IPL Auction 2026: KKR have the advantage of out-bidding other franchises when it comes to getting their targets. (PTI Photo)Former champions Kolkata Knight Riders will enter the IPL mini auction on Tuesday with the highest purse (Rs 64.30) crore among the 10 teams. After an underwhelming season where they could nowhere come close to defending the title they won in 2024, KKR have a lot to do at the auction as they have several holes to fill. Here is a look at what KKR would be up to at the auction table.
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.
Despite releasing the likes of Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Anrich Nortje and Spencer Johnson into the auction pool, the three-time champions still have a core intact. With Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana around, they have a base in place. With Ajinkya Rahana, Ramandeep Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Vaibhav Arora around to offer the supporting role, KKR will be looking to focus on three overseas players who would walk into their XI. Australia all-rounder Cameron Green would be top of their wishlist as he can prove to be the ideal replacement for Russell. If they can slot him at the top, they can use Rovman Powell’s power for the finisher’s role that Russell performed for years.
With no frontline wicketkeeper in the team, it would be interesting to see if they go back Quinton de Kock and Rahmanullah Gurbaz. De Kock, didn’t have the best of season this year, but given his recent form, could well be an option for KKR to explore. If not, Jonny Bairstow and Finn Allen have two explosive openers who are no stranger to the franchise circuit. The interesting bit is in the auction list, England’s Ben Duckett is listed in the wicketkeeper category. Given the left-hander’s aggressive game, KKR could take a punt on him as he is capable of causing enough damage in the powerplay. If they prefer to look at uncapped Indians for the role, then Tushar Raheja and Kartik Sharma will be top of their options.
There is a strong possibility that they again go for Venkatesh Iyer, especially if he is available at a lesser price as his ability to bat anywhere gives them the flexibility. For the overseas pacers, they might have their eyes on Matheesha Pathirana and would be hoping to reunite him with mentor Dwayne Bravo. When Bravo was the bowling coach at Chennai Super Kings, Pathirana had a breakthrough season and having struggled in recent times, the Lankan pacer could find a new lease of life at KKR.
With a huge purse at the disposal, KKR have the advantage of out-bidding other franchises when it comes to getting their targets. The franchise not getting their A-list targets would come as a massive surprise.
Stay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.
3 min read
