Although the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) season is still some time away, the excitement is already building as franchises prepare for the auction. The IPL 2026 auction is scheduled to be held in India from December 13 to 16. Ahead of that, all teams are required to announce their player retention lists by November 15. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), owned by Shah Rukh Khan, are busy shaping their squad for the upcoming season.
নিলামের আগে এই ১৩ ক্রিকেটারকে রেখে ঘর গোছাবে শাহরুখের ফ্র্যাঞ্চাইজি!
KKR Wants a Fresh Start After a Disappointing Season
KKR had a disappointing 18th IPL season. Even after appointing Ajinkya Rahane as captain, the team could not meet expectations, finishing last in the points table. Analysts believe the team struggled to adapt to Rahane’s leadership and strategies. Now, KKR management is looking to start fresh and restructure the team for a stronger comeback.
Key Retentions
According to reports from CricBuzz and SportsYear, KKR plans to retain its mainstays, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine. The management has no plans to release the two Caribbean stars, who have been pillars of KKR’s success for years and remain central to the team’s strategy for the new season.
Other Likely Retentions
Sources suggest that, in addition to Russell and Narine, the following players may also feature in KKR’s retention list:
Varun Chakravarthy, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh, Angkrish Raghuwanshi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rovman Powell, Vaibhav Arora, Spencer Johnson, Mayank Markande, Ajinkya Rahane
However, there is some uncertainty about whether Rahane will continue as captain. While he may remain in the squad, his leadership role could be reassessed.
Players Likely to Be Released
On the other hand, KKR may release a few big-name players before IPL 2026 to free up budget for the auction. Players reportedly at risk of being released include:
Venkatesh Iyer (₹23.75 crore), Moeen Ali, Quinton de Kock, Heinrich Klaasen, Anukul Roy
KKR management wants to retain flexibility in the budget to rebuild the squad strategically.
Budget Ahead of Auction
Reports suggest KKR will have a total budget of around ₹125 crore for the auction. After the retention period, the team may have ₹53–58 crore left to spend on new players. Combining the experience of Russell and Narine with the youth of Rinku Singh and Varun Chakravarthy, KKR aims to build a stronger, balanced team ahead of IPL 2026.