The 2024 Indian Premier League champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, made waves in the 2025 IPL Mega Auction by acquiring star Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer for a whopping INR 23.75 Cr, making him the most expensive Indian buy in the franchise’s history. This bold move highlighted their ambition to revamp their squad for the upcoming season.
Ahead of the auction, KKR retained a strong core group of six players, with a total spend of INR 57 Cr. Their retained players included explosive batter Rinku Singh (INR 13 Cr), spin maestro Varun Chakravarthy (INR 12 Cr), Caribbean stars Andre Russell (INR 12 Cr) and Sunil Narine (INR 12 Cr), as well as two uncapped retentions, Harshit Rana (INR 4 Cr) and Ramandeep Singh (INR 4 Cr).
During the auction, KKR spent an additional INR 50.95 Cr to strengthen their squad, leaving them with just INR 5 lakh in their purse. With a squad of 21 players comprising 13 Indians and 8 overseas talents, the team struck a balance between seasoned players and emerging prospects.
KKR, known for their bold moves, had previously set the record for the highest-ever bid in an IPL mini-auction when they bought Mitchell Starc for INR 24.75 Cr. This year, they once again grabbed headlines by securing Venkatesh Iyer for a record INR 23.75 Cr. Venkatesh Iyer, who first joined KKR in 2021 for a base price of INR 20 lakh, became a household name with his explosive performances that season. Retained at INR 8 Cr since 2022, he was surprisingly released ahead of the 2025 mega auction. However, as bidding began, a fierce contest between RCB and KKR saw his price soar to an eye-watering INR 23.75 Cr, making him the franchise’s marquee signing and one of the standout stories of the auction.
The franchise also made several impactful signings, including South African pacer Anrich Nortje (INR 6.5 Cr), dynamic wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock (INR 3.6 Cr), and Afghan wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz (INR 2 Cr). Rising Indian batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi (INR 3 Cr) and uncapped pacer Vaibhav Arora (INR 1.8 Cr) added depth to their squad. KKR also bagged English all-rounder Moeen Ali for INR 2 Cr and Australian pacer Spencer Johnson for INR 2.8 Cr.
In a smart late-auction strategy, KKR picked up experienced IPL players like Ajinkya Rahane (INR 1.5 Cr) and Manish Pandey (INR 75 Lakh), adding stability to their batting order. They also secured versatile domestic players like Anukul Roy (INR 40 Lakh) and wicketkeeper-batter Luvnith Sisodia (INR 30 Lakh).
With previous title-winning captain Shreyas Iyer released, KKR now faces the task of identifying a new leader. Venkatesh Iyer emerges as a potential captaincy candidate, alongside seasoned players like Ajinkya Rahane and Sunil Narine.
Kolkata Knight Riders Full Squad for IPL 2025
Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Anrich Nortje, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Vaibhav Arora, Moeen Ali, Spencer Johnson, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Anukul Roy, Luvnith Sisodia, Rovman Powell, Mayank Markande, Shreyas Gopal, Umran Malik, Suyash Sharma, Akash Singh, Mohammad Nabi.