The deadline for the franchises to name their retentions ahead of the IPL 2025 auction ends on Thursday. Several media reports have already predicted some of the major names that will be retained and both fans as well as experts are trying to find out the name of star cricketers who may end up in the auction. While no franchise has confirmed anything, a meeting between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) owner Shah Rukh Khan and Afghanistan cricketer Rahmanullah Gurbaz has sent the internet into frenzy. Both SRK and Gurbaz were spotted together in an event in Dubai and the duo shared a hug. Soon after the video went viral, many users speculated that it can meant that Gurbaz is one of the options that KKR may consider when it comes to their retentions.
With the IPL 2025 mega auction retention deadline coming on October 31, it’s the time where all ten teams will be firming up their retention plans. Kolkata Knight Riders, the IPL 2024 winners, are also in the process of finalizing their retention list.
Shah Rukh Khan with Rahmanullah Gurbaz in Dubai.pic.twitter.com/blF6jYJxrK
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) October 28, 2024
But sources have told IANS that the retention status of their title-winning captain Shreyas Iyer is lining on unsure currently, as other players like West Indies duo of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, along with middle-order batter Rinku Singh, wrist-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy and uncapped fast-bowling all-rounder Harshit Rana, who recently got a call-up for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, are ahead in contention of being retained by the franchise.
While Narine and Russell were at their all-round best as the franchise’s stalwarts, Chakravarthy was a key figure in the spin-bowling department, picking up 21 wickets at an economy rate of 8.04. Those performances paved his way for being back into the Indian team for the T20Is against Bangladesh this month and is selected for next month’s South Africa series.
Rinku, despite making only 168 runs in 14 games this year, has been with the team since 2018 and has been credited as a find of the franchise ever since he found his groove as a finisher. Rana, who has been with the franchise since 2022, had a breakthrough 2024 season by picking 19 wickets.
On the other hand, Shreyas scored 351 runs in 14 innings at a strike-rate of 146.86 while leading KKR to their third IPL title in May this year. The right-handed Mumbai batter has been with the team since 2022, though he missed the 2023 season due to a lower-back injury.
(With IANS inputs)