They have a remaining purse of INR 64.3 crore.
With the IPL 2026 auction just around the corner, the excitement among fans can be seen. One of the highly debated topics ahead of the mini auction is who could be in KKR target players. The three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders have the highest budget, and will look to rebuild their team on December 16.
The franchise made massive calls following a disappointing season, and dropped Venkatesh Iyer and Andre Russell in the KKR released players 2026. They also offloaded a few other players, including Anrich Nortje and Spencer Johnson. They do not have any overseas pacer in the squad and that will be one KKR target.
The KKR remaining purse for the mini auction is INR 64.3 crore. The team management will have plenty of room to find the top options.
Kolkata Knight Riders have some decent domestic pace options. Harshit Rana has become an India regular and can be relied upon. They also have Vaibhav Arora and Umran Malik. A top quality overseas pace to lead the attack is what they need. They will have several options in the pool but two come across as the likely KKR targets at IPL 2026 auction.
Kolkata Knight Riders are in desperate need of an overseas pacer who they can depend on as the attack leader. Matt Henry could be the perfect KKR target as the New Zealander has been in sensational form across formats. He has done well in varying conditions, and comes with immense experience.
This year, Matt Henry has claimed 45 wickets from 28 innings in the shorter format at an economy of 7.33. He is one of the best operators of the new ball in world cricket, and can break the game open in the powerplay itself. Henry has improved other aspects of his bowling as well, becoming a reliable middle and death overs bowler.
Multiple teams are likely to target him but with the budget KKR have, they should be able to secure him.
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Matheesha Pathirana was part of Chennai Super Kings for the past three years but the franchise chose to part ways for multiple reasons. His form has not been great this year but he could still be a top KKR target at IPL 2026 auction.
Pathirana has the ability to nail yorkers at will and has rapid pace. In the past, he has proven to be a pretty difficult customer to deal with. Given the limited big names in the pool, Matheesha Pathirana will attract a bidding war. The Knight Riders have the purse to fight for him and secure his services.
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