IPL 2025: Arshdeep Singh replaces Mitchell Stark in Kolkata Knight Riders
Current IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will have to rebuild their team in the mega auction. Although they have retained six of their core players, they had to release most of the players from the title-winning team. However, it has been revealed in media reports that the KKR team is not considering re-buying Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc, who was the most expensive player in IPL history and played a key role in KKR’s victory in the playoffs in IPL 2024.
Starc won the Player of the Match award in both Qualifier 1 and the final during IPL 2024. However, the main reason for releasing Starc is being said to be an Indian bowler, who has also been released by his team before the auction. This left-arm Indian pacer is none other than left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh. Arshdeep was India’s highest wicket-taker in the T20 World Cup 2024.
According to a report in Mint, KKR is all set to bid on Arshdeep in the mega auction. The left-arm fast bowler took 19 wickets in 14 matches in IPL 2024. Also took 17 wickets in the T20 World Cup 2024. However, Arshdeep’s economy rate in IPL 2024 was more than 10, which is definitely a matter of concern, but his ability to bowl well in the death overs and take wickets in the powerplay is something that KKR will keep an eye on. Arshdeep can also bowl yorkers continuously in the death overs. He will enter the auction pool as India’s most sought-after fast bowler. There will be a lot of demand for Arshdeep during the auction and his selling price can be more than Rs 15 crore.
Arshdeep has been with the Punjab Kings team since 2019, but he was not retained before the mega auction this year. However, Punjab have Rs 110.5 crore in the auction purse, and they also have four Right to Match (RTM) cards. Arshdeep can still come back to the Punjab team. Punjab has retained Prabhsimran Singh and Shashank Singh for next year. Kolkata Knight Riders have already retained two quality spinners in Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy. Apart from this, they have also retained two fast bowlers in the form of Harshit Rana and Andre Russell. Rinku Singh and Ramandeep Singh have also been retained. KKR will enter the mega auction with Rs 51 crore in its purse.