KKR announces full list of retained and released players ahead of IPL 2026 auction.
After winning the IPL 2024 trophy, Kolkata Knight Riders endured a sharp decline in IPL 2025, finishing a disappointing eighth. Expected to be strong playoff contenders, KKR struggled across departments and failed to build momentum throughout the season.
The franchise became the fourth team to be knocked out, registering six losses in 13 matches, while two washouts further dented their campaign.
Ahead of the 2025 season, KKR retained Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh and Harshit Rana, a core group unlikely to change now. They also released players like Angkrish Raghuvanshi, KS Bharat, Anukul Roy, Chetan Sakariya and Allah Ghazanfar. So far, the only confirmed move is Mayank Markande’s trade to Mumbai Indians.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Released Players | Luvnith Sisodia, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Moeen Ali, Spencer Johnson, Anrich Nortje, Chetan Sakariya |
| Retained Players | Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik |
| Players Traded In | – |
| Players Traded Out | Mayank Markande (To Mumbai Indians) |
| Vacant Slots | – |
| Remaining Purse | Rs 64.3 crore |
| Full Squad Ahead of IPL 2026 Auction | – |
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