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List of KKR retained and released players ahead of IPL 2026 auction: Three-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have announced their squad for IPL 2026. The team aims to make a strong comeback after a disappointing 2025 season, and has made some bold and significant changes.
Big decision: Andre Russell and Venkatesh Iyer released
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With the retention window closing, KKR management has made some surprising and significant decisions. The team has released two of its key experienced players:
- Andre Russell released: The team released him due to his poor performance and high fee (a retention slot of ₹12 crore).
- Venkatesh Iyer released: Star all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, who was valued at ₹23.75 crore, has also been released.
These two releases will set KKR back a significant amount in their auction purse.
KKR's core group intact
KKR has retained some of its reliable and performing players who are crucial to the team's future, including finisher Rinku Singh and veteran Sunil Narine.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) 2026 retained players List
| Player | Role | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Ajinkya Rahane | Batsman | 1.5 crores |
| Rinku Singh | Batsman | 13 crores |
| Angkrish Raghuvanshi | Batsman | 3 crores |
| Harshit Rana | All-rounder | 4 crores |
| Varun Chakravarthy | Bowler | 12 crores |
| Ramandeep Singh | Batsman | 4 crores |
| Manish Pandey | Batsman | 75 lakhs |
| Sunil Narine | All-rounder | 12 crores |
| Anukul Roy | All-rounder | 40 lakhs |
| Vaibhav Arora | Bowler | 1.80 crore |
| Umran Malik | Bowler | 75 lakh |
| Rovman Powell | Batsman | 1.5 crore |
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Also Read: SRH IPL 2026: Full List of Retained, Released, and Traded Players
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) 2026 Released Players List
| Player | Role | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Venkatesh Iyer | All-rounder | 23.75 crores |
| Moeen Ali | All-rounder | 2 crores |
| Mayank Markande | Bowler | 30 lakhs |
| Andre Russell | All-rounder | 12 crores |
| Quinton de Kock | Wicketkeeper-batsman | 3.6 crores |
| Lavneet Sisodia | Wicketkeeper-Batsman | 30 lakhs |
| Spencer Johnson | Bowler | 2.8 crores |
| Anrique Nortje | Bowler | 6.5 crores |
| Chetan Sakaria | Bowler | 50 lakhs |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | Wicketkeeper-Batsman | 2 crores |
Also Read: MI retained and released players ahead of IPL 2026 auction: The Official List
Kolkata Knight Riders 2026 Traded Players List
| Player | Role | Trade (from where) | Trade (to where) | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayank Markande | Bowler | Kolkata Knight Riders | Mumbai Indians | 30 Lakhs |
KKR's 2026 Remaining Purse: Largest Amount
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As a result of these bold and bold decisions, Kolkata Knight Riders will now enter the IPL 2026 mini-auction with the largest purse. This massive purse gives KKR complete freedom to target any big player in the auction. Remaining purse for auction: ₹64.3 crore
Also Read: CSK IPL 2026: Full List of Retained, Released, and Traded Players
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