Kolkata Knight Riders Team Players List 2026: Full Squad After IPL Auction
The KKR Players List 2026 has finally taken shape after an exciting IPL auction, and KKR fans have plenty to talk about. The franchise made some bold moves, surprised everyone with big-money buys, and reshaped the squad for the upcoming IPL 2026 season. From record-breaking signings to smart Indian picks, Kolkata Knight Riders look ready to start a new chapter.
The biggest highlight of the auction was the signing of Australian all-rounder Cameron Green, who became the most talked-about player of the night. KKR spent a massive amount to bring him into the squad, showing clear intent to build a strong and balanced team.
Letโs take a detailed look at the Kolkata Knight Riders squad 2026, key auction moments, retained players, released players, and what this team looks like going forward.
Cameron Green Creates History at IPL Auction
At the IPL auction held at the Etihad Arena, Cameron Green was the first player to cross the โน20 crore mark. After a long and intense bidding war, Kolkata Knight Riders bought him for โน25.20 crore.
With this deal, Green became the most expensive overseas player in IPL history, breaking the earlier record held by Mitchell Starc, who was bought for โน24.75 crore in IPL 2024. Only Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer are ahead of him on the list of most expensive players overall.
The bidding started at Greenโs base price of โน2 crore. Rajasthan Royals showed early interest but backed out when the price crossed โน13 crore. After that, Chennai Super Kings joined the fight, leading to a thrilling contest between the two franchises with the biggest purses. In the end, KKR went all in and sealed the deal.
Under new IPL rules, overseas players can earn a maximum of โน18 crore as salary. So, Green will receive โน18 crore, while the remaining โน7.20 crore will go into the IPLโs player welfare fund.
Cameron Greenโs Recent IPL Performance
Before joining KKR, Cameron Green played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2024. He had a decent season, scoring 255 runs in 12 innings with a strike rate of over 143. With the ball, he took 10 wickets in 13 matches, proving his value as a genuine all-rounder.
Earlier, Green was also part of the Mumbai Indians, where he gained experience playing under pressure. His ability to bat in the top order and bowl medium pace makes him a key asset for KKR in IPL 2026.
Players Retained by Kolkata Knight Riders for IPL 2026 ๐๐ฆโก
The Knight Riders have forged their squad with ๐ช Indian firepower & ๐ globe-trotting stars! ๐ก๏ธโ๏ธ
Hereโs the official retained lineup โ Ready to roar in 2026! ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฅ
๐ฎ๐ณ Ajinkya Rahane โ The calm finisher โฏ๏ธ๐ฏ
๐ฎ๐ณ Angkrish Raghuvanshi โ The young gun ๐ฑ๐
๐ฎ๐ณ Anukul Roy โ All-rounder spark โก๐
๐ฎ๐ณ Harshit Rana โ Death-over specialist ๐ฃ๐ฅ
๐ฎ๐ณ Manish Pandey โ Veteran flair ๐๐
๐ฎ๐ณ Ramandeep Singh โ Agile & gritty ๐๐ช
๐ฎ๐ณ Rinku Singh โ Mr. Last-Ball Hero! ๐ฆธโโ๏ธ๐ฅ๐ (โRinku Finisherโ vibes!)
๐ฏ๐ฒ Rovman Powell โ Power-hitter extraordinaire ๐ฅโก๐ฃ
๐น๐น Sunil Narine โ Mystery maestro, GOAT energy ๐๐งโโ๏ธ๐
๐ฎ๐ณ Umran Malik โ The Speedster! ๐๐ฅ 150+ km/h ๐จ
๐ฎ๐ณ Vaibhav Arora โ Swing & seam sorcerer ๐ฌ๏ธ๐ฏ
๐ฎ๐ณ Varun Chakravarthy โ The Tamil Thalaivar of T20 spin ๐๐๐ (โMystery Kulfiโ vibes! ๐)
๐ฃ๐ก KKR 2026 = Youth + Experience + X-Factor!
Let the Eden Gardens crowd roar again! ๐ฃ๏ธ๐๏ธ๐ฆ๐๐
#KKR #IPL2026 #KnightRidersRise ๐โ๏ธ๐ฆ
Retaining players like Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, and Varun Chakravarthy shows that KKR wants continuity. These players have performed consistently and understand the team culture well.
๐ฅ Players Released by KKR Before Auction ๐๐ธ
Ahead of the mega auction, Kolkata Knight Riders ๐๐ waved goodbye ๐ to several BIG NAMES ๐ to free up purse space ๐ฐ and rethink strategy ๐ง โ๏ธ!
