expectation for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 A mega auction is set up, especially as teams prepare their own save lists Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) until October 31. Champions among teams Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is expected to attract significant interest as they aim to retain key players to form a winning core ahead of the auction. With a star-studded squad, choosing the right mix of players to retain will require careful thought from the KKR management.
Harbhajan Singh’s thoughts on KKR retention for IPL 2025
In a recent discussion with Star Sports, the former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh Sharing his views on KKR’s potential retention opportunities, he highlighted six key players who are expected to join IPL 2025. Harbhajan highlighted that after KKR’s dominant performance in the 2024 season, it will be difficult to select a reserve list due to limited reserves. According to him, KKR is likely to prioritize Shreyas Iyer, Phil Salt, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh and Ramandeep Singh (as an uncapped player) as their top picks.
Past #TeamIndia and #KolkataKnighRiders‘@harbhajan_singh He gave his name to 6️⃣ #KKR The catching player chooses ahead #IPLRetentiononStar! 🤩
Watch the video to find out who he chose and why! 😁 pic.twitter.com/FDNo5q98pp
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) October 28, 2024
Also READ: 3 reasons why KKR should retain Andre Russell ahead of IPL 2025
Performance of IPL 2024 season
KKR’s squad was bolstered by excellent performances from key players led by captain Shreyas, who proved invaluable with leadership and an average of 351 runs in 14 games at an average of 39 overs and a strike rate of 148.86. Russell’s resurgence with the ball, with 19 wickets at 15.53 and 222 runs at a strike rate of 185, cemented his role as match winner.
Narine displayed his all-round prowess with an unexpected batting contribution of 17 wickets at a save rate of 6.69 and 488 runs, including a century and three fifties. Rinku cemented his place with 169 runs at a strike rate of 148.67 in the death overs. Salt’s 435 runs at a strike rate of 182 was crucial to KKR’s title win, while Ramandeep emerged as a strong No.7 finisher, scoring 125 runs at 201.61. Developing Asia Cup 2024 semi-final. This core together makes KKR a formidable force.
