3 glaring issues KKR failed to address at the IPL 2025 auction ft. Indian pace backups

Despite losing captain Shreyas Iyer and opening batter Phil Salt, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will be confident of making a deep run into the playoffs in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL). The defending champions have retained a good portion of their core and seem well-placed to go all the way.

However, the IPL 2025 auction wasn't a perfect event for the Knight Riders. Certain sections of their roster have clear holes, largely due to them spending exorbitant amounts of money to keep hold of their homegrown stars. Kolkata also has concerns in its leadership group, which has been rather confusingly decided.

KKR's squad for IPL 2025: Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Luvnith Sisodia, Ajinkya Rahane, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Moeen Ali, Varun Chakaravarthy, Mayank Markande, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Anrich Nortje, Spencer Johnson, Chetan Sakariya.

On that note, here are three glaring issues KKR failed to address at the IPL 2025 auction.

---

#3 Chetan Sakariya, signed as a replacement for Umran Malik, is KKR's only Indian pace backup

England & India Net Sessions - Source: Getty

KKR announced that Umran Malik has been ruled out of IPL 2025 and named Chetan Sakariya as his replacement. While Sakariya is a decent bowler who can chip in on certain tracks, the Knight Riders are certainly woefully short of Indian pace backups on the bench.

Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora are expected to feature in the playing XII, while Sakariya himself might be called upon as an impact sub now and then if KKR want to beef up their bowling options. Apart from the trio, no one in the squad can step in.

If any of the above bowlers struggle with a niggle or two, Kolkata could find themselves short-handed.

---

#2 Kolkata's side will have an out-of-place middle-order batter or two

IPL Eliminator - Delhi v Sunrisers - Source: Getty

Following the signings of Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey and Angkrish Raghuvanshi, KKR will need to find a way to fit one or more of them in the playing XII. While Rahane has been announced as the captain and needs to bat in the powerplay, Pandey and Raghuvanshi offer skillsets that will be valuable to the team.

As things currently stand, KKR might not be able to pick Raghuvanshi, who had a breakthrough season last year, if they want an extra bowling option. That isn't a comfortable situation to be in, particularly if it means that Rinku Singh and Andre Russell will need to bat a bit higher than they did last season.

---

#1 Where will the KKR captain bat?

2024 IPL Final - Kolkata Knight Riders v Sunrisers Hyderabad - Source: Getty

KKR's concerns in that department grow following their announcement of Rahane as captain. They made the curious decision of handing the reins to a player who was selected in the accelerated round of the auction, almost as an afterthought.

Rahane is at his best against pace, but Sunil Narine and Quinton de Kock seem primed to open the batting for the Knight Riders. If they survive the powerplay, the KKR skipper will need to face off against a good amount of spin, which is never a good idea.

Moreover, if Rahane loses his form, the franchise will be in a pickle as they may not be able to drop their leader. The three-time IPL champions should've ideally gone into the IPL 2025 auction with a clear captaincy target since bringing Shreyas Iyer back was never a realistic option.