Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Ramandeep Singh recently shared the story behind his retention ahead of the IPL 2025 mega-auction and it’s all about loyalty and belief.

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Ramandeep was one of the six players retained by KKR before the 2025 season kicked off. The defending champions kept him in the squad as an uncapped Indian player for INR 4 crore. But as it turns out, he had bigger offers on the table.

In a candid chat with ESPNcricinfo, Ramandeep revealed, “Before the auction, quite a few teams reached out and told me, ‘Don’t get retained. We’ll go up to 9-10 crore for you.’ But I couldn’t walk away from KKR. They gave me my chance when I needed it most. A few crores less didn’t matter. Respecting their word mattered more.”

He recalled a phone call from KKR CEO Venky Mysore, who made it clear the team wanted to retain him. “Venky sir called and said, ‘You’re in our retention plans. It’s your decision, but if you enter the auction, we’ll try to RTM.’ I told him right away—I’m happy to stay. I didn’t want to go anywhere else.”

Ramandeep credits a key moment in KKR’s pre-season camp last year for changing his career trajectory. “We needed six runs off two balls in a practice match. I cleared the ropes. GG (Gautam Gambhir) came up to me afterward and said, ‘We’ll back you no matter what.’ That moment meant everything,” he said.

He also praised former KKR assistant coach Abhishek Nayar for the intense training sessions in Thane. “He used to make me bat for three hours straight in the nets. I’d never done that before. It changed me as a batter.”