Shreyas Iyer and Rinku Singh in focus as KKR face problem of plenty | KKR likely IPL Retentions

Kolkata Knight Riders, the reigning champions of the Indian Premier League, may still be savouring the end of their 10-year title drought but they will soon need to focus on rebuilding their squad, as the IPL mega auction is set for later this year.

Before that, each team must decide which players to retain, but KKR is likely to find this process less than satisfying. Let's take a look at the possible players the 3-time IPL champions are likely to retain.

18 cr - Shreyas Iyer
Retaining Shreyas Iyer for rs 18 crore is a no-brainer. The skipper who led the Purple Brigade to the IPL title last season is an automatic selection. Despite not scoring heavily in KKR's race to the trophy, the Knight Riders can't let go of him.

14 cr - Sunil Narine
He may not be as lethal with the ball as he was a few years ago but Sunil Narine the all-rounder adds maximum value to the Knights and should be retained for rs.14 crore. Moreover, having been with KKR since 2012, he brings a wealth of experience and familiarity with team dynamics, which can be crucial during high-pressure situations.

11 cr - Andre Russell
Another man from the Caribbean who KKR can't let go of is Andre Russell. Known for his ability to rip apart any bowling attack on his day, Russell muscle is likely to be retained for rs11 crore.

Despite playing 127 matches, his strike rate of almost 175 is the best in the history of the IPL among batters to have played a minimum of 500 balls. He is also the man with the golden arm and provides crucial breakthroughs.

18 cr - Rinku Singh

Rinku Singh has become a household name ever since he smashed 5 consecutive sixes to win a game for KKR in IPL 2023 and went on to perform exceedingly well for Team India in the shortest format of the game. The youngster was bought back by KKR in 2022 for just Rs55 lakh but is likely to fetch Rs 18 crore this time around.

14 cr - Phil Salt
Phil Salt might have come into the KKR squad as a replacement for an injured Jason Roy but his fearless stroke play at the top turned him into the Knights' secret weapon in their title run last year. He smashed 435 runs in 12 innings at an average of almost 40 in IPL 2024. He also had a whopping strike rate of over 182 that season.

4 cr - Harshit Rana
KKR's title run saw the emergence of talented youngsters but one man who caught the limelight was Harshit Rana. His 19 scalps in IPL 2024 made him the 5th highest overall and the highest uncapped wicket-taker of the 2024 season. Rana also got his India call-up post that and is likely to be retained as an uncapped player for Rs 4 crore.

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