Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Ramandeep Singh has made a surprising revelation about the gaming culture within the franchise, admitting that players often engage in high-stakes betting during the Indian Premier League (IPL). Speaking on a podcast, the 27-year-old disclosed that games like FIFA and poker are taken very seriously in the KKR camp, with wagers sometimes reaching as high as INR 10 lakh.
Ramandeep mentioned that several senior players, including former KKR captain Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Rana, Vaibhav Arora, and Vivek Singh, are among the most competitive gamers in the squad.
He particularly highlighted Vivek Singh’s dominance in FIFA, claiming, “No one can beat Vivek Singh in FIFA.” While the game itself is a source of entertainment, it is far from just a casual pastime, as players frequently place significant bets.
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According to Ramandeep, the betting begins at INR 20,000-25,000 per game and can quickly escalate to INR 1 lakh. “We bet a lot on each other. People lose a lot and win a lot. Shreyas plays FIFA very well. Vivek plays very well, and it’s foolish to bet against him. I used to play with Vaibhav, Shreyas, and even Nitish, who is also very good,” he said.
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While FIFA betting is intense, Ramandeep revealed that poker takes things to another level. The stakes in poker, he claimed, can skyrocket to INR 10 lakh per game, making it a serious affair among players. “On FIFA, it’s okay. But on poker, the system goes up to INR 10 lakh!” he stated.
Shreyas Iyer, who previously led KKR, is now captaining Punjab Kings in IPL 2025, while Nitish Rana has joined Rajasthan Royals. Despite losing their season opener to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, KKR bounced back with a dominant performance against Rajasthan Royals on March 26 at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati.
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The defending champions registered an emphatic eight-wicket win, marking their first victory of the season. Captain Ajinkya Rahane credited the bowlers for setting up the victory, as KKR looks to build momentum in their title defense.
