英文互译镜像站

2026 Kolkata Knight Riders season

Last updated

Kolkata Knight Riders in 2026
2026 season
The Eden Gardens panoramic view.jpg
Eden Gardens, home ground of Kolkata Knight Riders
Head coach Abhishek Nayar
Captain Ajinkya Rahane
Ground(s) Eden Gardens, Kolkata
← 2025 2027 →

The 2026 edition will be the 19th season for the Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders. They will be one of the ten teams that compete in the 2026 Indian Premier League. The team finished in eighth place in the previous season's league stage. [1]

Contents

Pre-season

Kolkata Knight Riders is a franchise cricket team based in Kolkata, India, which has been playing in the Indian Premier League since its inaugural season. The team is the third-most successful in the tournament, having won three titles. [2] They are one of the ten teams competing in the 2026 edition from 28 March to 31 May 2026. [3] They are led by Ajinkya Rahane and coached by Abhishek Nayar. [4] The team will play all its home matches at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

Player retention and releases

The retentions were announced on 15 November 2025. [5] Kolkata Knight Riders retained a total of 12 players. [6] Big names such as Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Quinton de Kock, along with eight other players, were released before the auction. [7] During the trade window period, Indian spinner Mayank Markande was traded from Kolkata Knight Riders to Mumbai Indians. [8]

Retained players [9]
No.PlayerSalaryNo.PlayerSalary
35 Rinku Singh ₹ 13 crore (US$1.5 million)14 Vaibhav Arora ₹ 1.8 crore (US$210,000)
74 Sunil Narine ₹ 12 crore (US$1.4 million)3 Ajinkya Rahane (c) ₹ 1.5 crore (US$180,000)
29 Varun Chakravarthy ₹ 12 crore (US$1.4 million)52 Rovman Powell ₹ 1.5 crore (US$180,000)
22 Harshit Rana ₹ 4 crore (US$470,000)9 Manish Pandey ₹ 75 lakh (US$89,000)
19 Ramandeep Singh ₹ 4 crore (US$470,000)24 Umran Malik ₹ 75 lakh (US$89,000)
18 Angkrish Raghuvanshi ₹ 3 crore (US$350,000)45 Anukul Roy ₹ 40 lakh (US$47,000)
Released players [10]
Wicket-keepers All-rounders Fast bowlers Spin bowlers

Retirement

In the midst of confusion over release and achieving a high auction price, on 30 November 2025, Andre Russell declared his retirement from the Indian Premier League, concluding his 12-year career with the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise. [11]

Retired players
DateNameNationalityAgeTenure with KKR
30 November 2025
 Andre Russell Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica
37
2014-2025 (12 years)

Auction summary

Cameron Green became the league's third-most expensive player for an impressive Rs25.20 crore (US$3.0 million). Cameron Green fielding Boxing Day 2022 (cropped).jpg
Cameron Green became the league's third-most expensive player for an impressive ₹25.20 crore (US$3.0 million).

The mini-auction took place on 16 December 2025 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. [12] Kolkata entered with the highest purse in the 2026 auction - ₹64.30 crore (US$7.6 million), with 13 slots to fill (including 6 overseas slots). [13] They bought Australian all-rounder Cameron Green for a whopping ₹25.20 crore (US$3.0 million), their most expensive buy in IPL history. Green also clinched the record for the league's most expensive foreign player, surpassing Mitchell Starc's record of ₹24.75 crore (US$2.9 million). [14] They also bought Sri lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana for a staggering price of ₹18.00 crore (US$2.1 million). [15] The team filled all its 13 remaining slots with ₹45 lakh (US$53,000) left. [16]

Auction summary of Kolkata Knight Riders
TeamRetainedBoughtOverall
CappedUncappedTotalCappedUncappedTotalCappedUncappedTotal
Kolkata Knight Riders
9
3
12
8
5
13
17
8
25

Exclusion of Mustafizur Rahman

Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was bought by Kolkata for ₹9.2 crore (US$1.1 million) in the auction. [17] Following the 2025 Bangladesh anti-Hindu violence and lynching of Dipu Chandra Das in December 2025 led to calls for exclusion of Bangladeshi players from IPL. [18] In January 2026, the BCCI requested that the franchise release Rahman from the squad and permitted them to select a replacement player. [19] In March 2026, the team filled the empty spot by adding Zimbabwean pacer Blessing Muzarabani in the squad. [20]

