Their strategy was clear during the auction: get as many players as possible from the previous season.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) retained as many as six players before the IPL 2025 auction. Their strategy was clear during the auction: get as many players as possible from the previous season.
However, auction dynamics are fickle, so KKR didn’t manage to get all of them back, but they still managed to get a few back. Overall, they did a decent job but still lacked in a few areas, which might trouble them in the tournament.
We look at three major weaknesses of KKR heading into the IPL 2025 season.
Kolkata Knight Riders’ first XI is settled, but the backups aren’t as strong as KKR would have liked. The batting possesses the likes of Ajinkya Rahane and Manish Pandey, who aren’t as strong in T20s.
Meanwhile, the bowling department has Anrich Nortje and Umran Malik, who have been mighty expensive. Moreover, the bench is thin in terms of backup for pacers. Umran is the only Indian pace bowling backup. Hence, KKR might struggle to find an ideal replacement if someone gets injured.
Also Read: 3 Major Weaknesses of RCB Heading into IPL 2025 Season
As if their recent form wasn’t a concern, Umran Malik and Anrich Nortje are massively injury-prone. They have often found themselves on the treatment bed lately, and even after recovery, they have struggled with fitness.
While they are backups, Umran and Anrich are still not reliable. If KKR require their services, they can crumble anytime.
While KKR have plenty of options, they would have still liked another solid death-over bowler in their ranks. They have Harshit Rana as the best option because Vaibhav Arora is a new-ball specialist, while Spencer Johnson is also vulnerable at the back end of the innings.
With Russell, you never know his bowling fitness and can also err with his lengths at times. Rana went through a honeymoon period last time, so it remains to be seen whether he can sustain consistency in the toughest job for a bowler.
For more updates, follow Cricxtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram and YouTube.
