KKR may look to target two Bengal players.
With the IPL 2026 Auction a few months away, the three-time Indian Premier League (IPL) winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are expected to make a few big calls. Especially after missing the playoffs in the last edition and finishing eighth on the points table, the Purple and Gold outfit will look to turn around their fortunes in the upcoming season. Here’s a look at the likely KKR Retention List, players who could be released, and how the KKR squad might shape up.
PAL
154/8
MPS
128/10
HS
151/5
MDS
145/8
Hindukush Strikers beat Maiwand Champions by 5 wickets
HS
–
PAL
–
MDS
–
MPS
–
SL
–
BAN
–
BSAS
98/3
CCYMT
96/3
BSCU All Stars beat CC Yullis-MU Trakia by 7 wickets
BMP
127/3
CCYMT
125/3
BSCU – MU Plovdiv beat CC Yullis-MU Trakia by 7 wickets
BMP
123/3
BSP
127/2
BCC Spartan beat BSCU – MU Plovdiv by 8 wickets
BSP
165/3
BSAS
130/5
BCC Spartan beat BSCU All Stars by 35 runs
CCYMT
113/4
BSAS
189/0
CCYMT
–
SOST
–
MAR
–
CCYMT
–
MAR
–
BSAS
–
SOST
–
BMP
–
BMP
–
MAR
–
NED
–
JER
–
GUE
–
ITA
–
ENGU19
–
INDU19
–
ENG-W
–
IND-W
–
SIN-W
–
INA-W
–
PCR
146/2
LEX
–
STCC
–
BNC
–
THUO
96/10
MR
99/2
Malaysia Reds beat Thunderstorm Outlanders by 8 wickets
THUO
–
MB
–
MR
–
THUO
–
SFU
–
TSKS
–
WAF
–
SOR
–
MINY
–
LAKR
–
SOR
–
TSKS
–
ENGA-W
–
NZA-W
–
GER
–
ML
–
TAN
–
BHN
–
AUS A
332/4
SL-A
134/10
Australia A beat Sri Lanka A by 198 runs
WTS
15/1
BMB
–
IYH
–
AMW
–
PTS
–
BMB
–
WTS
–
CBG
–
CSG
178/7
DID
61/2
DURH
–
NOT
–
SOM
–
GLAM
–
KENT
–
SUSS
–
YOR
–
WOR
–
NOR
–
LAN
–
LEI
–
BB
–
ESS
–
GLO
–
LAN
–
DER
–
SUSS
–
HAM
–
DUR-W
154/4
SOM-W
127/5
TBLZ-W
188/6
HAM-W
–
LAN-W
–
ESS-W
–
KKR are known for backing their loyal custodians and matchwinners. However, ahead of the IPL 2026 Auction, the franchise might look to tweak a few spots. Here’s a look at the likely KKR Retention List:
KKR may stick to their philosophy of retaining its core. The players offering multi-dimensional skills or forming the leadership core are more likely to be retained. Some potential names are:
Sunil Narine – Part of KKR’s three title wins (2012, 2014, and 2024) alongside his explosive batting and mystery spin bowling
Angkrish Raghuvanshi – Promising young talent who has delivered mostly when given the chance
Varun Chakravarthy – Top wicket-taker for KKR in the last two seasons and forms a lethal spin duo with Narine
Rinku Singh – Homegrown talent and one of the best finishers in the business
Harshit Rana- Spearhead of KKR’s pace bowling attack and a key cog of the Indian core in the franchise
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Kolkata could look to part ways with a few underperformers or ageing stars to free up the budget. Here’s the expected KKR Released Players List:
These are the key players who struggled for form or didn’t fit the balance KKR wanted:
Quinton de Kock – Was inconsistent and at the top of the order, and will open up an overseas slot
Andre Russell – Performance and workload have seen a sharp decline in recent years
Anrich Nortje – Hasn’t been a regular feature alongside injury issues
Venkatesh Iyer – Too expensive retention at INR 23.75 crores, KKR will look to release him and buy back at the auction
Moeen Ali – He was bought as a backup for Narine, but he did not get many opportunities
Here’s how the KKR squad might look after retentions and releases:
Category: Retained
Ajinkya Rahane, Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Luvnith Sisodia, Ramandeep Singh, Vaibhav Arora, Sunil Narine, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, Umran Malik, Mayank Markande.
Category: Released
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Quinton de Kock, Manish Pandey, Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Anukul Roy, Moeen Ali, Rovman Powell, Anrich Nortje, Spencer Johnson, Shivam Shukla, Chetan Sakariya.
Captaincy Status
The KKR captain for IPL 2026 remains uncertain as of now. While the franchise bought Ajinkya Rahane to lead the side last season after releasing Shreyas Iyer, he did not have the best of seasons as a leader. However, given his experience of captaining India and Mumbai in domestic cricket, Rahane will remain the frontrunner for the role.
With gaps to plug in their pace attack and middle-order, KKR are likely to target:
Sanju Samson (trade) – KKR are amongst the teams who have reportedly shown an interest in Sanju Samson if the Royals decide to part with him. Furthermore, with KKR’s overseas wicketkeeper-batters failing to deliver, they are on the lookout for an experienced player in the role. Getting Samson also gives KKR a likely captaincy candidate.
Abhishek Porel (trade) – If not Samson, KKR could also be looking at Abhishek Porel. The Bengal player is young and also has experience playing at KKR’s home ground.
Cameron Green (auction) – Cameron Green is one target after whom KKR might be willing to go big if they decide to release Andre Russell. The Aussie all-rounder can bat top in 5, can bowl a full quota of overs, and also has IPL experience.
Mohammed Shami (auction) – Shami will bolster their Indian pace bowling attack featuring Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, and Umran Malik. He has represented Bengal in domestic cricket for years and has a good record at the iconic Eden Gardens.
Likely names include Ajinkya Rahane, Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, and Harshit Rana.
Possible releases include Andre Russell, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Venkatesh Iyer, Moeen Ali, and Quinton de Kock.
Focus on squad balance, experienced overseas stars in specific roles, and plugging gaps in pace and batting depth.
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