At the IPL Auction, there were certain players picked by squads, that make no sense at all, as to why they were bid for even. KKR, despite retaining a very strong core side, managed to compile a squad that seems to have a few shortcomings. Having said that, there are some mistakes — or rather some players that they must avoid using in IPL 2025, if they want to go far in the tournament.
Quinton De Kock Great, But Doesn’t Suit KKR
Till about a month back, many would have predicted South African Quinton De Kock to open KKR’s innings along with Sunil Narine. But cut to December, Indian veteran Ajinkya Rahane has shown, he isn’t done yet. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he finished as the highest run-getter, and scored 469 in nine matches, at a strike-rate of 164. So, he will obviously be preferred by the KKR management.
Plus, de Kock’s strike-rate can be a problem, if the team decides to slot him somewhere. In the 11 IPL Matches this year, he could score only 250 runs, at a strike-rate of 134. So, KKR need to stay away from him.
Umran Malik – The Fragile Speedster
If in full swing, Umran Malik can be a blessing, but by the looks of it — he could well be a liability for KKR. He missed the Ranji Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and now the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and seems to be nursing some serious injury. No one really knows, by when will he be fully fit, and last played in IPL 2024, and there too he played just one match. So, he must be avoided at all costs too.
Best Probable KKR XI for IPL 2025
| S. No | Player |
| 1. | Ajinkya Rahane |
| 2. | Sunil Narine |
| 3. | Venkatesh Iyer |
| 4. | Andre Russell |
| 5. | Rinku Singh |
| 6. | Moeen Ali |
| 7. | Ramandeep Singh |
| 8. | Varun Chakravarthy |
| 9. | Harshit Rana |
| 10. | Vaibhav Arora |
| 11. | Anrich Nortje |
| Impact Player | Angkrish Raghuvanshi |
The post IPL 2025: Players KKR should avoid playing at all costs ft. Quinton de Kock, Umran Malik appeared first on Inside Sport India.