Picture Credit: IPL/X
The remainder of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 resumed on Saturday, May 17 with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) hosting the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. However, the match did not get underway as rain played a spoilsport.
With both teams settling for a point each, the Ajinkya Rahane-led side were officially eliminated from the IPL 2025 playoffs race. With only a solitary game left for the Kolkata-based franchise in the tournament, where they will face the Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 25, they will also be missing the services of their overseas star, Rovman Powell.
KKR signs Shivam Shukla as Rovman Powell’s replacement for remainder of IPL 2025
Powell, joined Moeen Ali as he confirmed his decisoon to not return to India due to medical reasons. “Rovman is undergoing a procedure,” the franchise had said in a statement, as quoted by Cricbuzz. Seeing this, they have roped in Madhya Pradesh mystery spinner Shivam Shukla.
The 29-year-old spinner has so far played only one season of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he finished with eight wickets in as many games. He also had an impressive Madhya Pradesh Premier League (MPL), where he finished as the highest wicket-taker with 10 scalps, including a fifer.
Kolkata Knight Riders' updated squad for IPL 2025
Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rinku Singh, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Ramandeep Singh, Andre Russell, Anrich Nortje, Harshit Rana, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande, Shivam Shukla, Manish Pandey, Spencer Johnson, Luvnith Sisodia, Anukul Roy, Moeen Ali, Chetan Sakariya.
