Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the two-time IPL champions, endured a rough IPL 2025 campaign, finishing in the bottom half of the table. With a new season on the horizon, the franchise made some major decisions regarding its squad.
KKR 2026 IPL Squad
Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy, Cameron Green, Finn Allen, Matheesha Pathirana, Tejasvi Singh, Kartik Tyagi, Prashant Solanki, Rahul Tripathi, Tim Seifert, Mustafizur Rahman, Sarthak Ranjan, Daksh Kamra, Rachin Ravindra, Akash Deep.
From releasing underperformers to retaining key match-winners, KKR’s roadmap for IPL 2026 suggests their title ambitions. Here’s a look at the squad, including releases, key retentions, auction buys and the playing XI for the upcoming season.
KKR 2026 Playing XI
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz/Tim Seifert (wk)
- Sunil Narine
- Cameron Green
- Angkrish Raghuvanshi
- Rinku Singh
- Rovman Powell
- Ramandeep Singh
- Harshit Rana
- Varun Chakravarthy
- Matheesha Pathirana
- Mustafizur Rahman
KKR 2026 Players Bought at IPL Auction
Cameron Green (25.20 cr), Matheesha Pathirana (18 cr), Mustafizur Rahman (9.20 cr), Tejasvi Singh (3 cr), Finn Allen (2 cr), Tim Seifert (1.50 cr), Rahul Tripathi (75 L), Kartik Tyagi (30 L), Daksh Kamra (30 L), Sarthak Ranjan (30 L), Prashant Solanki (30 L), Akashdeep (1 cr), Rachin Ravindra (2 cr)
KKR 2026 Players Retained
Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy
KKR 2026 Players Released
The list of players released ahead of IPL 2026 Auction:
Andre Russell, Anrich Nortje, Chetan Sakariya, Luvnith Sisodia, Moeen Ali, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Spencer Johnson, Venkatesh Iyer
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KKR 2026 Key Players
Despite a tough season, KKR retained a solid core group that includes Indian and overseas match-winners.
- Rinku Singh is a sure-shot retention. He remains one of KKR’s most exciting batters, known for his ability to finish games under pressure. Although he had a quiet 2025 season, he remains a fan-favorite and a long-term asset.
- Sunil Narine, the ever-reliable mystery spinner and pinch-hitting opener, is likely to continue with the squad. His economical spells and versatility with the bat offer KKR great balance.
- Varun Chakravarthy has consistently delivered with the ball, picking up key wickets in the middle overs. His unorthodox spin makes him a valuable asset in Indian conditions.
- Harshit Rana, the young Indian pacer, impressed with his aggressive bowling and wicket-taking ability. With 19 wickets in IPL 2024 and decent showings in 2025, he will be backed further by the management.
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