in IPL 2025, prompting questions about whether they missed the ‘thrill factor’ that Harshit Rana had spoken about.
Former KKR opener Manvinder Bisla, a hero of their 2012 title win under Gambhir’s captaincy, explained the impact Gauti had on the team. “After many years, Gautam (Gambhir) returned to the franchise. And it’s not like he came in and made big changes right away,” Bisla added, quoted the Times of India.