The IPL Champions of 2024 finished 8th in IPL 2025. The team from Kolkata is the third most successful team in the history of the IPL. KKR are a team that have a good team but they will release some players and as a result they will have a big purse going into the auction.
Let’s look at the Released and Retained Players by Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of IPL 2026 mini auction
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Released Players ahead of IPL 2026 Auction
Venkatesh Iyer – 23.75 Cr
Andre Russell
Quinton de Kock
Anrich Nortje – 6.50 Cr
Spencer Johnson – 2.80 Cr
Mayank Markande – Traded to Mumbai Indians
Rahmanullah Gurbaz – 2 Cr
Moeen Ali – 2 Cr
Luvnith Sisodiya
Chetan Sakariya
Venkatesh Iyer has to be released. It is as simple as that. He is a very good player but not a player for whom a team would pay near 24 Crores. They can buy him back at a much cheaper price. Anrich Nortje and Spencer Johnson are overseas fast bowlers that were not useful for KKR. They will release both of them. Quinton de Kock and Rahmanullah Gurbaz also be released.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Retention List for IPL 2026
Ajinkya Rahane
Rinku Singh
Sunil Naraine*
Angkrish Raghuvanshi
Varun Chakravarthy
Harshit Rana
Ramandeep Singh
Vaibhav Arora
Rovman Powell*
Umran Malik
Anukul Roy
Manish Pandey
The list of retained Players includes the players who are some of the best in the world. Players such as Rinku Singh, Sunil Naraine, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana will provide the balance to the squad. KKR also have players such as Rovman Powell, Umran Malik that KKR kept and they will hope that these players will perform next season. KKR will need a destructive top order batter, an overseas fast bowler and wicket keeper. Kolkata Knight Riders will enter the mini-auction with an available purse of ₹64.3 crore.
