IPL 2025: 3 STRENGTHS AND 1 MAJOR WEAKNESS OF CHAMPIONS KKR

KKR have its core set of players, and the addition of seasoned figures such as Quinton de Kock and Anrich Nortje makes it a solid side that can be threatening for teams. KKR will be counting on consistent performances, as seen last year...

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Kolkata Knight Riders will be out to shine in their armor in the upcoming 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Champions KKR, who have won the illustrious trophy on three counts, could be backed as one of the favorites. They retained six players ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction to give us a primary look at their main playing XI. At the IPL 2025 auction, KKR bought back most of their players, barring 4-5 important names. It’s a group that is settled, and the owners didn’t do anything fancy to make wholesome changes. Rather, they have stuck to a winning team. KKR failed to get back skipper Shreyas Iyer, star pacer Mitchell Starc, and opener Phil Salt despite bidding for the trio. They also didn’t show interest in Nitish Rana, who spent several seasons with the Eastern giants.

The mega auction in Jeddah saw the Knights break the banks to sign back Venkatesh Iyer. Once KKR missed out on Shreyas, they perhaps identified Venkatesh as the player who could lead them. He came in for a whopping INR 23.75 crore. It will be a crucial season for the Madhya Pradesh player to showcase his credentials as a potential leader. Venkatesh did well for the Knights last season, especially during the Qualifier 1 and final.

KKR have its core set of players, and the addition of seasoned figures such as Quinton de Kock and Anrich Nortje makes it a solid side that can be threatening for teams. KKR will be counting on consistent performances, as seen last year. The bowling is what needs to strike out, and if they match the standards set last season, a promising campaign will then await them. With the IPL 2025 auction over, here we present the strengths, weaknesses, and takeaways from the KKR squad.

KKR’S SQUAD FOR IPL 2025 SEASON