Reigning champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) focused on retaining the core of their successful squad. They achieved this by re-signing key players, including a marquee acquisition of Venkatesh Iyer for Rs 23.75 crore.
However, their attempt to retain Nitish Rana fell short, prompting the inclusion of experienced middle-order batters Manish Pandey and Ajinkya Rahane as replacements.
On the second day of IPL 2025 auction, KKR bolstered their bowling lineup with Spencer Johnson as a backup for Anrich Nortje. They also added depth to their international contingent by signing Rovman Powell and Moeen Ali. Despite these strategic moves, managing the playing XI could be challenging, particularly deciding between Pandey and Rahane.
With a compact squad of 21 players, KKR remain efficient in roster size and look well-prepared to defend their title, combining continuity with fresh talent.
Kolkata Knight Riders Squad Overview (IPL 2025)
| Attribute |
Value |
| Retention Spent |
69.00 Cr |
| Auction Spent |
50.95 Cr |
| Purse Left |
5.00 L |
| Total Players |
21/25 |
| Indian Players |
13 |
| Overseas Players |
8/8 |
Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2025 squad
KKR squad, IPL 2025: Batters
| S. No. |
Player |
Role |
Nationality |
Price |
| 1 |
Rinku Singh |
Batter |
India |
Retained 13.00 Cr |
| 2 |
Angkrish Raghuvanshi |
Batter |
India |
3.00 Cr |
| 3 |
Ajinkya Rahane |
Batter |
India |
1.50 Cr |
| 4 |
Manish Pandey |
Batter |
India |
75.0 L |
KKR squad, IPL 2025: Wicketkeepers
| S. No. |
Player |
Role |
Nationality |
Price |
| 1 |
Luvnith Sisodia |
WK-Batter |
India |
30.0 L |
| 2 |
Quinton de Kock |
WK-Batter |
South Africa |
3.60 Cr |
| 3 |
Rahmanullah Gurbaz |
WK-Batter |
Afghanistan |
2.00 Cr |
KKR squad, IPL 2025: Allrounders
| S. No. |
Player |
Role |
Nationality |
Price |
| 1 |
Sunil Narine |
Allrounder |
West Indies |
Retained 12.00 Cr |
| 2 |
Andre Russell |
Allrounder |
West Indies |
Retained 12.00 Cr |
| 3 |
Ramandeep Singh |
Allrounder |
India |
Retained 4.00 Cr |
| 4 |
Anukul Roy |
Allrounder |
India |
40.0 L |
| 5 |
Rovman Powell |
Allrounder |
West Indies |
1.50 Cr |
| 6 |
Venkatesh Iyer |
Allrounder |
India |
23.75 Cr |
| 7 |
Moeen Ali |
Allrounder |
England |
2.00 Cr |
KKR squad, IPL 2025: Bowlers
| S. No. |
Player |
Role |
Nationality |
Price |
| 1 |
Varun Chakaravarthy |
Bowler |
India |
Retained 12.00 Cr |
| 2 |
Harshit Rana |
Bowler |
India |
Retained 4.00 Cr |
| 3 |
Vaibhav Arora |
Bowler |
India |
1.80 Cr |
| 4 |
Mayank Markande |
Bowler |
India |
30.0 L |
| 5 |
Umran Malik |
Bowler |
India |
75.0 L |
| 6 |
Anrich Nortje |
Bowler |
South Africa |
6.50 Cr |
| 7 |
Spencer Johnson |
Bowler |
Australia |
2.80 Cr |
IPL 2025: Kolkata Knight Riders projected XI
| S. No. |
Player |
Role |
| 1 |
Sunil Narine |
Allrounder |
| 2 |
Quinton de Kock |
WK-Batter |
| 3 |
Ajinkya Rahane |
Batter |
| 4 |
Venkatesh Iyer |
Allrounder |
| 5 |
Rinku Singh |
Batter |
| 6 |
Andre Russell |
Allrounder |
| 7 |
Ramandeep Singh |
Allrounder |
| 8 |
Harshit Rana |
Bowler |
| 9 |
Anrich Nortje |
Bowler |
| 10 |
Varun Chakaravarthy |
Bowler |
| 11 |
Vaibhav Arora |
Bowler |
