KKR retain Narine, Russell, Rinku, Ramandeep, Harshit, Varun ahead of IPL 2025 mega-auction

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) announced on Thursday that they have retained Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Varun Chakravarthy ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction. In IPL 2024, KKR secured their third title under Shreyas Iyer's captaincy with an 8-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, Iyer, who led the Knights in the 17th season, has not been retained. Rinku has been retained for a hefty sum of Rs 13 crore, while Varun, Sunil, and Russell were retained for Rs 12 crore each. Harshit and Ramandeep were signed under the uncapped player category for Rs 4 crore each.

Sunil Narine delivered an impressive performance in IPL 2024 with both bat and ball, playing a pivotal role in KKR's title win. The Caribbean all-rounder scored 488 runs at a strike rate of 180.74 across 14 matches and took 17 wickets at an economy rate of 6.69.

Andre Russell also made his mark in IPL 2024, appearing in 14 matches and scoring 222 runs at a strike rate of 185.00. He claimed 19 wickets at an economy rate of 10.06. Indian batter Rinku Singh played 14 matches for KKR in IPL 2024, scoring 168 runs at a strike rate of 148.67. All-rounder Ramandeep Singh scored 125 runs at a strike rate of 201.61 in IPL 2024, playing across 14 matches.

Seamer Harshit Rana was a key asset for KKR in IPL 2024, featuring in 13 matches and picking up 19 wickets at an economy rate of 9.08. Varun Chakravarthy led the KKR bowling attack, taking 21 wickets at an economy rate of 8.04 over 14 matches in IPL 2024.

"Here are your retained Knights," KKR posted on X.

Here are your retained Knights 💜

Next Stop: #TATAIPLAuction 💰🔨 pic.twitter.com/fvr1kwWoYn

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) October 31, 2024

In September, the Kolkata franchise appointed former West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo as their new mentor, succeeding Gautam Gambhir. Bravo retired from international cricket in 2021 and ended his IPL playing career last year. Over the past year, he has transitioned into coaching, working with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Afghanistan team. His role with KKR marks his second coaching position in the IPL. Bravo joined CSK in 2011, retired as a player in 2022, and returned as their bowling coach in 2023. (ANI)