Kolkata Knight Riders Retain Explosive Overseas Duo and 4 promising Indian Stars

Ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) auction, all the franchises named their list of retained and released players earlier today.

Reigning IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have opted to retain their biggest overseas duo along with a strong core of Indian players including two uncapped players as well. KKR have used up all six retention spots.

As last season’s IPL winners, KKR aimed to retain their core championship-winning group aimed at making another strong title bid, cementing a total of six key players: two overseas stars and four promising Indian talents. Here’s a look at the KKR retained players list for the coming season.

The Experienced Overseas Duo:

1. Andre Russell

Caribbean all-rounder Andre Russell is a matchwinner in himself and his retention by the three-time IPL winners was expected. The heartbeat of KKR, the 36-year-old has been an integral cog for the franchise over the years and played a pivotal role last season to propel KKR to their first title after a decade. He was retained for INR 12 crores.

In IPL 2024, Russell delivered the goods with both the bat and the ball – scoring 222 runs at a blistering strike rate of 185.0 and also picking up 19 wickets.

2. Sunil Narine

Sunil Narine is another irreplaceable asset in the KKR setup. Narine’s ability to come out at the top and decimate bowling attacks is what made the KKR batting lineup absolutely lethal in the previous season.

Known for his explosive batting fireworks, KKR retained Narine at INR 12 crores as well. He amassed 488 runs and was amongst the Top 10 highest run-getters last season. With the ball as well, Narine contributed with 17 scalps.

ALSO READ: SRH Retained Players List for IPL 2025 CONFIRMED: Sunrisers Hyderabad Retain Overseas Trio and Two Rising Indian Stars

Rising Indian Stars: Building a Future Core

3. Rinku Singh

One of the hottest talents in T20 cricket, the explosive middle-order batter has proved himself as a match-winner for KKR in the last couple of seasons and will be the top retention for the franchise at INR 13 crores in the KKR Retained players list. KKR might find it tough to buy him back if they decide to let him go before the auction.

Rinku’s ability to provide vital runs lower down the order and to finish matches makes him an invaluable asset. His retention indicates KKR’s faith in his potential as a cornerstone for the team’s future.

4. Ramandeep Singh

Last season, KKR featured some standout local talents, including Ramandeep Singh, a versatile all-rounder known for his lower-order batting and handy medium-pace bowling. Singh is a certified power-hitter, capable of attacking pacers with ease, even while batting lower down the order.

With smart utilization, Ramandeep could reliably contribute a couple of overs with his medium pace. His performances in the lower order brought energy to the innings with impactful knocks. Given his potential, KKR retained him under the uncapped player quota at INR 4 crores, potentially avoiding competition in the auction.

5. Harshit Rana

KKR is fortunate that Harshit Rana remains uncapped by the deadline, allowing them to acquire him for just INR 4 crores. At this rate, Rana represents an exceptional value.

As a reliable pacer capable of performing well in all phases of the game, Rana demonstrated his potential during the previous title-winning season. He is expected to continue developing and will serve as a valuable long-term asset for KKR

6. Varun Chakravarthy

Varun Chakravarthy has spun the web with his spin in tandem with Sunil Narine and it’s clear the franchise wants the pair to remain. Chakravarthy has proven his utility time and again by providing crucial breakthroughs in the middle while also managing to restrict the run flow when needed. KKR retaining Chakravarthy for INR 12 crores shows the franchise’s intent to back its performing players when the time comes.

The Retention Strategy: 

These six retentions have already exhausted INR 69 crores out of KKR’s purse and they will head into the auction with only INR 51 crores remaining. Although KKR have spent only 57 crores for their retentions, higher values stipulated by BCCI (18+14+11+18) will be considered for their first four retentions, making the overall exhausted amount 69 crores. They, will, however, not have any more RTM option to buy back any player in the IPL 2025 auction.

By retaining their experienced international stars in key positions and complementing them with young Indian players, this core setup gives the franchise the foundation to both dominate in the present and build a strong team for the future.

In prioritizing players like Russell and Narine, KKR showed the importance of leadership and match-winning experience, while retaining the likes of Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh, and Varun Chakravarthy sums up the franchise’s intent to foster an environment where Indian talents can flourish. As the auction nears, KKR will look to add support to this solid core, targeting specialists in both bowling and batting to cover gaps in their lineup.

With the current KKR Retained players list, KKR fans can anticipate an exciting season where the franchise will look forward to defending their title.

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