Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have roped in Shivam Shukla as a replacement player for Rovman Powell in IPL 2025. Powell didn’t return to India after the IPL resumption because he is nursing an injury and would like to remain fit for the upcoming international assignments.

This opened the doors for Shivam, who has been making waves in domestic cricket, especially in local T20 leagues. Shivam was the leading wicket-taker in the Madhya Pradesh T20 League, snaring 10 wickets at 9.60 balls apiece in four matches, including a five-wicket haul.

Further, he played under Rajat Patidar for Madhya Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024/25, scalping eight wickets at 23.62 runs apiece in eight innings, comprising a four-wicket haul. He was also with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) as a net bowler, where he honed his skills with the legendary Muttiah muralitharan.

He immediately impressed in the SRH nets, dismissing Abhishek Sharma in his first over. SRH could have taken Shivam in the main squad as a replacement player, but KKR took him first for the remaining game in IPL 2025.

Can KKR retain Shivam Shukla after IPL 2025?

Unfortunately, KKR can’t retain Shivam Shukla after IPL 2025 because he has come as a temporary replacement player for this season. According to the BCCI’s guidelines, players coming as a temporary replacement can’t be retained and will only be available for the remainder of IPL 2025.

That means Shivam will only be available for one match since KKR have a solitary game remaining this season and can’t qualify for the playoffs. They can re-buy him in the IPL 2026 auction and keep him as a long-term investment.

However, several teams might go after him now that his expertise is well-documented, increasing Shivam’s value. Mystery spinners are a trend in the T20 format, and Shivam has shown he can be unpredictable for the batters with his craft.

Several quality players, especially spinners, have come from local T20 leagues this season, including Digvesh Rathi and Vipraj Nigam. The trend to back Indian players continues, as KKR replace an overseas star with an Indian spinner.