The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) made headlines on Day 1 of the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah by breaking the bank to secure their star all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer. With no Right-to-Match (RTM) cards available after retaining six core players, KKR faced stiff competition for key targets. Despite missing out on names like Shreyas Iyer and Mitchell Starc, they left no stone unturned to bring back Iyer, a pivotal player in their title-winning squad earlier this year.
A fierce bidding war unfolded between KKR and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for Venkatesh Iyer, with KKR emerging victorious at a whopping ₹23.25 crore. According to KKR CEO Venky Mysore, the all-rounder had made it clear before the auction that he would be deeply disappointed if the franchise didn’t go all out for him. Mysore shared that keeping the team’s core intact was a priority.
"For us it was about trying to keep our core. We've kept six players and brought 2-3 players back from last year. that was always the kind of thinking and as far as he (Venkatesh) is concerned we definitely didn't want to find ourselves in a situation where we may not be able to bring him back," Mysore explained.
While KKR spent big on Iyer, Mysore noted that their overall strategy struck a balance with signings like Quinton de Kock (₹3.6 crore) and Anrich Nortje (₹6.5 crore), ensuring a well-rounded roster. Reflecting on Iyer’s ultimatum, Mysore added with a smile, "He told us he’d be very sad if we didn’t pick him, and we didn’t want that. Now he’s happy, and so are we."
The first day of the auction was dominated by record-breaking bids, with Rishabh Pant going to Lucknow Super Giants for ₹27 crore and Shreyas Iyer landing at Punjab Kings for ₹26.25 crore. When asked about the soaring price tags, Mysore remarked, "It’s all about timing, purse availability, and strategy. Players set their base prices, but franchises decide the final bids. I still think the old RTM rule was better."
Ahead of the auction, KKR retained key players like Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, and Ramandeep Singh. Their acquisitions so far include Venkatesh Iyer, Vaibhav Arora, Anrich Nortje, Quinton de Kock, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Mayank Markande.
KKR’s aggressive moves highlight their determination to reclaim IPL glory, with a squad packed with proven match-winners and exciting new talent.