Before the Indian Premier League 2025 restart, the Kolkata Knight Riders have suffered a big loss because both their key overseas stars, Moeen Ali and Rovman Powell, cannot play the rest of the tournament. Sports Tak says the players are unlikely to feature again this season for medical reasons. Since KKR comes in at sixth place, with 11 points in twelve games, they must win both their final matches to have a shot at making the playoffs. The team came to Bengaluru on May 15 and were set to play Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in a crucial match on May 17.
The IPL has established a rule whereby foreign players who fall sick
A substitute would replace those who undergo surgery or are injured. When the IPL was paused earlier in the season, foreign players were forced to leave due to commitments with their national sports or for other personal or health-related reasons. As a result, the IPL has introduced the chance for franchises to bring in foreign players to cover replacements for injured or absent individuals. If players are traded, they must join the 2026 IPL auction to stay in the league for the coming years. However, KKR won’t have the chance to fill in Moeen and Powell’s spots ahead of the RCB game. For this reason, the team is left to select these overseas players when preparing for the tournament:
- Quinton de Kock
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz
- Sunil Narine
- Andre Russell
- Anrich Nortje
- Spencer Johnson
KKR’s Future in the Playoffs Depends on These Next Games. Ajinkya Rahane and KKR must win their last two games to continue in contention for the playoffs. Even though they have won twice, other league match-ups and changes in the net run rate will still affect their progress. The Kolkata Knight Riders will play their last league game on May 25 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Under pressure and having top players out, KKR have a tough time trying to make the playoffs. With IPL 2025 soon approaching its end, KKR needs to rely on its collective strength and decisions in the absence of its experienced T20 players.
