Kolkata, March 12 (IANS) Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) got their pre-tournament camp underway in Kolkata with a pooja ceremony on the Eden Gardens pitch here on Wednesday. The Coaching staff, led by head coach Chandrakant Pandit, and players participated in the ceremony before commencing cricketing activities at the historic cricketing venue. Captain Ajinkya Rahane and Eden Gardens’ pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee performed the rituals as an ode to cricket, seeking blessings for another successful IPL campaign. Speaking ahead of the start of the camp, head coach Pandit said, “We have already planned our training sessions. A few international players are unavailable because of the Champions Trophy, but we have most of our key players here. It’s a great feeling as we are coming back to our home ground, especially after the season we had last time around, and we would like to continue that momentum. There is a different motivation in the team.” The Eden Gardens, with a capacity of over 68,000 spectators, remains one of cricket’s most celebrated venues and will once again host all of KKR’s home matches in the upcoming season. Trophy tour on Yellow Ambassador Taxi Earlier in the day, the KKR took the IPL 2024 championship trophy on a ride through the City of Joy as they concluded their celebratory Trophy Tour in spectacular fashion. The prized silverware travelled across Kolkata’s most beloved landmarks in the city’s Yellow Ambassador Taxi, specially decorated in KKR’s signature purple and gold colours. The Ambassador taxi, adorned with the team hashtag #AmiKKR and motto ‘Korbo, Lordo, Jeetbo, ’transformed into a moving tribute to the team’s third IPL title. The interior featured custom purple upholstery with gold accents, along with imagery of this taxi over the years. The defending champions will begin their IPL 2025 campaign against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at their home ground on March 22.