Before the IPL 2025 mega auction, Kolkata Knight Riders have taken a shocking decision. According to reports, the defending champion is going to release captain Shreyas Iyer and star all-rounder Andre Russell. It is being told in the report that the franchise held several meetings with Shreyas Iyer, but no consensus could be reached.

Earlier there were talks that the Indian batsman was in touch with two other franchises to get a better deal. There have been talks of Russell’s exit in the last few days. Earlier it was expected that he would be the first retention of the franchise. However, the all-rounder decided to part ways with the franchise.

It is believed that KKR management will use the right to card in the auction to bring him back into the setup. Meanwhile, KKR is set to retain Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakraborty as capped players.

KKR won the title in 2024

Sunil Narine was retained for only Rs 6 crore before IPL 2022 and proved to be the most important player for the team in 2024. KKR won the title by defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets in the final.

Rinku Singh, on the other hand, has created a separate connection and fan base with KKR. The 27-year-old player has scored 893 runs for the team in 46 IPL matches at a strike rate of 143.33. If Russell is out, Rinku Singh will be seen in the role of finisher.

Varun Chakraborty has proved to be KKR’s trump card in the last few years. He helped the team reach the final in the 2021 IPL. Whereas in the last two editions, Varun has taken 41 wickets in 29 matches. He was the second leading wicket taker in the 2024 season. In the uncapped category, KKR will retain Harshit Rana and talks are going on with Ramandeep Singh.