Chetan Sakariya Joins KKR as Umran Malik’s Replacement: Chetan Sakariya has been signed by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as a replacement for the injured Umran Malik ahead of the upcoming 18th season of the Indian Premier League. Umran has been ruled out of the tournament due to an unspecified injury. The Jammu & Kashmir pacer was bought by KKR for ₹75 lakh in the auction.
Interestingly, Sakariya was part of KKR’s squad last season when they won the IPL title. However, he did not get a chance to play. The franchise released him before the IPL 2024 mega auction, but now he has returned at the same price. This will be a great opportunity for him to prove his skills in the league.
Chetan Sakariya IPL Stats
The 27-year-old left-arm pacer has played 19 IPL matches between 2021 and 2023. He played 14 games for Rajasthan Royals in 2021. Later, he featured in five matches for Delhi Capitals, picking up three wickets in each season.
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Sakariya has a solid T20 record. He has taken 65 wickets in 46 matches with an economy rate of 7.69. He also made his white-ball debut for India in July 2021 but has not played for the national team since then.
Chetan Sakariya Bowling Performance (Year-wise Stats)
| Category | Career | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matches (MAT) | 19 | 2 | 3 | 14 |
| Balls Bowled (BALLS) | 426 | 48 | 66 | 312 |
| Runs Conceded (RUNS) | 599 | 89 | 84 | 426 |
| Wickets (WKTS) | 20 | 3 | 3 | 14 |
| Best Bowling Match (BBM) | 3/31 | 2/53 | 2/23 | 3/31 |
| Bowling Average (AVE) | 29.95 | 29.67 | 28.00 | 30.42 |
| Economy Rate (ECON) | 8.44 | 11.13 | 7.64 | 8.19 |
KKR’s IPL 2025 Journey
The IPL 2025 season begins on March 22, with Kolkata Knight Riders locking horns against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Eden Gardens. Fans will be eager to see if Sakariya gets a spot in the playing XI.
Umran Malik’s Struggles
The past year has been tough for Umran. After a breakthrough IPL 2022, he struggled with form. He played just eight matches in 2023 and only one in 2024 before being dropped. Now, an injury has forced him to miss IPL 2025.
Kolkata Knight Riders will hope that Sakariya grabs this chance and strengthens their bowling attack for the new season.
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