Due to a strong core of players, several quality players could not find a place in the KKR XI in any match last season.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had one of the strongest teams in IPL 2024. They had covered all the bases, with specialists for every role, leading them to the title last season.
Due to a strong core of players, several quality players failed to find a place in the XI in any match last season. As a new mega auction took place, most of those players found a new team and could start in the playing XI.
We analyze three such players who were substitutes in the KKR team but will be first-choice players in their new teams.
Sherfane Rutherford
Sherfane Rutherford was unlucky not to play for KKR, where he remained mainly as a backup to Andre Russell. During the IPL 2025 auction, he was picked by Gujarat Titans (GT) for INR 2.60 crore and will most likely feature from the start.
GT have let David Miller go and will need a batsman for a similar role, and Rutherford can do that brilliantly. He has a strong pace of play and is perfectly suited to bat between the 4th and 6th spots in the GT batting lineup.
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Allah Ghazanfar
Mumbai Indians (MI) acquired Allah Ghazanfar for INR 4.80 crore in this IPL auction. He was with KKR last season but could not play any game for the Knight Riders.
However, MI might try to force him to play every game as they don’t have any other specialist spinner capable of playing every game. He is a mystery player who has a variety of variations and can also bat a bit in the lower order, making him a valuable asset.
Suyash Sharma
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has spent a considerable sum on Suyash Sharma. There were many quality spinners in the KKR team, so Suyash did not get enough playing time.
However, at RCB he will act as a starter and is expected to play almost every match unless his performance drops significantly or he gets injured. Suyash is a modern player who bowls at a faster pace and can agitate the batsmen with his accuracy.
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