KKR Retains Key Players Ahead of IPL 2025, Appoints Dwayne Bravo as Mentor

Kolkata Knight Riders retain six key players, including Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, while releasing stars like Shreyas Iyer ahead of IPL 2025. CEO Venky Mysore discusses retention challenges. Dwayne Bravo takes on a new role as team mentor, transitioning from player to coach after retiring from the IPL last year.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) CEO Venky Mysore reflected on the challenges of player retention, saying there were about 10-11 'no-brainer' selections for the team. However, the management announced on Thursday the retention of Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Varun Chakravarthy for the upcoming IPL 2025 auction.

In the recent IPL 2024 season, KKR clinched their third championship title under Shreyas Iyer's leadership with a decisive 8-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad. Despite his successful run, Iyer was not retained, alongside other prominent names such as Mitchell Starc and Phil Salt. Mysore expressed the difficulty of downsizing, especially as champions, noting the desire to keep a team built for success.

In a strategic enhancement, KKR has appointed former West Indies cricketer Dwayne Bravo as their new mentor, taking over from Gautam Gambhir. Bravo, who retired from international cricket in 2021 and exited IPL as a player last year, brings experience from his coaching stints with Chennai Super Kings and the Afghanistan team.

(With inputs from agencies.)