The West Indies core of Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Rovman Powell, and team mentor Dwayne Bravo is set to rejoin Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 resumption, with the franchise gearing up for a must-win clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on May 17 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The quartet has been stationed in Dubai since leaving India on May 9, when the IPL was abruptly suspended due to escalating cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan. But following a ceasefire announcement on May 10, preparations for the league’s resumption were quickly reignited, and franchises began rallying their overseas contingents.
Alongside the West Indians, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, KKR’s Afghan wicketkeeper-batter, will fly from Kabul to Dubai before linking up with the group en route to India. South African pacer Anrich Nortje is set to arrive in Bengaluru directly from the Maldives, while updates on Moeen Ali (England) and Spencer Johnson (Australia) are pending, though both are expected to return. There is still no confirmation on Quinton de Kock’s availability.
Meanwhile, KKR's Indian players and support staff will arrive in Bengaluru in staggered batches from Wednesday, as the franchise ramps up its preparations for a high-stakes finish to the league phase.
KKR currently sit sixth on 11 points with five wins and one no-result from 12 games. To have any realistic shot at qualifying for the playoffs, they must win both remaining league fixtures—against RCB on May 17 and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Delhi on May 25—which would take them to 15 points. They would also have to hope other results fall in their favour.
The IPL’s revised schedule, released on Monday, includes 13 remaining league games and four playoff fixtures. The league stage will unfold across six cities—Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. However, venues for the playoffs are yet to be confirmed. The Qualifier, Eliminator, Qualifier 2, and Final are scheduled for May 29, May 30, June 1, and June 3, respectively.