Venkatesh Iyer, the most expensive all-round player in IPL history, was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders, for a record-breaking Rs 23.75 crore on Day 1 of the auction, garnering headlines.

Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) prioritised retaining their championship core, splashing Rs 23.75 crore on Venkatesh Iyer. Unable to keep Nitish Rana, KKR brought in Manish Pandey and Ajinkya Rahane to bolster their batting line-up.

Both Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders have enter the auction in search of a captain primarily. DC bought 19, while KKR bid for 15 players during the auction.

Check out of full squad Kolkata Knight Riders and the complete players list after the 2025 IPL mega auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The IPL 2025 mega auction unfolded in Jeddah over two days on November 24 and 25, with teams picking from a shortlist of 577 players. Lucknow Super Giants made history, securing Rishabh Pant for a record-breaking bid of Rs 27 crore.

Have a look at the complete list of players KKR have bought in the first day of the IPL 2025 mega auction. Check Out the full list of Kolkata Knight Riders players along with their price, remaining purse and player slots on the Day 2 of the Mega Event.

Shreyas Iyer follows after getting picked by Punjab Kings for Rs 26.75 crore Venkatesh Iyer is now the 3rd highest salary after getting retained by KKR for Rs 23.75 crore in IPL Auction Heinrich Klaas

Here's a look at defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders' strongest playing XI for the 2025 edition of the cash-rich league, which is reportedly set to start on March 14, 2025.

Despite a total of Rs 639.15 cr being spent, only 182 out of 577 shortlisted players were sold in the IPL 2025 mega auction. Image: BCCI/IPL

The IPL 2025 Auctions saw that some of the former captains not make their way back to the previous franchises. KKR did bid for Shreyas Iyer but backed out and allowed him to join PBKS in the end.