3 players KKR should look to buy back at the IPL 2025 auction ft. Shreyas Iyer
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are on the back of arguably their best-ever season in the Indian Premier League (IPL). While they had two titles before the 2024 campaign, neither of them were accomplished with the level of dominance that they exercised earlier this year.
KKR dominated the league stage to finish at the top of the standings and steamrolled the SunRisers Hyderabad in the playoffs. After securing their third title in IPL history and making sure that plenty of their players increased markedly in value, it was always going to be tough for them to retain their core.
Kolkata tried, though, and have retained six players ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana, and Ramandeep Singh have all been tied down. Knowing the franchise, they will be keen on bringing back as many of their former players as possible.
On that note, here are three players KKR should look to buy back at the IPL 2025 auction.
#3 Shreyas Iyer
Captain Shreyas Iyer may not be the most valuable T20 batter in the world, but he brings a unique blend of experience and leadership that is hard to find. KKR are in search of a captain, with none of the retained players being particularly solid in the role, and bringing back their former skipper could be high on their agenda.
Whether they will be able to afford him is a question that needs to be asked, and the answer is likely no. But KKR are known for valuing loyalty above all else, and while the reasons behind their parting ways with Shreyas haven't been made public, it's safe to assume that they will be happy to welcome him back.
#2 Phil Salt
Phil Salt was one of KKR's most important players in IPL 2024. Signed as a replacement for Jason Roy, the keeper-batter exceeded all expectations and formed a lethal partnership with Narine at the top of the order.
Salt has quickly become one of the most valuable T20 batters in the world and suits KKR's home venue, the Eden Gardens, perfectly. His price is likely to skyrocket at the IPL 2025 auction, with plenty of teams needing wicket-keeping options, but Kolkata will still be keen on bringing him back and pairing him up at the top of the order once again.
#1 Angkrish Raghuvanshi
Angkrish Raghuvanshi was one of the breakout stars of IPL 2024. Handed a role in the KKR top order due to an injury to Nitish Rana, the young right-hander grabbed the opportunity with both hands and even kept his more experienced teammate out of the lineup later in the season.
Raghuvanshi showed his creativity and exceeded all expectations despite his young age. While his game against spin and outside the powerplay are still works in progress, there's no doubt that his ceiling is sky-high. Already likened to Suryakumar Yadav, the youngster will be a hot property at the IPL 2025 auction.
While KKR don't have an RTM card to bring Raghuvanshi back, they will certainly want young Indian batters who can form the cornerstones of the batting lineup going forward.