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The anticipation for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction is building up, especially as teams prepare their retention lists to submit to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) by October 31. Among the teams, the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are expected to generate significant interest, as they aim to retain key players to form a winning core ahead of the auction. With a star-studded lineup, choosing the right mix of players for retention will demand careful consideration from KKR’s management.
Harbhajan Singh’s insights on KKR retentions for IPL 2025
In a recent discussion with Star Sports, former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh shared insights into KKR’s potential retentions, highlighting six key players expected to make the cut for IPL 2025. Harbhajan emphasized that after KKR’s dominant performance in the 2024 season, selecting the retention list would be challenging due to the limited retention slots. 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 choices.
Former #TeamIndia and #KolkataKnighRiders'@harbhajan_singh named his 6️⃣ #KKR retention player picks ahead of #IPLRetentiononStar! 🤩
Watch the video to find out who he picked 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 in 2024 season of IPL
KKR’s lineup has been bolstered by standout performances from key players, led by captain Shreyas, whose leadership and 351 runs in 14 games at an average of 39 and a strike rate of 148.86 proved invaluable. Russell’s resurgence with the ball, claiming 19 wickets at an average of 15.53, and his 222 runs at a striking 185 strike rate reinforced his role as a match-winner.
Narine showcased his all-around prowess with 17 wickets at a 6.69 economy rate and an unexpected batting contribution of 488 runs, including a century and three fifties. Rinku solidified his place with 169 runs at a 148.67 strike rate, proving effective in the death overs. Salt’s 435 runs at a 182 strike rate as an opener were crucial to KKR’s title-winning run, while Ramandeep emerged as a powerful No. 7 finisher, amassing 125 runs at a strike rate of 201.61, further exemplified by his 64 off 34 in the Emerging Asia Cup 2024 semi-final. Together, this core makes KKR a formidable force.
