5 KKR players in IPL 2025 who were earlier in DC ft. Ajinkya Rahane

Delhi Capitals (DC) will host Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 48th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 in Delhi on Tuesday, April 29. The hosts, who narrowly lost their previous game to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, will look to bounce back and regain the top spot in the league standings.

Currently, DC are placed fourth in the table with 12 points, while RCB lead with 14. DC have the same number of points as Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans, and will want to get ahead of the lot.

In this listicle, we take a look at five current KKR players who were earlier in DC:

#5 Chetan Sakariya

Saurashtra seamer Chetan Sakariya, who is now a part of KKR, played for DC for two seasons in 2022 and 2023. However, there is very little to report about his exploits for the JSW-owned franchise as he turned out for them in just five matches across the two seasons and picked up six wickets in total.

The 27-year-old, who first entered public imagination after being picked up by the Rajasthan Royals ahead of IPL 2021, didn't have a largely successful stint with DC, and not much seems to have changed. For KKR, the left-arm pacer has played just one match this season, going for 39 runs in three overs against Punjab Kings on April 26.

#4 Manish Pandey

India batter Manish Pandey, who has been with KKR over the last two seasons, earlier played for DC in the 2023 edition of the tournament. Pandey, who is also an electric fielder, turned out for the franchise in 10 matches, out of which he batted in nine innings. He aggregated a total of 160 runs that season.

After the 2023 season, he was let go by DC and KKR, with whom Pandey had earlier played from 2014 to 2017, brought him back to their fold. The former Karnataka captain has scored 3,869 runs so far in his IPL career.

#3 Quinton de Kock

Wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock has turned out for six teams so far in the IPL, with DC being one of them. De Kock wore the DC colours for three seasons from 2014 to 2016 when they were still called the Delhi Daredevils. The aggressive southpaw's best came for the franchise in his final season with them.

In 2016, De Kock amassed 445 runs in 13 innings for the Delhi-based franchise at an average of 37.08 and a strike rate of 136.08. However, he was picked up by Royal Challengers Bengaluru the next season, where he averaged a tad above 25. Now, with KKR, De Kock has struck the ball at 137 this season in seven matches.

#2 Anrich Nortje

Seamer Anrich Nortje is among the biggest names in the IPL to feature for both DC and KKR. The express fast bowler was a part of DC till 2024. KKR then swooped in and picked him up in the mega auction held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in November 2024. Nortje played 46 IPL matches for DC in his career.

This season, the South African has played just one game so far for KKR, returning with figures of 1-23 in three overs against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur on April 15. For DC, Nortje picked up 60 wickets in total. His best season came in 2021, when he played eight matches and bowled at a measly economy of 6.16.

#1 Ajinkya Rahane

Unbeknownst to several cricket fans, current KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane was a part of the DC camp for two seasons in 2020 and 2021. While most remember Rahane from his Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings days, he also played for the capital-based side for two seasons.

However, Rahane did not have the best of times with DC, as he was given the opportunity to play in just 11 matches across two seasons, in which he totalled 121 runs. While his average in 2020 was 14, in 2021, it was a paltry 8. In the two seasons he played for them, Rahane hit just two sixes, which tells a sorry tale.