IPL 2026 Auction is around the corner, and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are expected to make a few big calls. Here’s a look at the likely KKR Released Players List, players who could be released, and how the KKR squad might shape up.
Kolkata Knight Riders are known for backing their core group. But ahead of the IPL 2026 Auction, the franchise might tweak a few spots. Here’s a look at the likely KKR Released Players List:
Kolkata could look to part ways with a few underperformers or ageing stars to free up budget. Here’s a look at some of the big players and why they feature in the expected KKR Released Players List:
KKR broke the bank during the previous auction to buy back Venkatesh Iyer. The three-time winners paid INR 23.75 crores for Iyer’s services. However, he failed to live up to the lofty price tag in IPL 2025. In 11 matches, the 30-year-old scored 142 runs at an average just crossing 20.
KKR might thus consider releasing Venkatesh ahead of the auction and look to buy him back at a cheaper price if available.
After letting go of Phil Salt following their IPL 2024 win and being unable to buy the Englishman back ahead of the last season, KKR decided to rope in Quinton de Kock to vill the vacancy. The Proteas slammed a blistering unbeaten 97* in only his second game for the franchise but he failed to continue the momentum through the rest of the season. In the 8 matches he played, QdK managed 152 runs at a subpar average of 21.71. KKR will thus look to release him and opt for someone who can deliver the goods consistently at the top of the batting order.
The England all-rounder is another overseas player who might be shown the door. Ali was bought as a backup for Sunil Narine and did not get much opportunities. Releasing Moeen would thus free up budget in KKR’s purse and also an overseas slot for the IPL 2026 auction.
Once a matchwinner for KKR, Andre Russell has witnessed a significant dip and a decline in workload in recent years. The 37-year-old had a disappointing IPL 2025, scoring only 167 runs in 13 matches at an average of 18.57, with just one fifty. With the ball, he took eight wickets at an average of 27.12 and an expensive economy of 11.94.
Despite getting ample opportunities in the middle order, Russell failed to deliver again. Given his struggles with form, fitness, and consistency, KKR may release the star all-rounder before the IPL 2026 mini-auction.
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 captaincy 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 captain.
Sanju Samson for Quinton de Kock: There are strong rumour Sanju Samson being traded out of Rajasthan Royals ahead of IPL 2026. KKR, on the other hand are on the lookout for a top-order wicketkeeper batter. Buying Sanju will also given them a solid captaincy option, something that the franchise is in dire need of.
Cameron Green for Andre Russell: The Aussie 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.
Possible releases include Andre Russell, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Venkatesh Iyer, Moeen Ali, and Quinton de Kock.
KKR can be targeting Sanju Samson (via trade) or the young Jamie Smith as a possible replacement option for QdK.
Kolkata Knight Riders will look to rope in Australian all-rounder Cameron Green as a like-for-like replacement.
The Kolkata outfit can be in pursuit of Kiwi pacer Matt Henry as a possible replacement for the Proteas.
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