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Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, like the other nine franchises, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have also announced their player retention strategy, keeping several key players in the fold.
KKR reveals key retentions for IPL 2025 season
KKR have made strategic decisions regarding their player roster for the upcoming IPL 2025 season, retaining several key players: Rinku Singh (Rs 13 crore), Sunil Narine (Rs 12 crore), Andre Russell (Rs 12 crore), Varun Chakravarthy (Rs 12 crore), Harshit Rana (Rs 4 crore) and Ramandeep Singh (Rs 4 crore). However, the surprising omission of Shreyas Iyer -who played a pivotal role in leading the franchise to its third IPL title – has sparked significant discussions and raised eyebrows among fans and analysts alike. This decision invites scrutiny regarding the franchise’s future direction and its approach to team building, especially after Iyer’s impactful leadership and contributions on the field.
The surprising absence of Shreyas Iyer
KKR CEO Venky Mysore stated that Iyer was one of their top retentions for the IPL 2025 season. Despite his crucial role in leading KKR to a title win last year, Iyer’s name did not appear on the retention list. Speaking to the Rev Sportz, Venky emphasized that retention decisions are complex and involve multiple factors, highlighting that it requires mutual agreement between the franchise and the player. He noted that retention is not solely at the franchise’s discretion; players must also consider various aspects before agreeing.
“The interesting thing about retention is that there are so many aspects to it and forces at play. But what is fundamental to a retention that most people sometimes don’t understand is that it’s a matter of mutually agreeing. It’s not a one-sided right that a franchise has. The player also has to consider various factors and agree,” Venky said.
Also READ: IPL 2025 Retention: Complete list of players retained with their price
Factors influencing retention decisions: Venky Mysore’s perspective
Mysore discussed how various factors can impact retention agreements, noting that disagreements may arise due to financial considerations or a player’s desire to explore their market value. Iyer’s contributions to KKR cannot be understated. Since joining the franchise, he has made a significant impact, scoring 752 runs in 29 matches at an average of 34.18 and a strike rate of 140.03, including five fifties.
“Sometimes along the line that agreement doesn’t happen because of various factors; money or somebody wants to test their value or whatever it is. That influences a decision as well, eventually, but he was No.1 on our list,” Venky added.
Venky highlighted the importance of leadership, emphasizing that despite injuries, the captain remains a key figure for the franchise, but ultimately, individuals must make decisions that align with their own goals and aspirations.
“He’s captain and we have to build around that leadership and we picked him in 2022 specifically for that. Unfortunately, he was injured in 2023. The moment he came back, he got his captaincy back. He was an integral part, did a terrific job and I enjoyed a personal rapport with him. But at the end of the day, people also have to make their own decisions and decide on what’s best for them and the direction that they want to go,” Venky concluded.
