Kolkata Knight Riders declared IPL 2025 winner after Mega Auction

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra said that Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have one of the best middle-order batters for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Aakash Chopra said that Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, and Ramandeep Singh are among the strengths of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2025.

Kolkata Knight Riders spent Rs 50.95 crore on 15 players, including nine Indians, during the mega auction. All-rounder Venkatesh Iyer was the highest-paid cricketer for KKR, purchased for Rs 23.75 crore after a bidding war with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). They also retained six players before the auction.

Kolkata Knight Riders Have A Lot Of Depth In Batting - Aakash Chopra

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra said that Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, and Ramandeep Singh could form one of the best middle-order batting lineups in the league.

"They have a lot of depth in batting. They are explosive. They have RRR. Ramandeep is now an India player and he has also matured. So Rinku, Russell and Ramandeep are three of your batters who can bat at four, five and six. This four, five and six could be one of the better Nos. 4 to 6 in the league," Chopra said.

KKR retained Rinku Singh (Rs 13 crore), Andre Russell (Rs 12 crore), Varun Chakaravarthy (Rs 12 crore), and Sunil Narine (Rs 12 crore). They also retained uncapped players Ramandeep Singh and Harshit Rana for Rs 4 crore each, as the two cricketers had not represented India by the October 31 cut-off date.

Shreyas Iyer Had A Very Small Role With The Bat - Aakash Chopra

Chopra said that KKR has a strong batting lineup despite releasing players Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Rana, and Phil Salt. He said that Venkatesh Iyer and Angkrish Raghuvanshi will add depth to the batting. Chopra added that Shreyas played a minimal role with the bat last year despite leading the team to the title.

"Apart from that, Venkatesh Iyer and Angkrish Raghuvanshi. So there is a lot of firepower in batting. They have done this job very well. They have continued what was there last year," Chopra said.

"Shreyas Iyer had a very small role with the bat last year. Of course, he contributed as a captain. Although they don't have Shreyas, Nitish Rana and Phil Salt, batting has depth and explosiveness with the RRR," he added.

The Kolkata Knight Riders added several key batting players during the auction, including Angkrish Raghuvanshi for Rs 3 crore, along with Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, and Ajinkya Rahane.

No One Can Read These Spinners - Aakash Chopra

In the same video, the cricketer-turned-commentator said that Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine are key strengths for Kolkata Knight Riders. Chopra stated that they provide eight overs of mystery spin, adding that even top batters struggle against them.

"Their spin bowling. It's the same as last year - Varun Chakaravarthy from one end and Sunil Narine from the other. This is your bank of eight overs of mystery spin. No one is able to read these spinners or hit them. Everyone struggles against them," Chopra said.

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