IPL 2025 Mega Auction: 3 Players Kolkata Knight Riders Will Target On Day 2

Soumyajit Dutta

3 players KKR can target on Day 2 of IPL mega auction [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X.com]3 players KKR can target on Day 2 of IPL mega auction [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X.com]

The first day of the IPL 2025 mega auction was filled with excitement and bidding wars between franchises to secure their preferred players. The Kolkata Knight Riders were also active participants in the event, booking batters, all-rounders, wicketkeepers, and bowlers on the bidding table.

KKR's most expensive buy on Day 1 was Venkatesh Iyer for INR 23.75 crore. Besides Iyer, KKR roped in Quinton De Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Anrich Nortje, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Vaibhav Arora and Mayank Markande.

After the acquisitions, KKR is left with a kitty of INR 10.05 crores. Given that they still have 12 players left to fill the squad. Here are three players that KKR can target on Day 2 of the IPL mega auction in Jeddah.

3. Shardul Thakur (Base Price - 2 Crore)

Why Will KKR Target Shardul Thakur?

  • Shardul Thakur has been an asset to CSK for the past few years and has proven himself both batting and bowling. Moreover, Shardul is a wicket-taking bowler known for breaking partnerships in the middle and death overs.
  • In his IPL career, Shardul picked 94 wickets in 95 matches with an economy rate of 9.23. His inclusion would balance the team, complement overseas pacer Anrich Nortje and add depth to the batting lineup.

2. Glenn Phillips (Base Price - 2 Crore)

Why Will KKR Target Glenn Phillips?

  • With KKR often relying on aggressive middle-order players, Glenn Phillips’ skillset complements their need for a consistent power-hitter who can also bring versatility to the roster.
  • The South-Africa born holds an amazing strike rate of 141 in the T20I format that contributes to the much-needed firepower KKR needs in the middle overs.

1. Nitish Rana (Base Price - 1.5 Crore)

Why will KKR Target Nitish Rana?

  • Nitish Rana has been a reliable middle-order batter for KKR over several seasons. Given KKR's inclination toward its former players, it is probable that the SRK-owned team might jump into the ring for Rana.
  • In addition to his batting skills, Rana has demonstrated leadership abilities on several occasions for KKR, which could help fill the void left by Shreyas Iyer.

Some Other Probable Targets of KKR On Day 2: Kane Williamson, Ajinkya Rahane, Prithvi Shaw, Marco Jansen, Alex Carey, Gerald Coetzee, Lockie Ferguson, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Akash Deep, Tushar Deshpande, Mukesh Kumar