Kolkata Knight Riders Announce Player Retentions for IPL 2025
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have announced their player retentions ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction. KKR CEO Venky Mysore expressed that the number of retentions felt limited, as the team had around 10-11 “no brainer” players in mind. Ultimately, KKR retained Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Varun Chakravarthy.
KKR’s Recent Success
In IPL 2024, KKR clinched their third title under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad by 8 wickets. Despite this success, Iyer, along with other big names like Mitchell Starc, Phil Salt, Venkatesh Iyer, and Nitish Rana, has not been retained.
Challenges in Retention Decisions
Venky Mysore explained the difficulty in narrowing down the retention list, as the team wanted to keep the squad that had brought them success. He highlighted the long-term association of players like Sunil Narine and Andre Russell with KKR, as well as the impact of newer players like Ramandeep Singh.
New Mentor for KKR
In a significant change, KKR has appointed former West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo as their new mentor, replacing Gautam Gambhir. Bravo, who retired from international cricket in 2021, has transitioned into coaching roles, including with Chennai Super Kings and the Afghanistan team.
Doubts Revealed
KKR -: KKR stands for Kolkata Knight Riders, which is a cricket team that plays in the Indian Premier League (IPL). They are based in Kolkata, India.
IPL -: IPL stands for Indian Premier League, which is a professional Twenty20 cricket league in India where different teams compete against each other.
Retentions -: Retentions in IPL mean the players that a team decides to keep for the next season instead of letting them go to other teams.
Shreyas Iyer -: Shreyas Iyer is an Indian cricketer who played for KKR and was their captain when they won the IPL 2024 title.
Mitchell Starc -: Mitchell Starc is a famous Australian cricketer known for his fast bowling. He was part of the KKR team but was not retained for IPL 2025.
Nitish Rana -: Nitish Rana is an Indian cricketer who played for KKR. He is known for his batting skills but was not retained for IPL 2025.
Dwayne Bravo -: Dwayne Bravo is a cricketer from the West Indies known for his all-rounder skills. He has been appointed as the new mentor for KKR.
Mentor -: A mentor in cricket is someone who guides and advises the team, helping players improve their skills and strategies.
Gautam Gambhir -: Gautam Gambhir is a former Indian cricketer who was previously the mentor for KKR. He is well-known for his successful cricket career.
