With the retention deadline for the IPL 2025 mega auction coming up on October 31, now is the time when all ten teams will finalize their retention plans. Kolkata Knight Riders, winners of IPL 2024, are also finalizing their remaining roster. But sources told IANS that the retention status of their decorated captain Shreyas Iyer is currently in uncertainty as other players such as the West Indies duo Andre Russell And Sunil Narinealong with the middle order test Rinku Singhwrist spinner Varun Chakaravarthy and an all-rounder in uncapped fast bowling Harshit Ranawho was recently called up for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, is leading the fight to remain in the franchise.
While Narine and Russell were at the top of their game as franchise stalwarts, Chakravarthy was a key figure in the spin bowling department, collecting 21 wickets at an economy rate of 8.04. These performances paved the way for his return to the Indian team for the T20I against Bangladesh this month and he has been selected for the series in South Africa next month.
Rinku, despite making just 168 runs in 14 games this year, has been with the team since 2018 and has been considered the find of the franchise ever since he found his calling as a finisher. Rana, who has been with the franchise since 2022, had a breakthrough season in 2024, taking 19 wickets.
On the other hand, Shreyas scored 351 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 146.86, leading KKR to their third IPL title in May this year. The right-handed batter from Mumbai has been with the team since 2022, although he missed the 2023 season due to a lower back injury.
If circumstances force Iyer to enter the mega auction pool, then franchises looking for a captain will have a chance to bring Iyer on board and give him a leadership role. To be fair, Kolkata are sure to have problems retaining players, mainly because of the players they have.
In addition to the above six names, KKR also provided services Mitchell Stark, Phil Salt, Venkatesh Iyer and player without restrictions in all-around Ramandeep Singhwho was recently called up to the Indian squad for the T20I match against South Africa next month. As per IPL retention rules, each team can retain a maximum of five capped players and a maximum of two uncapped players.
Leave a comment