Jamaicans Andre Russell and Rovman Powell will rejoin the former Indian Premier League champions Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the must win game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.

The IPL season, which was temporarily suspended on May 9 due to cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan, is set to resume on May 17. The pause cast doubts about the remainder of the tournament, but with the announcement of a ceasefire between the neighboring countries on May 10, the road to the playoffs is back on track.

Most of KKR’s overseas players, including Russell and Powell, are expected to arrive in Bengaluru between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. The West Indies contingent at KKR—along with all-rounder Sunil Narine and team mentor Dwayne Bravo—has been in Dubai since leaving India. Now, with the IPL’s resumption confirmed, these key players are returning to help the team secure the vital points they need.

In addition to Russell and Powell, KKR is set to welcome wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who will be flying from Kabul to Dubai before heading to India. South Africa’s fast bowler, Anrich Nortje, is also on his way, joining the squad in Bengaluru from the Maldives.

The Knight Riders currently sit in sixth place with 11 points from 12 matches, thanks to five wins and one no-result. With just two matches left in the league phase, every point counts, and KKR must win both to reach 15 points, giving them a shot at advancing to the next stage of the tournament.

The revised schedule for the remainder of the season sees 13 remaining league games being played at six venues—Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, and Mumbai.

The season will culminate in four playoff fixtures, starting with Qualifier 1 on May 29, followed by the Eliminator on May 30, Qualifier 2 on June 1, and the highly anticipated final on June 3.