IPL 2025: KKR Likely To Overhaul Player Retention List
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) look to have a major overhaul before Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Captaincy of the team during winning the title in 2024 has hardly protected Shreyas Iyer along with two such veterans, one an old-timer Andre Russell who has been there from his early years with Kolkata. Another fast bowler will be Australian Mitchell Starc. Instead, they wish for core players in their fraternity such as Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy along with promising young fast bowling talent Harshit Rana. KKR To Part Ways With Iyer And Russell It has gone even further by choosing to send both Iyer and Russell out of their way. Shreyas Iyer, KKR’s costliest buy in the auction held in 2022 at INR 12.25 crores, had scored 351 runs at a strike rate approaching 147 during this year’s season where the game was won by the side he represented. Meanwhile, Russell, KKR staple since 2014 has had his stint, showing promise with his striking innings of 222 and important wickets – 19. Both seem likely candidate for another team to lure them in auction. Starc To Have Meagre Possibility For Retention After achieving the bargain to sign up Mitchell Starc at an all-time INR 24.75 crore for 2024, KKR has set itself free to leave behind the Australian pacer. Though Starc, whose league campaign more or less went unremembered, gave excellent showings during the playoffs with 3/34 and 2/14 each in knockout phases that contributed to bringing KKR a title for itself, this seems one more step where KKR seems to consider redistribution of fund for a probable younger generation of players from a futures point of view. Narine, Chakravarthy and Rinku Expected to Lead KKR’s Retention List Sunil Narine, who rendered valuable services as an explosive opener and a safe-plays bowler, has been cemented in KKR’s retentions. The league was one of Narine’s star performers by taking 17 wickets at an economy rate of 6.69. Retained at an INR 8-crore cap for the 2022 version by KKR, Varun Chakravarthy has still gone on to be their top wicket-taker in the two editions so far; he hasn’t had a strike rate of less than that of a shade over 19 till date. While Rinku Singh has got everyone talking and a strike rate of 207.97, he has gotten picked for the T20I side repeatedly and needed to have been retained prior as one of the bigger promises of the future during the same time. The Auction Strategy Of KKR KKR is also weighing its options on the retention of fast bowler Harshit Rana who has been included in the India Test squad and explosive batter Ramandeep Singh, whose potential remains to be tested. These two retentions will push KKR’s total retention cost between INR 47 crore and INR 51 crore, pending final selections. With a maximum of six retained players being allowed in each franchise and only five capped internationals being retained, the submission deadline on October 31 forces KKR to maintain a delicate balance between experience and young talent. A Fresh Start For KKR In IPL 2025 By saying that the new season of 2025 will look into a much younger dynamic side, KKR seems to send a strategic message over their plans. This seems likely to shake up greatly with the mega auction during the season where the franchises seem to find ways for their remaining slots and better edge to face the competitions that await them in IPL for the year 2025. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
Yash Dayal’s Maiden Test Match Call-Up After 5 Sixes Nightmare
Imagine being the guy whose name resonates with school buses, not in cheers, but rather in taunts. Such was life for nearly a year for Yash Dayal after Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) Rinku Singh smashed him for five consecutive sixes in an IPL 2023 game where Dayal was representing the Gujrat Titans (GT). His quiet neighborhood in Allahabad had a new anthem overnight: “Rinkuuuuu Singh, Rinkuuu Singh, five sixes, five sixes!” His father, Chanderpal Dayal, too, stopped going outdoors, lest he became the subject of lots of fun and ridicule. His mother, Radha, stopped eating altogether, trying to understand why her son wasn’t saying a word. Family Power-Up Mode Activated! While most would’ve crumbled, Yash Dayal’s family went full “motivational speaker” on him. His father cited Stuart Broad, who bounced back after being smashed for six sixes by Yuvraj Singh and explained to Yash that he soon is going to represent India. Yash Dayal went into overdrive-changing from “the guy who got hit for five sixes” to “the guy taking wickets for fun.“ RCB to the Rescue Released by the Gujarat Titans, Yash Dayal found a new home in Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) as IPL 2024 came around. Boy, did he deliver! With 15 wickets in 14 matches, Dayal wasn’t the punchline anymore; he was one of the main guys who took RCB into the playoffs and showed them that he was made of sterner stuff. Redemption Arc: Duleep Trophy Edition The ultimate revenge of Yash Dayal was not some viral social media post but a spell of fire in the Duleep Trophy 2024, in which he knocked over Mayank Agarwal and Riyan Parag in a jiffy. The selectors could no longer look the other way-the call-up came for the India Test squad for the Bangladesh series beginning on September 19, 2024. From Taunts to Triumph It has been a fairytale-like ride from five-sixes humiliation to Test cricket glory for Yash’s family. A chance to make his test match debut, Yash Dayal’s story is about how the best comebacks always happen after the toughest blows-or, in this case, five massive sixes. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
IPL Franchise Owners Consider Investment In ECB’s The Hundred Amid Concerns Over Minority Stake
