Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) CEO Venky Mysore has revealed the challenges faced in selecting the team’s six retentions ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. After winning the previous season, KKR had to make tough decisions, ultimately retaining Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana, and Ramandeep Singh.
Mysore emphasized the difficulty in narrowing down the list, stating that “trying to trim that down to six was very challenging.” He highlighted the long-standing relationships with players like Narine and Russell, as well as the contributions of Chakaravarthy and Rinku.
The CEO also discussed the process of communicating with players who were not retained. He emphasized transparency and understanding, acknowledging that “leaving out some of the players is never easy.” Mysore noted that retention is a mutual agreement and that players may choose to explore other options.
Regarding the upcoming mega auction, Mysore acknowledged the unique challenges KKR faces with a purse of INR 51 crore and no Right-To-Match (RTM) cards. He emphasized the need for a well-thought-out strategy and expressed confidence in the team’s think tank.
Mysore also highlighted the involvement of the support staff, particularly after the departure of Gautam Gambhir, Abhishek Nayar, and Ryan ten Doeschate. He praised the contributions of DJ Bravo, Chandrakant Pandit, Bharathi Arun, Carl Crowe, and Nathan Leamon in the decision-making process.