Squad

Kolkata Knight Riders squad for the 2026 Indian Premier League [21]
S/NNameNationalityBirth dateBatting styleBowling styleYear signedSalaryNotes
Captain
3 Ajinkya Rahane Flag of India.svg  India 6 June 1988 (aged 37)Right-handedRight-arm medium 2025₹1.5 crore (US$180,000)
Batters
35
 Rinku Singh Flag of India.svg  India 12 October 1997 (aged 28)Left-handedRight-arm off-break 2018₹13.0 crore (US$1.5 million)
18
 Angkrish Raghuvanshi Flag of India.svg  India 5 June 2004 (aged 21)Right-handedRight-arm off-break 2024₹3.0 crore (US$350,000)
9
 Manish Pandey Flag of India.svg  India 10 September 1989 (aged 36)Right-handedRight-arm medium 2024₹75 lakh (US$89,000)
52
 Rovman Powell WestIndiesCricketFlagPre1999.svg  West Indies 23 July 1993 (aged 32)Right-handedRight-arm medium 2025₹1.5 crore (US$180,000)Overseas
 Rahul Tripathi Flag of India.svg  India 2 March 1991 (aged 35)Right-handedRight-arm medium 2026₹75 lakh (US$89,000)
Wicket-keepers
 Finn Allen Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 22 April 1999 (aged 26)Right-handedRight-arm off-break 2026₹2.0 crore (US$240,000)Overseas
 Tejasvi Singh Flag of India.svg  India 18 April 2002 (aged 23)Right-handedN/a2026₹3.0 crore (US$350,000)
 Tim Seifert Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 14 December 1994 (aged 31)Right-handedN/a2026₹1.5 crore (US$180,000)Overseas
All-rounders
74
 Sunil Narine WestIndiesCricketFlagPre1999.svg  West Indies 26 May 1988 (aged 37)Left-handedRight-arm off-break 2012₹12.0 crore (US$1.4 million)Overseas
45
 Anukul Roy Flag of India.svg  India 30 November 1998 (aged 27)Left-handed Slow left-arm orthodox 2022₹40 lakh (US$47,000)
19
 Ramandeep Singh Flag of India.svg  India 13 April 1997 (aged 28)Right-handedRight-arm medium 2024₹4.0 crore (US$470,000)
 Cameron Green Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 3 June 1999 (aged 26)Right-handedRight-arm fast-medium 2026₹25.2 crore (US$3.0 million)Overseas
 Rachin Ravindra Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 18 November 1999 (aged 26)Left-handed Slow left-arm orthodox 2026₹2.0 crore (US$240,000)Overseas
 Sarthak Ranjan Flag of India.svg  India 25 September 1996 (aged 29)Right-handedRight-arm leg-break 2026₹30 lakh (US$35,000)
 Daksh Kamra Flag of India.svg  India 9 January 2003 (aged 23)Right-handedRight-arm leg-break 2026₹30 lakh (US$35,000)
Pacers
14
 Vaibhav Arora Flag of India.svg  India 14 December 1997 (aged 28)Right-handedRight-arm fast-medium 2023₹1.8 crore (US$210,000)
24
 Umran Malik Flag of India.svg  India 22 November 1999 (aged 26)Right-handedRight-arm fast 2025₹75 lakh (US$89,000)
 Matheesha Pathirana Flag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka 18 December 2002 (aged 23)Right-handedRight-arm fast 2026₹18.0 crore (US$2.1 million)Overseas; Injured
 Kartik Tyagi Flag of India.svg  India 8 November 2000 (aged 25)Right-handedRight-arm fast-medium 2026₹30 lakh (US$35,000)
 Blessing Muzarabani Flag of Zimbabwe.svg  Zimbabwe 2 October 1996 (aged 29)Right-handedRight-arm fast-medium 2026₹75 lakh (US$89,000)Overseas; Added [a]
22
 Harshit Rana Flag of India.svg  India 22 December 2001 (aged 24)Right-handedRight-arm fast-medium 2022₹4.0 crore (US$470,000)Ruled-out [b]
—
 Akash Deep Flag of India.svg  India 15 December 1996 (aged 29)Right-handedRight-arm fast-medium 2026₹1.0 crore (US$120,000)Ruled-out [c]
—
 Mustafizur Rahman Flag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh 6 September 1995 (aged 30)Right-handedRight-arm fast-medium 2026₹9.2 crore (US$1.1 million)Overseas; Released [a]
Spinners
29
 Varun Chakravarthy Flag of India.svg  India 29 August 1991 (aged 34)Right-handedRight-arm leg-break 2020₹12.0 crore (US$1.4 million)
 Prashant Solanki Flag of India.svg  India 22 February 2000 (aged 26)Right-handedRight-arm leg-break 2026₹30 lakh (US$35,000)

