KKR were among the two teams with Rajasthan Royals (RR) to retain the maximum number of allowed players (6) before the retention deadline.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had one of the most formidable squads in their title-winning season in 2024, with the most capable of winning matches alone. They assigned each player a role, which they did with distinction throughout the edition. However, the mega auction compelled them to break such a dynamic unit and release most players, including a few big names.
They were among the two teams with Rajasthan Royals (RR) to retain the maximum number of allowed players (6) before the retention deadline. Still, they will be disappointed since they couldn’t keep all the players who played a key role in making them champions last edition. The Knight Riders will surely try getting a few of them back during the IPL 2025 auction.
We note down three released players KKR will try getting back in the auction.
Venkatesh Iyer was KKR’s leading run-scorer in the previous cycle, with 956 runs at an average of 28.96 and a strike rate of 140.79 in 39 innings. He also had seven fifties and a century in the meantime. Further, he contributed with the ball occasionally, even though the Impact Player rule took away his bowling value.
His biggest strength was his flexibility as Venkatesh batted in all positions from No.1 to 8 and remained consistent. Such players are precious in T20s, so KKR will look to reacquire him. Since they don’t have the Right To Match (RTM) available, KKR must re-bid for him during the auction.
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Nitish Rana couldn’t make a big impact last season but had a fruitful cycle overall with the Knight Riders. In the previous cycle, he scored the second-most runs for KKR, compiling 816 runs at an average of 29.14 and a 141.17 strike rate in 30 outings. He had also hit five fifties.
Rana is a solid spin player and provides a different dimension to the middle order since he is an LHB. He will counter matchups in the middle overs and can be flexible with his batting position. Teams often want a solid spin player in the middle, and Rana fits perfectly in that criteria.
Vaibhav Arora is a genuine wicket-taker with the new ball and a powerplay specialist. He can swing the new ball and extract anything in the air. If we see the retained players list, KKR don’t have any powerplay pacer, meaning a vacancy will be open.
Arora has previously worked with the team, so KKR will go after him. His price might not be very high, and the Knight Riders can get a solid new-ball bowler at a reasonable sum. He can be a long-term investment for the franchise and will improve gradually.
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