As the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) launches the fourth season of The Hundred, discussions around the privatization of the tournament’s eight franchises have intensified. The ECB’s plan involves selling a 49% stake in each team to private investors, while the remaining 51% will be retained by the existing ‘hosts’ – seven counties and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) for London Spirit. Reservations About Minority Stake This proposal has drawn interest from owners of several Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises. However, many express reservations about the minority stake being offered, fearing it could lead to a lack of control over the franchises. Concerns Highlighted by IPL Franchise Official The concerns were highlighted by an official from an IPL-winning franchise, who preferred to remain anonymous. “In all other franchise investments, we are 100% owners. Here, it’s going to be a joint venture. There’s valuation, ownership, and operational matters to consider – these issues come to the fore immediately,” the official said. ECB Acknowledges Investor Concerns Vikram Banerjee, the ECB’s Head of Business Operations, acknowledged these concerns. During his trip to India for IPL 2024, he met with various franchise owners to discuss the proposed model. “For a number of them, it’s around things like brand, control of cricket operations, and majority stakes from an equity perspective,” Banerjee explained. “We understand where they are at and have built that into the process.“ MCC and Surrey’s Stance on Stake Divestment Among the eight franchises, the MCC has stated it will consider selling part or all of its 51% stake, pending approval from its members. In contrast, Surrey, the owners of the Oval Invincibles, have declared no intention to divest any of their stake. Possibility of 100% Ownership Richard Gould, the ECB’s Chief Executive, did not rule out the possibility of investors acquiring a 100% stake, provided they meet various criteria. “There’s certainly the opportunity for people to have, potentially, 100% ownership,” Gould stated. “It depends on the capabilities they bring in terms of finance and operational delivery.“ Importance of Chemistry in Joint Ventures Venky Mysore, CEO of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), emphasized the importance of chemistry between investors and existing stakeholders. “Ultimately in any joint venture, it boils down to the chemistry recipe,” Mysore said. “The existing shareholder group has existed for 100-plus years, and suddenly, you have a new investor coming in. Can you work together? Because this is for the long run.“ Open Approach to Minority Stake A couple of IPL franchise owners, however are more open to starting with a minority stake. A CEO from another IPL team mentioned that a 49% stake would be a good starting point, with the option to increase their investment gradually. “The key question is how much that 49% constitutes of the overall value. If that number is too huge and I’m not sure of the returns, I’d rather take a small share to begin with, with the option to increase my stake over time.“ Balancing Control and Investment Value The ECB has clarified that the highest bid will not necessarily win. They seek partners keen on supporting the growth of the game at all levels, beyond just financial contributions. As the formal bidding process approaches, starting mid-September, the future of The Hundred and its appeal to IPL franchise owners hinges on balancing control, investment value, and operational harmony. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
IPL 2024 Playoffs: RCB & RR can pack their bags, KKR & SRH To Play the Final, Know Why?
The IPL 2024 group stages recently concluded with all teams having played 14 games each. Four teams have qualified for the playoffs of the tournament that will conclude the winner of the tournament. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are the teams that have qualified for the play off rounds. With KKR being in solid form and SRH literally breathing fire, it would be fair to say that RCB and RR can pack their bags and get ready to leave for their homes. Here are the reasons why? IPL PLAYOFFS SCENARIOS (SINCE 2011) LEAGUE STAGE FINISH NUMBER OF TIMES IPL WINNERS YEARS 1st Position 4 times MI – 2017, 2019, 2020, GT- 2022 2nd Position 8 times CSK – 2011, 2018, 2021 KKR – 2012, 2014MI – 2013, 2015, 2019 3rd Position 1 time SRH – 2016 4th Position NIL NIL The above mentioned are the numbers since the introduction of playoffs in IPL 2011. OVERALL IPL TOP 4 SCENARIOS LEAGUE STAGE FINISH NUMBER OF TIMES IPL WINNERS YEARS 1st Position 5 times 2008, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022 2nd Position 8 times 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2021, 2023 3rd Position 2 times 2010, 2016 4th Position 1 time 2009 Considering the current scenario for both RCB and RR, RCB do not possess a very good record in IPL knockout games. On the flip side, RR currently are under immense pressure with four losses on the bounce and losing a game through a rain washout as well. IPL PLAYOFFS EXPLAINEDThe Indian Premier League (IPL) follows a specific playoff format that determines which teams advance to the final and ultimately win the trophy. The terms “qualifiers,” “eliminators,” and “final” refer to different stages in this playoff system. Here’s a detailed explanation of each: 1. Qualifiers:– Qualifier 1: This match is played between the top two teams on the points table at the end of the league stage. The winner of this match directly advances to the IPL final.– Qualifier 2: This match involves the loser of Qualifier 1 and the winner of the Eliminator. The winner of Qualifier 2 moves on to the IPL final. 2. Eliminator:– The Eliminator match is played between the third and fourth-placed teams on the points table. The loser of this match is eliminated from the tournament. The winner proceeds to play in Qualifier 2. 3. Final:– The final is the championship match of the IPL, played between the winners of Qualifier 1 and Qualifier. – The team that wins the final is crowned the IPL champion for that season. This playoff system ensures that the top teams from the league stage get a fair chance to compete for the title, while also maintaining a knockout element for added excitement and unpredictability. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
