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It is a known fact that Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were keen on retaining a strong core of players heading into the 2025 IPL season and were pushing for eight retentions before the mega auction, sources told CricBlogger. Their players — Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Mitchell Starc, Harshit Rana, and Varun Chakravarthy — formed the backbone of KKR’s success in their championship-winning season earlier this year. Each of them brings a mix of experience, explosive batting, and key contributions in bowling and all-round capabilities.
Additionally, uncapped players like Ramandeep Singh and Vaibhav Arora are seen as valuable assets due to their potential, while Rahmanullah Gurbaz, the dynamic Afghan T20 batter and Englands’s Phil Salt, have impressed with his attacking style, adding further depth to KKR’s lineup. KKR’s strategy to retain such a large pool of players, especially with the current retention rules in flux before the auction, indicates that they are focused on maintaining team chemistry and avoiding disruptions that a major reshuffle could cause.
Retaining this strong core could give them a significant edge in the 2025 season. Sources said looking at the way KKR proposed eight retentions, it is more or less certain that they are doing to press for six retentions before the November-December auction.
It seems that KKR will likely prioritise Shreyas, Russell, Narine, and Starc as their top four retentions along with Rinku Singh as the fifth choice of player, given their importance to the team. Shreyas, as the captain, offers stability in the middle order, while Russell and Narine have been long-standing match-winners for KKR. Starc, with his world-class bowling, adds tremendous firepower to their pace attack while Rinku is absolute force towards the fag end of the innings.
For the sixth choice of retention through right to match (RTM) option, it will likely come down to a tough choice between Venkatesh, Harshit, and Varun. Each brings different strengths: Venkatesh as an all-rounder, Harshit as a promising pace bowler, and Varun as a mystery spinner who has consistently delivered for KKR.
For the sixth retention, KKR could also dial the uncapped option choice. Ramandeep and Vaibhav could be favoured as uncapped options. Both have shown potential, with Ramandeep offering depth in the batting department and Vaibhav as a skilled bowler who can swing the ball effectively.
Since the retention verdict has allowed more flexibility, teams like KKR, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians, who wanted to hold on to their core players, are indeed in a favorable position. This strategic advantage will help them preserve continuity and give them a strong foundation ahead of the auction, making them even more competitive for the 2025 season.
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