Administration and support staff

Abhishek Nayar took over as the team's head coach after Chandrakant Pandit's three-year contract ended. [24] Shane Watson replaced Ottis Gibson as the team's assistant coach. [25] Tim Southee replaced Bharat Arun and Carl Crowe as the bowling coach. [26] Andre Russell was appointed as the power coach of the team, a unique role in franchise cricket. [27] Dishant Yagnik has been appointed as the team's fielding coach. [28]

PositionNamePositionName
Owner Shah Rukh Khan (RCE)
Jay Mehta (Mehta Group)		CEO and MD Venky Mysore
Head coach Abhishek Nayar Mentor Dwayne Bravo
Assistant coach Shane Watson Team managerWayne Bentley
Bowling coach Tim Southee Power coach Andre Russell
Fielding coach Dishant Yagnik Strength and
Conditioning coach		 Chris Donaldson
AnalystNathan LeamonMassage TherapistSubhajit Das
PhysiotherapistPrasanth PanchadaHead of Scouting Manvinder Bisla
Source: KKR Staff

Intra-squad practice

The team held its first intra-squad practice game on 20 March at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. [29] The team will held its second practice match on 23 March.

20 March 2026
18:30
Golden Knights
199/8 (20 overs)
v
Purple Knights
203/4 (19.2 overs)
Tim Seifert 46 (24)
Kartik Tyagi 3/30 (4 overs)
Angkrish Raghuvanshi 103* (55)
Prashant Solanki 1/23 (3 overs)
Purple Knights won by 6 wickets
Eden Gardens, Kolkata

League stage

Points table

PosTeam
PldWLNRPts NRR Qualification
1 Chennai Super Kings 00000—Advance to Qualifier 1
2 Delhi Capitals 00000—
3 Gujarat Titans 00000—Advance to Eliminator
4 Kolkata Knight Riders 00000—
5 Lucknow Super Giants 00000—
6 Mumbai Indians 00000—
7 Punjab Kings 00000—
8 Rajasthan Royals 00000—
9 Royal Challengers Bengaluru 00000—
10 Sunrisers Hyderabad 00000—
First match(es) will be played: 28 March 2026. Source: ESPNcricinfo [30]

League progression

League progression
TeamGroup matchesPlayoffs
12345678910111213141516Q1/EQ2F
Kolkata Knight Riders
WinLossNo result

Results

Statistics

Most runs

RunsPlayerInns.HS
Last Updated: TBD | Source: TBD

Most wickets

WicketsPlayerInns.BBI
Last Updated: TBD | Source: TBD

Player of the match

Match No.DatePlayerOpponentContributionRef.

Marketing

Following the departure of Dream11, which was primarily due to the implementation of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, Kolkata Knight Riders announced Vida EV, a subsidiary of Hero MotoCorp, as their new title partner for the next three years. [31] RR Kabel continues as the principal partner for the 2026 season as part of their multi-year partnership agreement. [32] In February 2026, the team organized a unique box-cricket tournament featuring only the passionate fan clubs of the Kolkata Knight Riders. They invited popular local influencers to promote the tournament to a larger audience. [33] In March 2026, the team revealed its new jersey, themed around the Lines of Legacy. [34] The team has partnered with Krafton India to deliver exciting franchise-themed in-game content in the latest update of Battlegrounds Mobile India. [35]

Major sponsors for the 2026 season
Kit manufacturerShirt sponsor (front)Shirt sponsor (back)Chest Branding
SIX5SIX Vida EV BKT RR Kabel
Source: kkr.in

Notes

  1. 1 2 See Mustafizur Rahman controversy
  2. ↑ Harshit Rana has been ruled out of the tournament due to a knee injury sustained during the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup warm-ups. No replacement has been named yet. [22]
  3. ↑ Akash Deep has been ruled out of the tournament due to injury. No replacement has been named yet. [23]

