IPL 2025 Retentions: Why was KKR deducted INR 69 crore after spending INR 57 crore?

Ahead of the IPL 2025 big auction, the reigning champions, the Kolkata Knight Riders, kept six players. Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, both West Indies all-rounders, were retained at INR 12 crore each, while Rinku Singh was the top retainer at INR 13 crore. While the two uncapped players, Ramandeep Singh and Harshit Rana, were acquired for INR 4 crore apiece, spinner Varun Chakravarthy was also tagged with the same sum.

Different slabs were established for each retention in accordance with the IPL retention rules: INR 18 crore for the first and fourth-capped players, INR 14 crore for the second and fifth, INR 11 crore for the third, and INR 4 crore for the uncapped players. A team that kept five capped players would have lost at least INR 75 crore (18+14+11+18+14), whereas a team that kept an uncapped player would have lost INR 79 crore.

KKR spent INR 57 crore out of their INR 120 crore pre-allocated purse. They were still charged INR 69 crore, though, which is INR 8 crore more than they should have.

It is noteworthy that franchises were free to divide the retention amount according to their preferences and agreements with the players in question. This meant that they might keep a player at a price higher or lower than the slab price that was specified.

However, the regulations stipulated that a team’s purse would be reduced by the greater of the number of actual expenses and the prescribed slab. For this reason, the franchise’s INR 120 crore purse was reduced by INR 69 crore (18+14+11+18+4+4), the amount according to the prescribed retention slabs, rather than INR 57 crore, which was KKR’s actual expense.

Also Read: ‘Trying to trim that down to six was very challenging’ – KKR CEO Venky Mysore explains retention strategy

Six of the 19 spots that KKR has to fill must be filled by players from abroad. Given their current well-rounded lineup, it would be interesting to see how they decide to assemble their team for the 2025 Indian Premier League.