Hereโs the full list of released stars โก๐:
- ๐ฆพ Andre Russell โ Mr. Universe ๐ฅ | ๐ฃ Finisher & All-Round Beast ๐พ
- ๐ฏ Anrich Nortje โ Speed Demon ๐ | South African Express ๐ฟ๐ฆ๐
- ๐ช๏ธ Chetan Sakariya โ Left-Arm Swing ๐ | Rising Indian Talent ๐ฎ๐ณโจ
- ๐งค Luvnith Sisodia โ Wicketkeeper-Batter ๐ | Young & Energetic ๐ฑ
- ๐งโโ๏ธ Moeen Ali โ Spin Wizard ๐ | Englandโs All-Round Maestro ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟโ๏ธ
- ๐ Quinton de Kock โ South African Stumper ๐ฟ๐ฆ | Explosive Top-Order ๐ฅ
- ๐ Rahmanullah Gurbaz โ Afghan Firecracker ๐ฆ๐ซ๐ | Fearless Opener ๐งจ
- ๐ช๏ธ Spencer Johnson โ Aussie Pace Storm ๐ฆ๐บโก | Tall & Troublesome ๐๐ฅ
- ๐ฏ Venkatesh Iyer โ Indian All-Rounder ๐ฎ๐ณ | Power-Hitter & Handy Bowler ๐นโจ
๐ A bold reset move by KKR โ will they rebuild ๐๏ธ or reload ๐ in the auction? ๐ค๐
Letting go of stars like Andre Russell and Quinton de Kock was a bold call, but it allowed KKR to invest in younger players and long-term options.
๐ Players Bought by KKR at IPL 2026 Auction ๐
Kolkata Knight Riders were on fire ๐ฅ during the auction โ strategic, bold, and all-in on building a powerhouse squad! ๐ช They added serious depth across all departments ๐ก๏ธ๐ฅ โ bat ๐, ball ๐ฏ, and field ๐ฆ!
Hereโs the full squad upgrade list ๐๐ โ drumroll please ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ
๐น Cameron Green ๐ฆ๐บ โ ๐ช Power-hitter + ๐ Swing & Seam = All-rounder X-factor!
๐น Finn Allen ๐ณ๐ฟ โ ๐ Explosive opener, helmet-on, boundary-off type ๐ฅ
๐น Matheesha Pathirana ๐ฑ๐ฐ โ ๐ โBaby Malingaโ with toe-crushing yorkers ๐ฏ๐ฅ
๐น Tejasvi Singh ๐ฎ๐ณ โ ๐ Emerging talent, raw pace & potential ๐
๐น Kartik Tyagi ๐ฎ๐ณ โ ๐ช๏ธ Express pace, comeback king ๐
๐น Prashant Solanki ๐ฎ๐ณ โ ๐ฏ Crafty medium-pacer, Mumbaiโs gem ๐
๐น Rahul Tripathi ๐ฎ๐ณ โ ๐ Versatile batter, finisher + anchor ๐๏ธโจ
๐น Tim Seifert ๐ณ๐ฟ โ ๐ถ๏ธ Cool wicketkeeper-batter, finisher vibes ๐ฏ
๐น Mustafizur Rahman ๐ง๐ฉ โ ๐ช โThe Fizzโ โ slower balls & toe-crushers ๐๐ฏ
๐น Sarthak Ranjan ๐ฎ๐ณ โ ๐โโ๏ธ Agile fielder + handy with bat & ball ๐ฆ
๐น Daksh Kamra ๐ฎ๐ณ โ ๐ฑ Young gun, raw pace & attitude ๐จ
๐น Rachin Ravindra ๐ณ๐ฟ โ ๐ช๏ธ Left-handed dynamo (bat + spin) + match-changer ๐
๐น Akash Deep ๐ฎ๐ณ โ ๐ฅ Pace, bounce, and Indian-Test-proven fire ๐ฅ
๐ KKR Squad 2026 = Balance + Firepower + X-Factors!
Think: Dre Russ vibes ๐ + Gambhir-level strategy ๐ง + Narine-level unpredictability ๐๐
The return of Rahul Tripathi will please KKR fans, while players like Matheesha Pathirana and Mustafizur Rahman add serious strength to the bowling attack. Young talents such as Rachin Ravindra and Akash Deep bring freshness and energy to the squad.
Balanced Squad for IPL 2026
Looking at the Kolkata Knight Riders Team Players List 2026, the team appears well balanced. The batting has stability, the all-rounders offer flexibility, and the bowling unit has both pace and spin options.
- Batting strength: Rahane, Rinku Singh, Rahul Tripathi, Finn Allen
- All-rounders: Cameron Green, Sunil Narine, Rachin Ravindra
- Bowling attack: Varun Chakravarthy, Umran Malik, Pathirana, Mustafizur Rahman
KKR has focused on building a squad that can perform on different pitches across India.
- IPL Official Website โ Auction 2026 Hub
- Chennai Super Kings Official Site โ Check โNewsโ or โSquadโ post-auction
- BCCI Press Release Archive