Overview
- Ahead of the retention deadline, CEO Venky Mysore rejected a buy-release-buyback approach and indicated Venkatesh Iyer is likely to be retained at ₹23.75 crore.
- Aaron Finch said KKR could get a strong trade return for Andre Russell yet predicted the franchise will keep him, while advising releases of Iyer and Quinton de Kock.
- Aakash Chopra and Ravichandran Ashwin publicly urged KKR to release Iyer to unlock budget flexibility, with Chopra suggesting a lower-price buyback at the mini-auction.
- Reports attributed to ESPNcricinfo suggest KKR may free around ₹40 crore by releasing multiple players, and that a KL Rahul trade is not expected to materialize.
- Context from IPL 2025 shows KKR finished eighth; Iyer managed 142 runs and Russell 167 runs with eight wickets, sharpening debate over high-price retentions.