Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Jammu & Kashmir pacer Umran Malik, who missed the previous Indian Premier League (IPL) season, has made a resounding comeback. Malik was ruled out of IPL 2025 with injury but now he is turning on the heat in the ongoing Buchi Babu 2025 tournament to push his case for a retention ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.
SLK
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GAW
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TKR
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ABF
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ADKRDM
167/6
MIEDM
94/10
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Development beat MI Emirates Development by 73 runs
DVDM
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SWDM
71/2
MIEDM
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DCDM
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GGDM
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DVDM
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SDS
109/2
NDS
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Match abandoned due to rain
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ODW
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Match Abandoned
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EDR
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CDK
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KENT
225/10
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301/9
Yorkshire beat Kent by 76 runs
LAN
291/8
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292/9
Middlesex beat Lancashire by 1 wickets
SOM
240/2
NOR
238/10
Somerset beat Northamptonshire by 8 wickets (D/L) method
DER
322/10
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366/6
Essex beat Derbyshire by 44 runs
BB
258/10
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277/9
Sussex beat Birmingham Bears by 22 runs (D/L) method
GLO
313/7
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315/5
Hampshire win by 5 wickets (DLS Method)
GLAM
278/3
LEI
274/10
Glamorgan beat Leicestershire by 7 wickets
WOR
269/4
SURR
266/6
Worcestershire Rapids win by 6 wickets (DLS Method)
PNG
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KNY
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QAT
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DEN
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CAN
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NAM
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GER-W
108/4
ITA-W
109/2
Italy Women won by 8 wickets
IRE-W
111/3
NED-W
110/10
Ireland Women beat Netherlands Women by 7 wickets
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IRE-W
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BAN
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Match Called off
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KZK
85/6
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66/6
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189/5
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188/7
Thrissur Titans won by 5 wickets
ALRS
128/9
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172/8
Calicut Globstars beat Alleppey Ripples by 44 runs
CAGS
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KBTS
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ATR
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TTS
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MGD
100/10
HBT
210/2
Hubli Tigers beat Mangalore Dragons by 110 runs
GBM
122/8
BNB
126/2
Bengaluru Blasters won by 8 wkts
MGD
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BNB
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IAI
92/10
YSG
95/3
Yallah Shabab Giants won by 7 wickets
MUT
92/7
ROS
84/1
VLLY
231/3
SGR
139/7
Valley beat Sandgate Redcliffe by 93 runs
SBB
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54/3
TMB
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IPS
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NOS
139/7
MAO
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96/2
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94/10
Northern Superchargers Women beat Manchester Originals Women by 8 wickets
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143/3
NOSK
139/9
Lucknow Falcons beat Noida Super Kings by 7 wickets
KASS
198/3
KARS
70/10
Kanpur Superstars beat Kashi Rudras by 128 runs
LUF
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MEMA
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GOLS
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NOSK
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Playing for J&K against Odisha, the 25-year-old speedster impressed by two wickets in two balls, shattering the stumps on both the instances. Returning to cricket after a one-year gap, Malik struck in his very first over to dismiss opposition opener OM T Munde. After getting the wicket on the last ball of the over, he dismissed Odisha skipper Subhranshu Senapati on the first ball of his next over.
Check the video of his dismissals below.
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KKR had spent INR 75 lakhs at the mega-auction last year on Umran Malik but he sustained hamstring and hip injuries that forced him to miss the domestic season 2024-25 and IPL 2025. KKR eventually decided to replace him with Chetan Sakariya.
Going into the IPL 2026 auction, KKR are expected to make quite a few changes after having subpar IPL 2025 where they finished a lowly eighth. However, given the J&K pacer’s express pace and raw talent, a fully recovered Umran Malik can be an asset and KKR wouldn’t want to lose him. He is an out-and-out pacer who can bowl at a high pace and act as an enforcer in the middle overs.
Furthermore, there’s no downside to retaining him since his modest price barely affect KKR’s overall budget and he will be motivated to contribute after the three-time IPL winners supported him during the injury phase.
Since his debut in 2021, the right-arm fast bowler has played only 26 matches and completed just one full season in 2022. His last international game was in 2023 and has since faded from the spotlight. Umran will thus look to re-establish himself as one of the frontline fast bowlers and subsequently get back into the national setup.
