13 months since last represented in a match, pacer Chetan Sakariya is now with Kolkata Knight Riders. When it comes to playing a match, Sakariya will have to wait longer as he's been signed as a net bowler presently. Having appeared in three limited-overs internationals for India in addition to 19 Indian Premier League games for Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals in the past three seasons, being unsold at IPL 2025 auction was a definite setback for Sakariya. As a left-arm pacer, Sakariya was promoted to the national team after his first IPL season. Having been a part of Saurashtra's Ranji Trophy-winning team prior to his IPL debut, a slump in form saw him feature in only five games for DC over a couple of seasons. But a serious wrist injury kept him out of all types of cricket. According to Rev Sportz, Sakariya met the NCA-recommended Dr. Sudhir Warrier to get the same treated. Having achieved best fitness now, Sakariya was noticed by KKR bowling coach Bharat Arun while bowling in a T20 competition in Mumbai. Also Read | Stats: Ajinkya Rahane to Lead Third IPL Franchise It should be noted that this is the second occasion when Knight Riders have hired the 27-year-old bowler. Acquired by the franchise for INR 50 lakh in IPL 2024 auction, Sakariya hadn't featured in a match for them in the previous season. Sakariya, whose IPL income is in the vicinity of INR 10 crore so far, would not gain financially from the INR 2 lakh he would get as a net bowler. But having the opportunity to train among quality players and under a well-known support staff (featuring Arun, mentor Dwayne Bravo, head coach Chandrakant Pandit and assistant coach Ottis Gibson) has the potential to help him greatly in terms of skills. Sakariya can draw inspiration from seasoned India seamer Mohit Sharma's trajectory in Gujarat Titans. Having appeared in only two games over four seasons of the IPL along with sitting out on the domestic circuit, Sharma had come to GT as a net bowler for IPL 2022 only to establish himself as a full-fledged death overs expert for the franchise for the subsequent two seasons.