IPL 2025: Why were KKR deducted Rs 69 crore from mega auction purse despite spending Rs 57 crore on retentions?

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have made strategic decisions in their retention list for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Despite not retaining captain Shreyas Iyer, KKR has chosen to keep a core group of players who were instrumental in securing their third IPL title earlier this year.

Leading the retention list is middle-order batter Rinku Singh, who has been retained for Rs 13 crore. Additionally, KKR has retained veteran West Indian all-rounders Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, showcasing their commitment to maintaining a strong and experienced squad.

In a calculated move, KKR has utilized all six retention slots allowed by the IPL Governing Council. This means that the team will not have any Right To Match (RTM) cards available during the upcoming mega auction, mirroring the situation of Rajasthan Royals, the inaugural IPL champions.

Despite investing Rs 12 crore in Russell, Narine, and Chakravarthy, and Rs 4 crore each in Rana and Ramandeep, KKR now finds themselves with Rs 51 crore remaining from their total auction purse of Rs 120 crore. This deviation from the expected Rs 63 crore has raised eyebrows, but KKR's management remains confident in their retention strategy moving forward.

What is the rationale behind the deduction of Rs 69 crore from KKR's auction purse?

According to the new retention rules announced by the IPL in late September, franchises will incur a fixed deduction of Rs 18 crore for their first and fourth capped players, and Rs 14 crore for the second and fifth retentions. The third capped player will result in a deduction of Rs 11 crore, while uncapped players will have a deduction of Rs 4 crore.

These deductions are set amounts, regardless of the final retention value assigned to each player. 

By retaining four capped players and two uncapped players, KKR has spent a total of Rs 69 crore based on the franchise's rules, even if they actually spent less than that amount.

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