IPL 2026: 5 Players who can replace Mustafizur Rahman in KKR

With Kolkata Knight Riders suddenly without Mustafizur Rahman after the BCCI-ordered release, KKR need a like-for-like impact bowler. They need someone who can close games, bowl deceptive slower balls and give the death overs teeth. Below are five realistic replacements KKR could target at the auction or as a replacement signing, players who match Mustafizur’s skillset in different ways and would slot neatly into KKR’s plans.

1. Fazalhaq Farooqi

Fazalhaq is the closest mirror to Mustafizur in raw role: a left-arm quick with the ability to swing the new ball, hit the blockhole and mix cutters and slower balls at pace. He’s proven in white-ball international cricket and high-pressure T20 events. 

Afghanistan have leaned on him for powerplay strikes and late overs alike. Fazalhaq’s left-arm angle gives KKR the left-right mix Mustafizur would have provided, and his experience in franchises (including IPL stints) means minimal bedding-in time. For KKR, Fazalhaq offers both the wicket-taking threat up front and a genuine death option.

2. Jason Behrendorff 

If KKR want a seasoned left-arm option who controls the new ball and hunts wickets with late movement, Jason Behrendorff is a tidy fit. He’s a specialist new-ball bowler who can swing the ball both ways and bowl accurate spells in the powerplay and middle overs. 

Behrendorff has decent T20-league experience and a track record of striking up early breakthroughs, the kind of role KKR need if they want to maintain early pressure and force opposition reshuffles. He won’t replicate Mustafizur’s cutters exactly, but his left-arm seam and experience are attractive for balance.

3. Richard Gleeson 

Richard Gleeson is a different profile: right-arm, but excellent at hitting the deck and generating awkward bounce and seam, which is useful at Indian venues with variable surfaces. Gleeson’s value is his consistency in the middle overs and the knack for getting returns in short spells, which is crucial in T20 when teams rotate quicks. 

He’s also a reliable match-winner in franchise cricket and could bring the discipline KKR need if they prefer a dependable, seam-hitting option who can bowl crunch overs without being expensive.

4. Riley Meredith

If KKR want outright pace and a psychological edge, Riley Meredith fits that bill. Meredith is one of the quickest bowlers available in franchise circuits. He regularly pushes 145+ km/h, and his bouncer brings an intimidation factor that can unsettle batters in the final overs. 

He’s had injury interruptions, so workload management is crucial, but when fit, he’s a genuine strike option at the death who can trouble top international hitters and change the complexion of a chase. KKR could use him as a strike weapon alongside their slower options.

5. Jhye Richardson

Jhye Richardson blends raw speed with the ability to swing the ball and bowl cutters. He’s a proven T20 performer who’s also handled pressure spells in the IPL and BBL. Richardson offers KKR a polished combination: he can be used with the new ball, through the middle and as a death option, and he’s familiar with subcontinental conditions after prior franchise stints. 

His rhythm and accuracy make him a safer bet when KKR want someone who can execute plans across phases rather than be a one-dimensional fast bowler.

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