Harbhajan Singh omits BGT-bound star from KKR's retention list: ‘Limited spots available…’

The deadline for player retention in IPL 2025 is quickly approaching, putting the franchises in a challenging position as they must make tough decisions before the upcoming auction. Kolkata Knight Riders, the reigning champions, are faced with the difficult task of selecting just six players to retain from their successful squad last season. Known for backing their players, KKR will need to carefully choose their core group to form the foundation of their team for the upcoming season. There has been much speculation surrounding which players KKR will retain, with experts pointing to Andre Russell and Sunil Narine as popular choices. Veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh, who was a part of the KKR team in 2021, has also weighed in on the predictions game, bringing his insider knowledge of the team culture to the table. As KKR navigates this critical phase, fans eagerly await the final decisions that will shape the team's roster for IPL 2025.

Harbhajan was quite clear about his choices as he chose skipper Shreyas Iyer to be retained while he picked three overseas players alongside him - Phil Salt, Sunil Narine, and Andre Russell. The legendary spinner was adamant that KKR should retain their young superstar Rinku Singh for sure, as the left-handed swashbuckling batter has turned out to be one of the best Indian finishers in the last couple of years.

“KKR dominated the entire season, so it will be difficult for them to leave or retain anyone. But it's a matter of retention, so you only have limited numbers that you can retain. If I want to see or if I have to choose my 6 players, which 6 players will be there for KKR? I think Shreyas Iyer will be there, Phil Salt will be there, Narine will be there, Andre Russell will be there, Rinku Singh will be there. I will definitely want to see Rinku Singh. He should be the 5th player to be retained," Harbhajan told Star Sports.

Meanwhile, for the uncapped pick, Harbhajan snubbed the BGT 2024-25 bound and went ahead with Ramandeep Singh after his recent exploits in domestic cricket.

"And if we talk about one more player, who is the last player to be retained? It could be Ramandeep Singh. He is an uncapped player. I think he should be retained. He played very well last year and I have seen his performance in domestic cricket this year as well. So I think this 6th player, Knight Rider, will be retained," he concluded.