IPL 2026 Auction: Kolkata Knight Riders head into the IPL 2026 auction with a strong purse of Rs 64.3 crore and 13 slots, including six for overseas players. The franchise is looking to rebuild after a disappointing 2025 season that saw them finish eighth, a year after winning their third IPL title. KKR’s key priorities in the auction will be to find a reliable opener who can also keep wickets, strengthen the pace-bowling department, and identify an all-rounder to replace Russell. The franchise is expected to target players capable of contributing in multiple roles while complementing the current squad.
Potential Auction Targets
Cameron Green: Australian all-rounder who can bat in the top four and bowl medium pace. He has scored 707 IPL runs in 29 matches and took 16 wickets. He also has 521 runs in 21 T20Is for Australia at a strike rate above 160.
Jamie Smith: The England batter can open or bat down the order. Smith has a strike rate above 190 in five T20Is. He could fill the gap left by Phil Salt and support Narine at the top.
Matt Henry: Experienced New Zealand pacer with strong record against Indian batters, could bolster the pace attack.
Matheesha Pathirana: The Sri Lankan fast bowler previously with CSK has 47 wickets in 32 IPL matches. Pathirana is known for his yorkers and death-over skills. He could be a game-changer if KKR secures him.
Prithvi Shaw: The former India U-19 captain can provide fast starts in the Powerplay. Shaw scored 183 runs in seven SMAT matches at a strike rate of 160.52. He could open the batting if KKR secures a middle-order wicketkeeper.
KKR made significant changes to their coaching staff. Chandrakant Pandit stepped down as head coach and Abhishek Nayar was appointed in his place. Dwayne Bravo continues as mentor while Shane Watson and Tim Southee join the setup. Andre Russell, who retired from playing, returns as KKR’s Power Coach.
The team released Venkatesh Iyer and six foreign players. Retained players include Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane, Varun Chakravarthy, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Rovman Powell, Harshit Rana, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, Anukul Roy, Manish Pandey and Angkrish Raghuvanshi.
Retained and Released Players, Remaining Purse, and Available Slots
Players released: Andre Russell, Anrich Nortje, Chetan Sakariya, Luvnith Sisodia, Moeen Ali, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Spencer Johnson, Venkatesh Iyer
Players retained: Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy
Purse remaining: Rs. 64.30 crore
Slots remaining: 13 (6 overseas)
