Sourav Ganguly expressed caution in predicting the IPL 2025 winner while highlighting Kolkata Knight Riders’ strong squad.
Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly refrained from predicting the winner of IPL 2025 despite acknowledging Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as a “strong” side.
Speaking to the media at Eden Gardens, Ganguly, associated with Delhi Capitals, said, “It is too early to say anything right now. The tournament is too long and competitive.”
Sourav Ganguly Backs Varun
Commenting on KKR’s spin attack, Ganguly backed Varun Chakravarthy to excel in the format, stating, “He (Varun Chakravarthy) will bowl even better in this format (T20). Kolkata Knight Riders is a strong team.”
Chakravarthy, a key performer in India’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 triumph with nine wickets in three matches, acknowledged IPL’s unique challenges.
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“Confidence is very important, but as in every new tournament, even if you win the last tournament, you have to start from scratch. IPL is a different ball game and it’s a different beast. I very well know what’s coming my way,” Sourav Ganguly said during the pre-match press conference.
RCB head coach Andy Flower also acknowledged the threat posed by KKR’s spin duo, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy. “Chakravarthy is in really good form and we know about Narine over many years. But that is why you play this game at this level—it is to test yourself against the best in the world, and that is one of the most exciting and rewarding parts of playing international cricket or IPL cricket, which the standard is very much like international cricket and obviously all the excitement and energy that comes with playing top-class cricket in India comes with that as well,” Flower remarked.
