Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has offered his take on Kolkata Knight Riders’ potential player retentions for IPL 2025. With the retention deadline of 31 October drawing near, Singh’s insights carry weight due to his 2021 stint with KKR and his deep knowledge of the team’s inner workings.
Singh pinpointed six players he believes should form KKR’s backbone: Shreyas Iyer, Phil Salt, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, and Ramandeep Singh. Speaking on Star Sports, he raised eyebrows by choosing Ramandeep over fast bowler Harshit Rana, citing Ramandeep’s stellar domestic cricket performances in the past year.
Also Read: MS Dhoni set to continue IPL journey, Chennai Super Kings eye Rishabh Pant
The retention discussion follows KKR’s impressive IPL 2024 run, where they bagged their third title by defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad in an 8-wicket victory.
Singh also shared his thoughts on Delhi Capitals’ retention strategy. He strongly backed keeping Rishabh Pant, despite questions about his captaincy future. His other picks for DC included Axar Patel, Tristan Stubbs, Jake Fraser-McGurk, and Mitchell Marsh, labelling them as the team’s most promising talents.
Also Read: Rishabh Pant emerges as top target for IPL teams ahead of mega auction
In a significant move, KKR recently named Dwayne Bravo as their new mentor, replacing Gautam Gambhir. Bravo, who hung up his international boots in 2021 and played his last IPL match last year, brings a wealth of experience from his coaching role with Chennai Super Kings. His success as CSK’s bowling coach, contributing to their five IPL titles, is expected to shape KKR’s approach to the upcoming mega auction.
