KKR announce IPL 2026 squad with major exits including Russell and Venkatesh Iyer; ₹64.3 crore purse left ahead of mini-auction. Photo: Instagram/KKR.
IPL Retention 2026: Kolkata Knight Riders, the IPL 2024 champions, have announced their squad for the 2026 season following an extensive overhaul aimed at correcting the shortcomings of their underwhelming 2025 campaign. With the retention window now closed, the franchise has opted to keep its trusted core intact while making bold calls on several senior players.
Despite the reshuffle, KKR have retained the players they consider central to their long-term plans. This includes middle-order batter Rinku Singh, young talent Angkrish Raghuvanshi, veterans Ajinkya Rahane and Manish Pandey, and power-hitter Rovman Powell.
Among the all-rounders and bowlers, the franchise has held on to Sunil Narine, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, and Umran Malik.
In one of the most notable decisions of this year’s retention cycle, KKR have parted ways with two of their biggest names, Andre Russell and Venkatesh Iyer. The franchise also released Luvnith Sisodia, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Moeen Ali, Spencer Johnson, Anrich Nortje, and Chetan Sakariya.
The exit of Russell, one of the league’s most influential all-rounders, marks the end of a long and impactful association with the franchise.
Also Read: IPL 2026: Sanju Samson OFFICIALLY Joins CSK For INR 18 Crore In Blockbuster IPL Trade Shake-Up
KKR have made only one trade ahead of the mini-auction, acquiring Arjun Tendulkar from Mumbai Indians. The left-arm seamer adds depth to their domestic pace reserves and is expected to play a developmental role in the upcoming season.
Following their retentions and releases, the franchise heads into the auction with ₹64.3 crore remaining in the purse.
They have 13 slots vacant, including six overseas positions, giving them significant flexibility to reshape the squad further.
All ten IPL franchises have now submitted their lists of retained and released players ahead of next month’s mini-auction, which will be held on December 16 in Abu Dhabi. Unlike last year’s mega auction, where squads were rebuilt from scratch, this auction allows teams to retain as many players as they choose. The focus, therefore, is on “fine-tuning rather than major resets,” as mini-auctions traditionally encourage incremental changes over sweeping overhauls.
Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik
Arjun Tendulkar (from Mumbai Indians)
Luvnith Sisodia, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Moeen Ali, Spencer Johnson, Anrich Nortje, Chetan Sakariya
Slots Remaining: 13 (including six overseas)
Also Read: LIVE | IPL 2026 Retention Live Updates: Deadline Ends, Final Announcements Expected at 5 PM IST
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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