News
IPL
Women’s Premier League (WPL)
Features
Fantasy Cricket
Watch
Interviews
MP T20 League
Social Reactions
Betting Tips
Contact

KKR Retention List Before IPL 2026 Auction: Likely List Of Players Kolkata Knight Riders Will Retain

Chandra Moulee Das

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.

Upcoming – t20 – Singapore
Asia-Pacific Cricket Champions Trophy, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 11:30 AM IST
TBC TBC

TBC TBC

Upcoming – t20 – Basseterre
Australia tour of West Indies, T20, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 04:30 AM IST
West Indies WI

Australia AUS

Upcoming – t20 – Basseterre
Australia tour of West Indies, T20, 2025
27 Jul 2025, 04:30 AM IST
West Indies WI

Australia AUS

Upcoming – t20 – Rwanda
Bahrain and Malawi tour of Rwanda, 2025
25 Jul 2025, 12:45 PM IST
Rwanda RWA

Bahrain BHN

Upcoming – t20 – Rwanda
Bahrain and Malawi tour of Rwanda, 2025
25 Jul 2025, 05:15 PM IST
Bahrain BHN

Malawi ML

Upcoming – t20 – Rwanda
Bahrain and Malawi tour of Rwanda, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 05:15 PM IST
Rwanda RWA

Malawi ML

Upcoming – t20 – Hungary
ECN Budapest Cup T20I, 2025
25 Jul 2025, 11:30 AM IST
Romania ROM

Austria AUST

Upcoming – t20 – Hungary
ECN Budapest Cup T20I, 2025
25 Jul 2025, 03:00 PM IST
Hungary HUN

Romania ROM

Upcoming – t20 – Hungary
ECN Budapest Cup T20I, 2025
25 Jul 2025, 06:30 PM IST
Hungary HUN

Luxembourg LUX

Upcoming – t20 – Hungary
ECN Budapest Cup T20I, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 11:30 AM IST
Romania ROM

Luxembourg LUX

Upcoming – t20 – Hungary
ECN Budapest Cup T20I, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 03:00 PM IST
Hungary HUN

Austria AUST

Upcoming – t20 – Hungary
ECN Budapest Cup T20I, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 06:30 PM IST
Austria AUST

Luxembourg LUX

Upcoming – t10 – Stockholms län
European Cricket Series Sweden, Stockholm, 2025
25 Jul 2025, 12:15 PM IST
Alby Zalmi CC ALZ

Rising Phoenix RPH

Upcoming – t10 – Stockholms län
European Cricket Series Sweden, Stockholm, 2025
25 Jul 2025, 02:15 PM IST
Marsta CC MAR

Huddinge HDN

Upcoming – t10 – Stockholms län
European Cricket Series Sweden, Stockholm, 2025
25 Jul 2025, 04:15 PM IST
Marsta CC MAR

Alby Zalmi CC ALZ

Upcoming – t10 – Stockholms län
European Cricket Series Sweden, Stockholm, 2025
25 Jul 2025, 06:15 PM IST
Huddinge HDN

Rising Phoenix RPH

Upcoming – t10 – Stockholms län
European Cricket Series Sweden, Stockholm, 2025
25 Jul 2025, 08:15 PM IST
Marsta CC MAR

Huddinge HDN

Upcoming – t10 – Stockholms län
European Cricket Series Sweden, Stockholm, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 12:15 PM IST
Alby Zalmi CC ALZ

Jinnah CC JIHCC

Upcoming – t10 – Stockholms län
European Cricket Series Sweden, Stockholm, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 02:15 PM IST
Rising Phoenix RPH

Marsta CC MAR

Upcoming – t10 – Stockholms län
European Cricket Series Sweden, Stockholm, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 04:15 PM IST
Jinnah CC JIHCC

Alby Zalmi CC ALZ

Upcoming – t10 – Stockholms län
European Cricket Series Sweden, Stockholm, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 06:15 PM IST
Rising Phoenix RPH

Jinnah CC JIHCC

Upcoming – t10 – Stockholms län
European Cricket Series Sweden, Stockholm, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 08:15 PM IST
Alby Zalmi CC ALZ

Rising Phoenix RPH

Upcoming – t20 – Gaborone
ICC Women’s Africa T20 WC Qualifier 2, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 01:00 PM IST
TBC TBC

TBC TBC

Upcoming – t20 – Gaborone
ICC Women’s Africa T20 WC Qualifier 2, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 01:00 PM IST
TBC TBC

TBC TBC

Upcoming – t20 – Gaborone
ICC Women’s Africa T20 WC Qualifier 2, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 05:20 PM IST
Rwanda Women RWA-W

Sierra Leone Women SLO-W

Upcoming – t20 – Gaborone
ICC Women’s Africa T20 WC Qualifier 2, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 05:30 PM IST
TBC TBC

TBC TBC

Upcoming – t20 – Kuwait City
KCC T20 Summer League, 2025
25 Jul 2025, 08:30 PM IST
Fakhr-E-Kashmir FEK

Royal Lions CC RLC

Upcoming – t20 – Kuwait City
KCC T20 Summer League, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 12:30 AM IST
ACE KRM Panthers KRMPS

Al mulla Exchange ALECC

Upcoming – t20 – Kuwait City
KCC T20 Summer League, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 10:30 PM IST
Gujrat Cricket Club GUJCC

