A crucial win, a birthday bash, and a cake-filled celebration - Andre Russell couldn't have asked for a better night.
Ahead of the mini-auction, scheduled to be held in Doha on December 26, the 10 franchises have released their list of retained and released players.
Riding high on their new-found confidence, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders will be hoping to finally get it right at home and keep their play-off hopes alive when they take on a struggling Rajasthan Royals in their IPL match in Kolkata on Sunday.
Kolkata Knight Riders spinner Sunil Narine, who was instrumental in ensuring the team IPL title wins in 2012 and 2014, says the franchise is like his second home and it has backed him through thick and thin.
Harshit Rana has been part of India's white-ball squads since his impressive 2024 IPL season with the Kolkata-based franchise, where he claimed 19 wickets at an average of 20.15 over 13 matches.
Images from the Indian Premier League 'Eliminator' between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders, in Sharjah.
Instead of his now-famous 'notebook celebration', which landed him in hot water twice this season, the 25 year old unveiled a brand-new move: A symbolic gesture of writing on the ground, a subtle nod to his earlier antics but toned down to avoid further fines and sanctions.
The common theme in their opening game defeats was how the seemingly powerful batting and bowling units of KKR and RR failed to fire.
The common theme in those defeats was how the seemingly powerful batting and bowling units of KKR and RR failed to fire.
Sunil Narine was the hero with both bat and ball as Kolkata Knight Riders scored a three-wicket win over Delhi Capitals and boosted their hopes of a place in the IPL play-offs, in Sharjah on Tuesday.
Venkatesh Iyer silenced his critics with a match-winning 60 off 29 balls, propelling Kolkata Knight Riders to a convincing 80-run win against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The unexpected 10-day break has left both the RCB and the KKR with different goals to achieve and common challenges to hurdle over.
A struggling Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will be aiming to break their losing streak when they face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in a crucial Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday. CSK are currently ninth in the standings with one win and four losses, while KKR are in sixth position with two wins and three defeats. The home team will be hoping to turn around their fortunes at Chepauk, which has not been as advantageous this season as it has been in the past. CSK will need to adapt to the changed conditions and rely on their spinners to perform well at a venue where they have traditionally dominated. Meanwhile, KKR will be looking to bounce back from a narrow loss to the Lucknow Super Giants and secure a win to keep their playoff hopes alive.
'Someone's not going to work doubly harder if he's getting Rs 20 plus crore or someone's not going to work less harder when he's getting one, two, three crore...'
Having got off to a start so typical of themselves in the Indian Premier League, Mumbai Indians will hope for a quick turnaround when they take on defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders in Mumbai on Monday.
Despite his impressive performances in this year's IPL, Rana hasn't received the recognition he deserves. He has consistently batted well, playing several crucial innings for his team. He has also been a strong leader on the field, contributing with excellent man management skills. In addition, he has chipped in with the ball when needed.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff's three best performing players in all the 17 IPLs (2008-2024).
On a night packed with drama, milestones, and momentum swings, five batters rose above the rest to set Eden Gardens alight.
West Indian off-spinner Sunil Narine on Tuesday said Kolkata Knight Riders is like a "family" to him and he would be willing to play for any team in the world that is owned by the franchise. Narine, who turned 32 on Tuesday, has been playing for KKR since 2012 and has represented the Trinbago Knight Riders, a Carribean Premier League team owned by KKR's parent company.
Both captains showed grit and leadership under pressure, but with the business end of the season approaching, their fitness will be closely monitored.
Yuzvendra Chahal led a stunning comeback for Punjab Kings with 4/28 as they defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 16 runs in their low-scoring Indian Premier League thriller on Tuesday.
With spinners playing a crucial role in dismantling CSK's batting, Rahane praised their performance while also shedding light on how KKR's strategy worked flawlessly on the night.
Images from the Indian Premier League match between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders, in Sharjah, on Tuesday.
Kolkata Knight Riders have named left-arm pacer Chetan Sakariya as a replacement for speedster Umran Malik ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season.
Shreyas Iyer had led KKR to their first IPL title in a decade last year. However, on Saturday, he returns as captain of a rejuvenated Punjab Kings chasing a play-off spot.
In the letter, the body asked for the removal of Bhogle and New Zealand's Simon Doull from the commentary panel for matches in Kolkata after they stated that the Eden Gardens pitch was not helping the local franchise Kolkata Knight Riders.
A 'Go To' man in Kolkata Knight Riders for more than a decade, Sunil Narine will have to play out of his skin to justify his place in the playing eleven when his team takes on Punjab Kings in a must-win Indian Premier League game in Kolkata on Monday.
Kolkata Knight Riders captain Eoin Morgan says his team's four-wicket win over RCB in the IPL Eliminator was possible due to Sunil Narine's outstanding all-round effort.
Kolkata Knight Riders batter Quinton de Kock says having former Chennai Super Kings players Ajinkya Rahane and Moeen Ali in their ranks gave them key insights into the Chepauk conditions, which prompted the decision to field an extra spinner, a move that proved crucial in their eight-wicket win in the IPL match in Chennai on Friday.
IMAGES from the IPL match between KKR and LSG at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Tuesday
Reigning champions Kolkata Knight Riders will hope that their strife-ridden batting unit will tighten its act against in-form table-toppers Gujarat Titans in the IPL match in Kolkata on Monday.
Among other developments from the RCB camp, West Indies all-rounder Romario Shepherd and England's Liam Livingstone have returned to India and rejoined the squad on Wednesday.
Narine's figures of 4-21 helped KKR take an upper hand. Anything under 140 in the IPL is always good for the chasing team, and KKR eventually won with two balls to spare.
The nature of the pitch at KKR's home venue has been in discussion ever since captain Ajinkya Rahane wished getting more support for his spinners at the Eden Gardens.
Kolkata Knight Riders spinner Sunil Narine, who has been reported for suspect bowling action again, is available for the contest against Rajasthan Royals but skipper Gautam Gambhir says they're still pondering whether to risk the Windies.
A look at Tilak Varma's stunning effort on the field
Rajasthan Royals pulled off the highest run chase in the history of IPL to edge Kolkata Knight Riders by two wickets.
With KKR failing to capitalise on home advantage, the pressure is already mounting on Rahane and his squad to bounce back in their next encounter.
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