IPL 2026: KKR full squad after mini auction

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) failed to defend the title they won in 2024. In IPL 2025, they failed to qualify for the playoffs, finishing eighth with 12 points from 14 games (five wins, seven losses, and two no results). Hence, ahead of the recently concluded IPL 2026 mini-auction, the franchise took some harsh and bold calls, retaining only 12 players and entering the auction with the highest available purse of INR 64.3 crore and a maximum of 13 slots to be filled. 

They did not even retain their veteran all-rounder, Andre Russell, ending their 11-year-long association. However, Russell then announced his retirement from this competition, and he will now be a part of the coaching staff of KKR going forward, as their new ‘Power Coach.”

KKR made full use of that purse by landing Australian all-rounder Cameron Green for a record-breaking INR 25.2 crore, followed by Sri Lanka’s young pacer Matheesha Pathirana for INR 18 crore. In the process, Green became the most expensive overseas player in the competition's history. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) also showed strong interest in Green and were involved in an intense bidding war with KKR, but the 2024 champions had the final laugh.

Apart from these two big signings, KKR also impressed their fans with the acquisitions of New Zealand’s explosive opener Finn Allen, wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra, and experienced left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman from Bangladesh. They also bagged India pacer Akash Deep for INR 1 crore. 

However, one of the most exciting additions was Tejasvi Singh, an explosive wicketkeeper-batter. Earlier this year in the Delhi Premier League (DPL), he grabbed headlines by smashing a 12-ball fifty for South Delhi Superstarz against Purani Dilli.      

KKR full squad for IPL 2026

Retained players

Ajinkya Rahane, Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Varun Chakravarthy, Ramandeep Singh, Ankul Roy, Rovman Powell, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik.

Players bought in the auction

Cameron Green (25.20 cr), Matheesha Pathirana (18 cr), Mustafizur Rahman (9.20 cr), Tejasvi Singh (3 cr), Finn Allen (2 cr), Tim Seifert (1.50 cr), Rahul Tripathi (75 L), Kartik Tyagi (30 L), Daksh Kamra (30 L), Sarthak Ranjan (30 L), Prashant Solanki (30 L), Akashdeep (1 cr), Rachin Ravindra (2 cr).

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