Super Lanka SUL

Live – t10 – Johor Bahru
Malaysia T10 Bash, 2025
Fatemi Resources Cricket Club FRC

Utkal Cricket Club UTC

0/1

Upcoming – t10 – Johor Bahru
Malaysia T10 Bash, 2025
25 Jul 2025, 08:40 AM IST
JB Kings JBK

MR KB Putrajaya MKP

Upcoming – t10 – Johor Bahru
Malaysia T10 Bash, 2025
25 Jul 2025, 12:00 PM IST
KL Gladiators KLG

Maxx Cricket Club MXC

Upcoming – t10 – Johor Bahru
Malaysia T10 Bash, 2025
25 Jul 2025, 02:30 PM IST
Sky Warriors Cricket Club SWCL

MB Malik Sports UMZ MBMS

Upcoming – t10 – Johor Bahru
Malaysia T10 Bash, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 06:30 AM IST
Fatemi Resources Cricket Club FRC

KL Gladiators KLG

Upcoming – t10 – Johor Bahru
Malaysia T10 Bash, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 08:40 AM IST
JB Kings JBK

Sky Warriors Cricket Club SWCL

Upcoming – t10 – Johor Bahru
Malaysia T10 Bash, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 10:50 AM IST
Utkal Cricket Club UTC

Maxx Cricket Club MXC

Upcoming – t10 – Johor Bahru
Malaysia T10 Bash, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 01:15 PM IST
MR KB Putrajaya MKP

MB Malik Sports UMZ MBMS

Upcoming – t20 – Entebbe
Pearl of Africa T20, 2025
25 Jul 2025, 12:00 PM IST
Kenya KNY

Uganda UGA

Upcoming – t20 – Entebbe
Pearl of Africa T20, 2025
25 Jul 2025, 04:00 PM IST
Nigeria NIG

Namibia A NBA

Upcoming – t20 – Entebbe
Pearl of Africa T20, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 12:00 PM IST
United Arab Emirates UAE

Nigeria NIG

Upcoming – t20 – Entebbe
Pearl of Africa T20, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 04:00 PM IST
Kenya KNY

Namibia A NBA

Upcoming – t20 – Puducherry
Pondicherry Premier League, 2025
25 Jul 2025, 07:00 PM IST
Yanam Royals YAR

Mahe Megalo Strikers MMS

Upcoming – t20 – Kabul
Shpageeza Cricket League, 2025
25 Jul 2025, 10:00 AM IST
Mis Ainak Knights MAK

Amo Sharks ASS

Upcoming – t20 – Kabul
Shpageeza Cricket League, 2025
25 Jul 2025, 03:00 PM IST
Band-e-Amir Dragons BAD

Speen Ghar Tigers SGT

Upcoming – t20 – Kabul
Shpageeza Cricket League, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 10:00 AM IST
Mis Ainak Knights MAK

Boost Defenders BDS

Upcoming – t20 – Kabul
Shpageeza Cricket League, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 03:00 PM IST
Amo Sharks ASS

Speen Ghar Tigers SGT

Upcoming – t20 – Northern Ireland
World Championship of Legends, 2025
25 Jul 2025, 09:00 PM IST
Pakistan Champions PNC

South Africa Champions SAC

Upcoming – t20 – Northern Ireland
World Championship of Legends, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 05:00 PM IST
India Champions IAC

Australia Champions AAC

Upcoming – t20 – Leeds
World Championship of Legends, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 09:00 PM IST
Pakistan Champions PNC

West Indies Champions WIC

Upcoming – t20 – Harare
Zimbabwe T20I Tri-Series, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 04:30 PM IST
New Zealand NZ

South Africa SA

Upcoming – oneday – Northern Ireland
Zimbabwe Women tour of Ireland, 2025
26 Jul 2025, 03:15 PM IST
Ireland Women IRE-W

Zimbabwe Women ZIM-W

KKR Retention List For IPL 2026 Auction

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:

Which Players Could Be Retained By KKR?

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

The final Likely players to be retained by KKR

  • Ajinkya Rahane
  • Rinku Singh
  • Angkrish Raghuvanshi
  • Luvnith Sisodia
  • Ramandeep Singh
  • Vaibhav Arora
  • Sunil Narine
  • Harshit Rana
  • Varun Chakravarthy
  • Umran Malik
  • Mayank Markande

ALSO READ:

KKR Released Players List Ahead Of IPL 2026

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:

Which Players Could Be Released By KKR?

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

Likely Full KKR Released Players List

  • 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

Likely KKR Squad Ahead Of IPL 2026 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 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.

What To Expect From KKR At The IPL 2026 Auction?

With gaps to plug in their pace attack and middle-order, KKR are likely to target:

  • A wicketkeeper-batter
  • An overseas fast-bowling all-rounder
  • An experienced pacer

Potential Key Targets For KKR at IPL 2026 Auction

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.

FAQs

Which players could be retained by KKR before IPL 2026 auction?

Likely names include Ajinkya Rahane, Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, and Harshit Rana.

Who will be in KKR Released Players List Before IPL 2026 auction?

Possible releases include Andre Russell, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Venkatesh Iyer, Moeen Ali, and Quinton de Kock.

What is KKR’s strategy ahead of the IPL 2026 Auction?

Focus on squad balance, experienced overseas stars in specific roles, and plugging gaps in pace and batting depth.

For more updates, follow CricXtasy on FacebookInstagramTwitterTelegram, and YouTube.