References

  1. ↑ 2025 Indian Premier League | Points Table at ESPNcricinfo . Archived from the original on 27 June 2025. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  2. ↑ "KKR's bowlers rip through SRH to win third IPL title". ESPNcricinfo. 26 May 2024. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  3. ↑ "IPL 2026 to be held between March 28 and May 3". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 23 December 2025. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  4. ↑ "Kolkata Knight Riders confirm their captain for IPL 2026". MSN . Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  5. ↑ "TATA IPL 2026 Player Retentions Announced". Indian Premier League . 15 November 2025. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  6. ↑ "Kolkata Knight Riders Announce Retained Players Ahead of TATA IPL 2026 Auction". Kolkata Knight Riders . 15 November 2025. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  7. ↑ "KKR retained, released and traded players list - Sportstar". Sportstar . 15 November 2025. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  8. ↑ "Mumbai Indians Make Shrewd Trade, Re-Sign Title-Winning Spinner From KKR For Rs 30 Lakh". NDTV Sports . 15 November 2025. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  9. ↑ "TATA IPL 2026- Retained Players.15.11.25" (PDF). Indian Premier League . Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  10. ↑ "TATA IPL 2026- Released Players.15.11.25" (PDF). Indian Premier League . Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  11. ↑ "IPL 2026: Released by KKR, Andre Russell retires from IPL, flaunts loyalty". India Today . 30 November 2025. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  12. ↑ "IPL auction set to take place on December 16 in Abu Dhabi". ESPNcricinfo . Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  13. ↑ "KKR Auction Strategy 2026: Purse, Slots, Key Needs and Target Players Explained". The Hindu . 16 December 2025. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  14. ↑ "Green becomes most expensive overseas IPL player". BBC . 16 December 2025. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  15. ↑ "IPL Auction 2026: Big bids for Matheesha Pathirana as KKR secure elite death-overs specialist for INR 18 crore". The Economic Times . 16 December 2025. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  16. ↑ "KKR go big at IPL 2026 Auction, blend global firepower with Indian promise". Kolkata Knight Riders . 16 December 2025. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  17. ↑ "IPL 2026 Auction: Mustafizur Rahman sold to KKR for Rs. 9.20 crore". Sportstar . 16 December 2025. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  18. ↑ "KKR And Mustafizur Rahman Controversy Explained: What Is It About?". News18 . 2 January 2026. Archived from the original on 1 January 2026. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  19. ↑ "KKR release Mustafizur from IPL 2026 squad following BCCI instructions". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 3 January 2026. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  20. ↑ "KKR rope in Blessing Muzarabani for IPL 2026". Cricbuzz . 13 March 2026. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  21. ↑ 2026 Indian Premier League, Kolkata Knight Riders squad at ESPNcricinfo . Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  22. ↑ "Huge blow! Harshit Rana ruled out of IPL 2026; KKR yet to decide replacement". The Times of India . 13 March 2026. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  23. ↑ "After Harshit Rana, KKR Lose Another Indian Pacer Ahead Of IPL 2026". News18 . 21 March 2026. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
  24. ↑ "KKR appoint Abhishek Nayar as head coach; replaces Chandrakant Pandit". The Times of India . 30 October 2025. Archived from the original on 8 December 2025. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
  25. ↑ "IPL 2026 - Shane Watson joins KKR as assistant coach". ESPNCricinfo . 13 November 2025. Archived from the original on 21 December 2025. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
  26. ↑ "IPL 2026: Tim Southee joins KKR as bowling coach". Sportstar . 14 November 2025. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
  27. ↑ "Andre Russell retires from IPL; to return to KKR as 'power coach'". Olympics.com . 30 November 2025. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
  28. ↑ "IPL 2026: Kolkata Knight Riders appoint Dishant Yagnik as fielding coach for upcoming season". WION . 21 January 2026. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
  29. ↑ "IPL 2026: Mumbai's Angkrish Raghuvanshi Fires Warning, Slams Unbeaten Century In KKR Practice Match". Free Press Journal . 20 March 2026. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
  30. ↑ 2026 Indian Premier League points table standings at ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  31. ↑ "VIDA teams up with Kolkata Knight Riders as Title Partner to Power a New Generation" (PDF). Hero MotoCorp . 16 December 2025. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
  32. ↑ "RR Kabel Joins Forces with Kolkata Knight Riders as Principal Partner for the upcoming T20 season" (PDF). RR Kabel . 10 February 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  33. ↑ "KKR ignite Kolkata's cricket soul with Knights Electrifying Box Cricket". Tribune India . 19 February 2026. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  34. ↑ "KKR launches 2026 jersey with quirky "Lines of Legacy" campaign, unveiling rich purple, shimmering gold design". Asian News International . 14 March 2026. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  35. ↑ "BGMI 4.3 update to bring CSK and KKR themed collectables: What's coming". Business Standard . 17 March 2026. Retrieved 19 March 2026.

General references

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
关键词转码站群 百变TDK镜像 网站复制工具 关键词转码站群 站点克隆软件