Sun Nov 24 20:15:21 UTC 2024: ## Kolkata Knight Riders Splurge on Iyer, Bolster Squad in IPL 2025 Auction
**MUMBAI** – The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) made a splash on the first day of the IPL 2025 mega auction, securing several key players and retaining their core. The biggest surprise was the massive Rs 23.75 crore bid for Venkatesh Iyer, making him one of the most expensive buys of the auction.
KKR strategically used all six of their retention slots, shelling out a combined Rs 67.80 crore to keep Rinku Singh (Rs 13 crore), Varun Chakravarthy (Rs 12 crore), Sunil Narine (Rs 12 crore), and Andre Russell (Rs 12 crore), along with Ramandeep Singh (Rs 4 crore) and Harshit Rana (Rs 4 crore).
Beyond retention, KKR significantly strengthened their batting and bowling line-up. They acquired Quinton de Kock (Rs 3.60 crore), Anrich Nortje (Rs 6.50 crore), and added youth with Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Rs 2 crore) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (Rs 3 crore). Mayank Markande (Rs 30 lakh) also joined the squad. With Rs 51 crore remaining in their purse, KKR are expected to target high-profile players like Ishan Kishan or Jos Buttler in the upcoming auction rounds. The team has exhausted all their Right To Match cards.
First Piper 