KKR were among the two teams along with Rajasthan Royals (RR) who retained the maximum number of players allowed (6) before the retention deadline.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had one of the most formidable teams in their title-winning season in 2024, being the most capable of winning matches on their own. They assigned each player a role, which they fulfilled with distinction throughout the edition. However, the mega auction forced them to break up such a dynamic unit and release most of the players, including some big names.
They were among the two teams with Rajasthan Royals (RR) who retained the maximum number of players allowed (6) before the retention deadline. Still, they will be disappointed because they couldn’t retain all the players who played a key role in making them champions last year. The Knight Riders will surely try to get some of them back during the IPL 2025 auction.
We have noted three released players that KKR will try to get back in the auction.
Venkatesh Iyer
Venkatesh Iyer was KKR’s leading run-scorer in the previous cycle, scoring 956 runs at an average of 28.96 and a strike rate of 140.79 in 39 innings. Meanwhile, he was also seven fifty-one century old. Additionally, he contributed with the ball occasionally, despite the Impact Player rule taking away his bowling value.
His biggest strength was his flexibility as Venkatesh batted at every position from 1 to 8 and remained consistent. These players are valuable in T20s, so KKR will look to reacquire him. Since they do not have the right to match (RTM) available, KKR must rebid for him during the auction.
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nitish frog
Nitish Rana couldn’t make much of an impact last season, but overall he had a fruitful stint 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 strike rate of 141.17 in 30 outings. He had also reached five fifties.
Rana is a solid spin player and provides a different dimension to the middle order as he is a LHB. He will counter face-offs in the middle and can be flexible with his batting position. Teams often want a solid player in the middle and Rana fits that criteria perfectly.
Vaibhav Arora
Vaibhav Arora is a true wicket-keeper with the new ball and a powerplay specialist. You can swing the new ball and extract anything that is in the air. If we see the list of retained players, KKR does not have any power pacer which means there will be an open vacancy.
Arora previously worked with the team, so KKR will go after him. His price may not be very high, and the Knight Riders can get a solid new bowler for a reasonable sum. It can be a long-term investment for the franchise and will gradually improve.
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