3 top players KKR might have to release for IPL 2025 ft. Mitchell Starc
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and their fans would feel the most hard done by the new retention rules for IPL 2025. After 10 years of slumber and seeing once rivals Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) collect trophies for fun, they finally managed to get their third title.
And what a story it was -- Gautam Gambhir, the captain who led to the previous titles, returned as mentor, Sunil Narine and Andre Russell put up vintage performances, youngsters shone in every department, spinners choked oppositions, a historic, nail-bitting win came through at the Wankhede and as the final was clinched as ruthlessly as possible.
Still, it felt like a platform to build an era on. To rack-up more titles, to catch-up with MI and CSK just like Gambhir had always wanted.
But now, Gambhir and two other coaches are gone and you can only retain a maximum of six players. And the reported salary slabs (which make a fourth retention cost as much as the first) make it as difficult as possible to keep hold of the team's core.
We'll soon do a piece on the various combinations of retentions KKR can use to be in as strong a position as possible. But for now, let's focus on three best players that they might have to lose, not because they want to, but only because that's the nature of the beast.
#3 Phil Salt
After KKR won the title at Chepauk, the players didn't even wait to go back into the dressing room before video-calling Phil Salt, who had to leave before playoffs for national duty. That was enough to tell you that he was not just an important cricketer but, in just his first year, had grown as an important member of the KKR dressing room family.
The English wicketkeeper batter came to the team on pure luck as Jason Roy pulled out before the season. For KKR, he solved two issues in one swoosh: a reliable opening partner for Sunil Narine and a wicketkeeper who fit the big-hitting identity of the team.
His 435 runs (one century and four 50s) played a crucial role in the title win, giving KKR had someone to consistently play for 14-15 overs at a strike rate of 182 while making full use of the powerplay alongside Narine. A cheat-code in every sense.
With a massive Indian core and a host of senior players to choose from, KKR might have to miss out on Salt. But the defending champions would serve themselves well by putting him high up in the list of retention possibilities, if they leave a spot or two.
#2 Mitchell Starc
We don't need to detail what Mitchell Starc brought to KKR in 2025: he struggled in the initial games when the pressure was at the lowest and became a monster to play against at the Wankhede and in the playoffs, when pressure couldn't have been higher.
Despite the taunts on his price-tag, his 17 wickets and Player of the Match performances in the first Qualifier and the final made up for every penny. KKR would perhaps be tempted to pay the same amount of money for him again in the auction, but retention is another subject.
The biggest reason Starc can't be a good retention choice is his availability issues. He was there for IPL 2024, first time in almost a decade, because he had to audition and prepare for the T20 World Cup later in the year.
In 2025, new rules will be in place which will bar overseas players from pulling out of seasons after getting signed in the auction and make signing up for the Big Auction mandatory to participate in mid-cycle auctions. Don't be surprised if Starc doesn't even put his name.
Not only is the Aussie pacer injury prone but he also likes sparing some time for his family. IPL is played during off season in Australia and is the best possible time for a break for an all-format player -- the new rules might just be a bit too much pressure.
As hard as it would be, it might be in KKR's best interests to look for someone else as their retention priority.
#1 Venkatesh Iyer
This might be the toughest to digest. Venkatesh Iyer was the man who called Salt after the final, after he had scored the winning runs; he played his best knock when KKR won at Wankhede, kept the team dominant in the reverse fixure at Eden and scored fifties in each of Starc's PotM performances.
After being criticised as someone who blocked KKR's retention for Shubman Gill because of his brilliant debut season, Venkatesh grew into one of the most important and most 'clutch' players for the team. Losing him would be losing a leader.
However, KKR would have to be business-minded about retentions instead of emotional. Doing that would bring a realisation that they have more prized T20 assets to retain ahead of Venkatesh.
The all-rounder is an excellent batter who's flexible with positions and can bowl a couple of overs too. But his T20 scope is a bit limited to certain situations at the moment, which might not attract a lot of interest from other franchises, allowing KKR to get him back at a good price even if they lose him.