The champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had one of the strongest squads in the competition.
The champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had one of the strongest squads in the competition. They had a well-rounded team with a role definition for every player, and they performed brilliantly to help their team win.
However, they must leave out a few quality players from their squad ahead of the mega auction. Given their strong contingent, KKR will find themselves unlucky to endure a big auction at this stage.
We look at three shock releases KKR might make ahead of the IPL 2025 auction.
Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer, the captain of KKR, will be one of the biggest releases before the big auction. There are multiple reasons to leave out Iyer.
Performance-wise, KKR had several better players who offered a lot more and were more consistent in the previous cycle. Further, if Iyer comes into the auction, he is unlikely to get an amount as big as a retained player, so it would be wise to leave him out, and if required, re-bid for him in the auction.
Also Read: Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) set to make three shock releases ahead of the IPL 2025 auction
Venkatesh Iyer
Venkatesh Iyer was among KKR’s finest performers in the previous cycle, including 370 runs at an average of 46.25 and a strike rate of 158.79 in 13 outings during their title-winning run in 2024. But, like Shreyas, Venkatesh might also not fetch close to the retention amount.
While Venkatesh can also bowl, KKR didn’t use his bowling too much, and with the Impact Player rule, his bowling value is not high. He might be released ahead of the IPL 2025 auction.
Mitchell Starc
The most expensive player in the history of the league, Mitchell Starc will be another shock by KKR before the auction. Starc’s price surged due to the lack of options in the mini auction last year, and he won’t fetch anywhere close to it this time.
Further, his performances weren’t good enough to warrant a retention and spend high amount. He can be bought at a lower price in the IPL 2025 auction, so KKR will look to release him.
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