After two disappointing seasons, the Kolkata Knight Riders found success under Shreyas Iyer’s leadership. They convincingly defeated Pat Cummins‘ Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final to win their third IPL trophy. Now, KKR aims to become only the third team to successfully defend the title.
Ahead of the auction, they were tied with RR for the most player retentions. There were some surprising choices, like Harshit Rana and Ramandeep Singh. Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, being KKR legends, were never in doubt. Meanwhile, Rinku Singh and Varun Chakravarthy were obvious picks due to their past performances. After the release of Shreyas Iyer, they bought Ajinkya Rahane and named him their captain for 2025.
However, the team’s CEO, Venky Mysore, made the tough decision to release two of their most important players this season. KKR let go of their trophy-winning captain from last year, along with Mitchell Starc, Phil Salt, and Venkatesh Iyer. However, they re-signed Iyer, but Starc, Salt, and Shreyas all found new teams in the auction. To replicate Salt’s brilliance, KKR bought Quinton De Cock, who is a proven IPL veteran and can bring the fireworks when needed.
Anrich Nortje, Spencer Johnson, and Harshit Rana will lead the pace bowling attack. Meanwhile, KKR boasts one of the best spin departments in the IPL, with Chakravarthy and Narine at the helm. They also added Moeen Ali to strengthen both spin and batting options. If players like Russell, Rinku, and Varun can replicate their performances from last year, KKR can dream of winning a second consecutive trophy.
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Weakness that could threaten KKR’s dream of becoming four-time champions
KKR made a bold move by spending big on Venkatesh Iyer. Despite his impressive performance last season, this year will be different. He faces immense pressure to be one of the team’s top scorers. If he doesn’t live up to his price tag, KKR could be in serious trouble.
Narine and Russell are the team’s key players, and KKR’s chances of winning the trophy rely heavily on their performance. In the 2024 season, Narine scored 488 runs in 15 matches with a strike rate of 180, while Dre Russ added 222 runs and took 19 wickets. However, both experienced a slight dip in form after the IPL. If they fail to replicate last season’s performances, KKR’s trophy hopes could fade away.
Although Starc struggled during the group stage last year, he showed his champion mentality in the playoffs. However, with the Aussie now joining the Delhi Capitals, KKR must find his ideal replacement in either Nortje or Spencer Johnson. Whether the South African can overcome his injury problems remains to be seen.
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