After a successful and fulfilling IPL Mega Auction for the Kolkata Knight Riders, we had the chance to have a brief interaction with Knight Riders CEO, Mr. Venky Mysore and Mentor DJ Bravo, where both reflected on the picks made by KKR. Both discussed how important it was to construct a well-balanced and all-round unit for the upcoming season and also talked about the rollercoaster of emotions throughout both the days while they were at the auction table.

Our esteemed CEO, Mr Venky Mysore, has been a part of 15 auctions in total, which is a staggering number and carries a dearth of experience when it comes to putting together quality sides at the auction table. He spoke about his experience at the table, certain permutations and combinations of the auction and uniqueness of this year’s auction.

Here’s what Mr. Mysore had to say about KKR’s auction this year (Excerpts):

Q. After being a part of so many auctions, what was the experience like this time around? Was it any different or unique to some of the other auctions?

Venky Mysore: “Every auction is different but this one was unique in particular ways. The way the retention rules were set up, RTM rules, salary caps, and marquee sets, this auction was more demanding than others and it was quite nerve-racking because of all these nuances. In the end, from our perspective, the auction ended very well. We had a good first day and it was important to end well. We feel we have ticked all boxes in terms of the picks we have made.”

Q. With the squad that we had last year, was it a definitive plan to try and buy back most of our championship squad?

Venky Mysore: “We were encouraged by the fact that last year’s structure of the team worked very well for us. Thus, the think tank’s unanimous view was that we try to maintain that structure, which we have successfully done along with improving certain aspects of the squad. We are hopeful that this formula will continue to work well for IPL 2025.”

Q. Rovman Powell has been in our squad previously and we have also tried to get him in some of the previous auctions. Your thoughts on finally acquiring Powell in KKR’s squad for 2025?

Venky Mysore: “We have seen Rovman Powell for many years at the CPL (Caribbean Premier League) and around the world. He’s a terrific cricketer and highly-experienced, currently leading the West Indies T20 team, so it’s a fantastic signing for us. All of that put together makes him a special player and it’s great to have him in this squad.”

Q. We picked up so many players in the last phase of the auction and that too in a quick succession. How was that experience?

Venky Mysore: “Sometimes these things happen to work out very nicely. There's a plan behind all of this, but it has to work and today it worked very well. We needed certain types of players and our leaning at that stage was to really try and get experienced players. It just felt really good that we got them because now it’s a really nice blend of experience and youth. Delighted to have added those stalwarts to our squad at the end of the auction.”

We also had a chance to interact with Mentor DJ Bravo and asked him about his first experience of sitting at an auction table, making smart picks and his overall emotions throughout the auction.

Here’s what the Champion DJ Bravo had to say (Excerpts):

Q. How was the experience of sitting at the auction table for the first time ever?

DJ Bravo: “It was a great experience, it was quite unpredictable. I thought I would be more nervous but my name wasn’t up for auction (jokingly), so it helped me stay calm. All in all it was a successful outing and it was a top class experience sitting next to Venky (Venky Mysore). We started planning when I was back in Trinidad and we covered the proper plan made. We wanted to pick certain players who will be able to facilitate for the six retained players in the squad. Venkatesh (Venkatesh Iyer) was one of our main targets and we went all out for him. Good to see that we have been able to get back 90% of last year’s championship squad.”

Q. You have always been an advocate to keep a settled squad together and we have seen that in Knight Riders teams across the globe. How does it feel to get back to another settled team for the upcoming season?

DJ Bravo: “It’s a great feeling. I had mentioned this to Venky (Venky Mysore) before that a lot of teams get carried away when they think they have a big purse. But most of the successful teams in IPL try to retain their core of players and then go into the auction to buy back the others or find a like for like replacements. Thus, I’m very happy that we were able to get all the players we wanted. Great to see Ajinkya (Ajinkya Rahane) back in action, Moeen Ali, and Rovman Powell who are really dangerous players and will compliment our squad. But the one player I’m really excited about is the speedster Umran Malik. I’ve always admired him, his work ethic, his energy and I'm really happy that we have secured his services.”