Venkatesh Iyer, the most expensive all-round player in IPL history, was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders, for a record-breaking Rs 23.75 crore on Day 1 of the auction, garnering headlines.

Dive into the strategic missteps of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the IPL 2025 Mega Auction. From releasing key players.

KKR will have to find a player who can lead them next season. Here are five players who can be considered as captain materials for the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2025.

Both Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders have enter the auction in search of a captain primarily. DC bought 19, while KKR bid for 15 players during the auction.

The biggest news coming out of KKR's retentions is that they have released their IPL-winning captain Shreyas Iyer. Hence, it will be interesting to note if they buy back the batter in the IPL 2025 auction.

Kolkata edged out Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in a fierce bidding war to acquire the 29-year-old Indian all-rounder. Iyer was the third most expensive player at the IPL 2025 mega auction, after Rishabh Pant (Lucknow Super Giants, INR 27 crores) and Shreyas Iyer (Punjab Kings, INR 26.75 crores)

Check out of full squad Kolkata Knight Riders and the complete players list after the 2025 IPL mega auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.