Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) marked the return of Gautam Gambhir as a mentor in the IPL 2024 auction, securing a total of 10 players for a collective sum of ₹31.35 crore in a high-energy bidding process.The auction commenced with KKR’s bid for West Indies’ Rovman Powell; however, losing the bid to Rajasthan Royals momentarily quieted Venky Mysore and Gambhir in subsequent rounds.

Despite the initial setback, KKR strategically addressed their need for a reliable Indian wicketkeeper by securing KS Bharat for his base price of ₹50 lakh, emphasizing the urgency of this crucial position.Recognizing the significance of bolstering their fast-bowling arsenal, KKR added left-arm seamer Chetan Sakariya to their roster for ₹50 lakh, tapping into his potential after a hiatus due to injury.

The highlight of KKR’s spending spree was the monumental acquisition of Australian seamer Mitchell Starc, securing his services for a staggering ₹24.75 crore—the highest-ever spent on a player in IPL history. The intense bidding war involved Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals before Gujarat Titans briefly entered the fray, eventually leading to KKR’s triumphant bid.

Continuing their strategic picks, KKR signed 18-year-old top-order batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi and 26-year-old batter Ramandeep Singh at their base prices of ₹20 lakh each, fortifying their batting lineup.Adding depth to their squad, KKR secured West Indies international Sherfane Rutherford for his base price of ₹1.5 crore, a move applauded for providing a valuable middle-order option and left-arm pace, complementing Andre Russell.

See Also:Gujarat Titans IPL 2024 Squad-Full Player List, Auction Purchases, Remaining Purse

With a limited purse remaining, KKR made further base-price signings during the accelerated part of the auction, bringing back former player Manish Pandey for ₹50 lakh, acquiring Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman for ₹2 crore, England speedster Gus Atiknson for ₹1 crore, and 19-year-old batter Shakib Hussain for ₹20 lakh.

In summary, KKR’s aggressive yet strategic approach in the auction aimed at addressing key positions and acquiring a balanced squad for the upcoming IPL season.

KKR Retained Players:

Player	Role	Price
Shreyas Iyer	Batter	12.5 crore
Andre Russell	All-rounder	12 crore
Varun Chakravarthy	Bowler	12 crore
Nitish Rana	All-rounder	8 crore
Venkatesh Iyer	All-rounder	8 crore
Sunil Narine	Bowler	6 crore
Jason Roy	Batter	2.8 crore
Rinku Singh	Batter	55 lakhs
Vaibhav Arora	Bowler	60 lakh
Rahmanullah Gurbaz	Keeper-batter	50 lakh
Suyash Sharma	Bowler	20 lakh
Harshit Rana	Bowler	20 lakh
Anukul Roy	All-rounder	20 lakh

Newly Added Players to KKR Team 2024:

Player	Role	Price
KS Bharat	Keeper-batter	50 lakh
Chetan Sakariya	Bowler	50 lakh
Mitchell Starc	Bowler	24.75 crore
Ramandeep Singh	All-rounder	20 lakhs
Angkrish Raghuvanshi	Batter	20 lakhs
Sherfane Rutherford	Batter	1.50 crore
Manish Pandey	Batter	50 lakhs
Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman	Bowler	2 crore
Gus Atkinson	Bowler	1 crore
Sakib Hussain	Bowler	20 lakhs

Squad Strength – 23 (Indian-15, Overseas-8)

Purse Remaining – INR – 1.35 crore