Kolkata Knight Riders have signed Zimbabwe fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani for the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League. “The franchise confirmed the signing on social media on Friday with a post welcoming Muzarabani to the team, describing him as “a new blessing in purple and gold.” The 27-year-old pacer is expected to arrive in Kolkata on March 17 to join the squad ahead of the tournament.
Muzarabani joins Kolkata after Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was released from the squad following directions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India amid political tensions between India and Bangladesh.
Kolkata had been searching for a replacement fast bowler as injuries also disrupted their pace attack ahead of the new season. Sri Lanka pacer Matheesha Pathirana has been recovering from a hamstring injury suffered during the T20 World Cup, while Indian pacer Harshit Rana is currently undergoing rehabilitation after a knee injury.
The 6-foot-8 Zimbabwe pacer arrives in strong form after an impressive campaign at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, where he finished with 13 wickets to become Zimbabwe’s leading wicket-taker and the fourth-highest overall in the tournament.
Muzarabani’s height and ability to generate bounce have made him a consistent threat in T20 cricket, particularly on subcontinent pitches. His performances against top teams during the World Cup drew attention from several franchises.
Muzarabani had initially gone unsold at the PSL auction in February but was later signed by Islamabad United after the franchise released West Indies pacer Shamar Joseph. However, the pacer informed the franchise that he would withdraw after securing an IPL opportunity.
The Zimbabwe pacer has previously won the PSL title with Multan Sultans and has experience in several global T20 competitions including the Caribbean Premier League and England’s Vitality Blast.
Kolkata, three-time IPL champions, will begin their 2026 campaign against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on March 29.
Kolkata Knight Riders’ squad for IPL 2026: Ajinkya Rahane, Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik, Cameron Green, Finn Allen, Matheesha Pathirana, Tejasvi Singh, Kartik Tyagi, Prashant Solanki, Rahul Tripathi, Tim Seifert, Sarthak Ranjan, Daksh Kamra, Rachin Ravindra, Akash Deep, Blessing Muzarabani
