Three-time Indian Premier League (IPL) winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had a lacklustre last season despite entering the tournament as defending champions. They finished at the bottom half of the ten-team points table at eighth, with just five wins from 14 games.
Thus, in a bid to make amends in the upcoming edition, the Kolkata outfit are expected to make some changes ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.
A part of that revamp is going to see quite a few overseas stars getting released to make room for other targets. Let’s take a look at the top foreign recruits that might be axed by KKR.
The Caribbean cricketer is probably the biggest name on the list. The 37-year-old has been a loyal custodian of the franchise having played for them for 11 years, and releasing him will definitely be one of the toughest calls to take.
Although he has been a proven match-winner for KKR, his stocks over the last few years have fallen. There has been a decline in workload in recent years as well. He had a subpar IPL 2025, scoring only 167 runs in 13 matches at 18.57 and picked eight wickets at an expensive economy of 11.94. Given his struggles with form, fitness, and consistency, KKR might choose to keep their emotions aside and make a rational choice.
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The veteran Proteas wicketkeeper-batter was brought in to replace Phil Salt, who was key part of KKR’s title-winning campaign in 2024. However, after failing to secure Salt in the auction, KKR decided to take a punt on Quinton de Kock.
The 32-year-old made a promising start with an unbeaten 97* in only his second game but failed to continue the momentum. In the 8 matches he played, QdK managed just 152 runs at a subpar average of 21.71, which makes his retention an unlikely option ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.
Another South Africa cricketer who will be on the retention list is fast bowler Anrich Nortje. The 31-year-old missed a part of the season due to injury and failed to impress after making his return. He struggled with his rhythm in the two games he featured for KKR, and managed just a solitary wicket.
Since IPL, he has not played any competitive cricket and also suffered a back stress with an unknown timeline for recovery. Thus, it makes absolutely no sense to retain Nortje given his long layoff.
The dynamic England all-rounder is another overseas player who might be shown the door. Ali was bought as a backup for Sunil Narine but did not get much opportunities. Letting go of Moeen would thus be a sensible call as it will free up budget and an overseas slot too for the IPL 2026 auction.
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