IPL 2025: Kolkata Knight Riders Perform Traditional Pooja Ceremony At Eden Gardens Ahead Of Training

Kolkata: Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) got their pre-tournament camp underway in Kolkata with a pooja ceremony of the Eden Gardens pitch on Wednesday, March 12.

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.

Speaking ahead of the start of the camp, head coach Chandrakant Pandit said, "We have already planned our training sessions. A few international players are unavailable because of the Champions Trophy, but we have most of our key players here. It’s a great feeling as we are coming back to our home ground, especially after the season we had last time around, and we would like to continue that momentum. There is a different motivation in the team."

Eden Gardens, with its capacity of over 68,000 spectators, remains one of cricket's most celebrated venues and will once again host all of KKR's home matches in the upcoming season.

The defending champions will begin their IPL 2025 campaign against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at their home ground on March 22.