"The catch up before mission IPL 2022" - KKR players begin training for the upcoming season 

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have commenced their preparations for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2022). The likes of Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakravarthy, Rasikh Dar and Abhijeet Tomar were among the players who recently gathered at the KKR academy ahead of this year's cash-rich league.

The Kolkata-based franchise took to social media on Thursday (February 24) to share a few snapshots from the session. The team's assistant coach Abhishek Nayar and bowling coach Bharat Arun were also present at the venue along with KKR CEO Venky Mysore.

KKR posted on Instagram:

"The catch up at #KKRAcademy before Mission #IPL2022 💜💛 #KKR #AmiKKR #GalaxyOfKnights."

The two-time champions had a shaky start last year and found themselves in the penultimate position in the points table with just two wins from seven matches after the first half. However, they staged a miraculous turnaround in the UAE leg to secure a place in the all-important final.

Kolkata battled it out against Chennai Super Kings in summit clash of IPL 2021. While they lost the encounter by 27 runs, they received appreciation from all quarters for reaching the final, despite their underwhelming start.

Shreyas Iyer to lead KKR in IPL 2022

The franchise has appointed Shreyas Iyer as their captain for the forthcoming season. The 27-year-old has proved his mettle as a leader in the tournament during his stint with Delhi Capitals (DC).

Iyer, who was given DC's reins midway through the 2018 season, impressed many cricket fans with his spirited performances as skipper. It is worth mentioning that he is the first captain to lead Delhi to an IPL final. He achieved the feat during the 2020 edition.

The right-handed batter was signed by KKR for ₹12.25 crore at the IPL 2022 auction earlier this month.

KKR squad for IPL 2022: Andre Russell, Varun Chakravarthy, Venkatesh Iyer, Sunil Narine, Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Rana, Shivam Mavi, Sheldon Jackson, Ajinkya Rahane, Rinku Singh, Anukul Roy, Rasikh Dar, Baba Indrajith, Chamika Karunaratne, Abhijeet Tomar, Pratham Singh, Ashok Sharma, Sam Billings, Alex Hales, Tim Southee, Ramesh Kumar, Mohammad Nabi, Umesh Yadav, Aman Khan.