The defending champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad, embraced the festive spirit of Holi at the team hotel, celebrating the festival of colours with vibrant enthusiasm. The players and support staff took a break from their rigorous pre-season preparations to indulge in traditional Holi celebrations, exchanging colours, laughter, and camaraderie. Amidst a splash of bright hues, KKR stars, including Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, and Angkrish Raghuvanshi, were seen enjoying the festivities, smearing colours on each other. Also present during the celebrations were members of the coaching staff, including head coach Chandrakant Pandit and spin bowling coach Carl Crowe. The joyous occasion showcased the strong bond within the team and the high spirits ahead of the upcoming season.

The Kolkata Knight Riders will begin their title defense in IPL 2025 against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 22 at the iconic Eden Gardens.

Earlier, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) got their pre-tournament camp underway in Kolkata with a pooja ceremony on the Eden Gardens pitch here on Wednesday.

KKR have named veteran India batter Ajinkya Rahane as their new skipper for the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The three-time IPL winners have also appointed all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer as their vice-captain.

Rahane, the senior-most Indian player in the KKR setup, now steps into the role left by Shreyas Iyer, who led the franchise to the Ian PL 2024 triumph in Chennai. lyer, though, wasn’t retained by the franchise and will now captain Punjab Kings in IPL 2025.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) got their pre-tournament camp underway in Kolkata with a pooja ceremony at the Eden Gardens pitch on Wednesday. The Coaching staff, led by head coach Chandrakant Pandit, and players participated in the ceremony before commencing cricketing activities at this historic cricketing venue. Captain Ajinkya Rahane and Eden Gardens’ pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee performed the rituals as an ode to cricket, seeking blessings for another successful IPL campaign.