Watch: Anrich Nortje thanks KKR for backing him; says he's excited for the IPL 2025 season

Anrich Nortje will turn out for Kolkata Knight Riders for the second time in the IPL.

South Africa pacer Anrich Nortje has thanked the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise for picking him at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction. Nortje, who has been dealing with a few injuries in recent years, missed the ICC Champions Trophy for 2025 his country.

After being forced to leave KKR in 2019 without playing a single game, this is Nortje’s second tenure with the team. The South African pacer was bought at auction for INR 6.5 crores ahead of the IPL 2025.

“KKR was the first to back me, and it’s just great to be here (in Kolkata) again. Really excited for things to get going, and what a place to be. Beautiful place, beautiful ground to be at, really excited to be there, and looking forward to that first game. Obviously, the most important thing for now is just to get the prep done, but you are nice to just take everything in for now and hopefully build up to a successful season,” Nortje said in a video posted by KKR.

“For all the fans” – Anrich Nortje can’t wait for IPL 2025 to begin

Since December of last year, Nortje will be returning to the field of play. He shattered his toe in the nets before South Africa’s white-ball series against Pakistan, causing him to sustain another injury.

KKR will begin their IPL 2025 campaign against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on March 22 at the Eden Gardens.

“For all the fans, we can’t wait to see you at the ground. We can’t wait to see you at the matches. Some people are already on the ground with the training. So thanks for all the support, thanks for all the messages, and we really look forward to seeing you guys,” he added as a message to the KKR fans.

The KKR team will attempt to defend their IPL championship under the leadership of head coach Chandrakant Pandit, with Otis Gibson serving as assistant coach and Dwayne Bravo serving as mentor.

In their four IPL final appearances, KKR has won the title three times (in 2012, 2014, and 2024). They finished as runners-up in the 2021 season, completing one of the most spectacular comebacks in the tournament’s history.

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