IPL 2025: Why was KKR's purse reduced by ₹69 crore?
What's the story
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have retained six players ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) auction.
The list includes Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, and uncapped players Ramandeep Singh and Harshit Rana.
Despite spending a total of ₹57 crore on player retention, KKR's purse has been deducted by ₹69 crore from the initial ₹120 crore due to specific retention rules.
Player investments
KKR's top retention and player investments
Rinku Singh was the top retention for KKR as the franchise spent ₹13 crore on the left-handed batter.
Narine, Russell, and Chakaravarthy were all retained at ₹12 crore each by the franchise.
The uncapped players, Harshit and Ramandeep, were retained at ₹4 crore each.
These smart player retentions show KKR's intention of keeping a strong team for the next IPL season.
Retention rules
Understanding the IPL retention rules
The IPL retention rules state that if a team retains four capped and two uncapped players, the deductions are fixed at ₹18 crore for the first and fourth capped players.
The second capped player comes at ₹14 crore while the third at ₹11 crore.
Each of the two uncapped players accounts for ₹4 crore deduction, amounting to ₹69 crore.
This rule ensures that higher of actual spending and deduction formula is subtracted from a team's purse.
Budget status
KKR's remaining budget for IPL 2025 auction
Following the implementation of these retention rules, KKR will now head into the IPL 2025 auction with ₹51 crore left in their kitty.
This is even though they have only spent ₹57 crore on retaining players.
The rare scenario emphasizes how certain IPL rules can affect a franchise's financial planning and player retention choices ahead of the much-awaited auction event.