KKR will be hoping to successfully defend their title in IPL 2025.
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will be hoping to successfully defend their title in the upcoming Indian Premier Legaue (IPL 2025) edition after winning it for the third-time last season. While the KKR think-tank did manage to build a formidable squad with a strong mix of international players with Indian talents, there are a few calls that the franchise could have taken differently.
KKR went into the auction having retained their core players but for that, the management had also let go of a few big names.
While KKR did manage to buy some back, they also faltered in a few of their attempts.
Keeping that in mind, let’s take a look at three such decision at the IPL 2025 auction which could give KKR a reason to rue later during the season.
Venkatesh Iyer, who was let go by the Purple and Gold outfit before the IPL 2025 auction, was reacquired by the franchise for a substantial sum of INR 23.75 crore. The decision showed a clear intention but the hefty price tag restricted KKR’s ability to pursue other potential players. While Iyer made a notable impact in the previous season, particularly during the playoffs, the significant amount spent on him sparked some debate.
Despite KKR assembling a strong team for IPL 2025, acquiring Iyer at a more economical price could have offered greater flexibility to pursue additional high-profile players and build a more balanced squad.
After letting go of Phil Salt, KKR had to settle for Quinton de Kock, who isn’t exactly as explosive as the Englishman. Salt had quite an impact in KKR’s title-winning campaign and finished as the franchise’s second-highest scorer with 435 runs at an average inching 40 at a fiery strike rate of 182. Thus, not retaining a player like Salt shocked many.
Even if KKR had a backup plan of buying back Phil Salt at the auction, it failed miserably due to a lack of funds. KKR had already tied their hands by spending big on Venkatesh on Day 1 of the auction itself. Although they were locked in a bidding war with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for Salt, KKR eventually lost steam after joining in at INR 4.20 crores when Mumbai Indians (MI) backed out.
The two teams raised their paddles until RCB bid INR 11.50 crores and KKR’s tight budget compelled them to give up. Eventually, RCB got Phil Salt, and KKR were on the receiving end.
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KKR had released Mitchell Starc and Vaibhav Arora before the auction and needed a reliable new-ball bowler who could also contribute effectively in other phases of the game. As a result, they were one of the teams competing for Mohammed Shami during the auction.
KKR remained in the race for Shami until the bidding reached INR 9.75 crores. However, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) ultimately secured him with a final bid of INR 10 crores. KKR had to withdraw from the bidding war due to their limited budget, as they needed to allocate funds wisely to build a well-rounded squad. It was a big miss from KKR’s pov especially because of Shami’s familiarity with the Eden Gardens and the conditions, having played a lot of domestic cricket for Bengal at the venue.
The three-time IPL winners eventually bought back Vaibhav Arora and added other fast-bowling options but having someone dependable like Shami would have given KKR a leader in the pace department.
Currently, Harshit Rana stands out as their best choice. Rana enjoyed a promising run last season but it remains to be seen whether he can maintain that level of performance this time around as well.
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