KKR retention: KKR won their third IPL title in 2024 under Shreyas Iyer. The franchise could not continue that success and released Shreyas Iyer, Phil Salt, Mitchell Starc, and Nitish Rana before IPL 2025. Ajinkya Rahane was made captain for IPL 2025, but the team finished 8th with five wins in fourteen matches.
KKR qualified for the playoffs for the first time in 2011. They won the IPL titles in 2012, 2014, and 2024. KKR holds the IPL record for the longest winning streak of fourteen matches.
For IPL 2026, KKR plans to rebuild around Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, and Varun Chakravarthy. The IPL 2026 auction will be held on December 16 in Abu Dhabi. KKR are expected to be one of the most active franchises at that auction.
KKR Retention Approach for IPL 2026
For IPL 2026, KKR has retained Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Spencer Johnson, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Vaibhav Arora, Rovman Powell, Ajinkya Rahane, Umran Malik, Manish Pandey, Anukul Roy, Luvnith Sisodia
Rinku Singh is retained as KKR’s finisher. He scored 206 runs at an average of 29.42 in IPL 2025 and is trusted for handling pressure and the middle order. Angkrish Raghuvanshi is retained for his role at number three and has 463 runs in 22 matches. Sunil Narine remains with KKR as their most successful all-rounder. He has 1780 runs and 192 wickets since 2012.
Varun Chakaravarthy is retained as the team’s mystery spinner. He has 99 wickets at an economy of 7.54 and is effective in picking wickets in crucial phases. Vaibhav Arora stays with the team after taking 17 wickets in 10 matches in IPL 2025. Harshit Rana is also retained and took 15 wickets in 13 matches in IPL 2025.
KKR Retentions IPL 2026
| Player | Role |
| Rinku Singh | Batter |
| Varun Chakravarthy | Spinner |
| Sunil Narine | All-rounder |
| Harshit Rana | Pacer |
| Ramandeep Singh | All-rounder |
| Angkrish Raghuvanshi | Batter |
| Spencer Johnson | Pacer |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | Wicketkeeper-Batter |
| Vaibhav Arora | Pacer |
| Rovman Powell | All-rounder |
| Ajinkya Rahane | Batter |
| Umran Malik | Pacer |
| Manish Pandey | Batter |
| Anukul Roy | All-rounder |
| Luvnith Sisodia | Wicketkeeper-Batter |
KKR Released Players
KKR has released Venkatesh Iyer, Quinton de Kock, Moeen Ali, Anrich Nortje, and Andre Russell.
KKR released Venkatesh Iyer because his form dropped, and his ₹23.75 crore salary affected the team’s budget. Quinton de Kock was released to open an overseas slot for new signings. Moeen Ali was let go from the team after an average 2025 season.
Mayank Markande was moved from KKR to the Mumbai Indians, and Arjun Tendulkar went from the Mumbai Indians to KKR in exchange for Markande.
| Player Name | Role |
| Venkatesh Iyer | All-rounder |
| Andre Russell | All-rounder/Finisher |
| Quinton de Kock | Wicketkeeper/Opener |
| Anrich Nortje | Fast Bowler |
FAQs
Q. Who will captain KKR in the 2026 Indian Premier League?
A. In the 2026 Indian Premier League, Ajinkya Rahane will be captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Q. Which IPL 2025 team does Andre Russell play for?
A. In the 2025 Indian Premier League, Andre Russell was a member of the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Q. Has KKR won any IPL titles?
A. KKR won three IPL championships in 2012, 2014, and 2024. In 2021, they finished second as well.
Q. Who is the coach of KKR in 2025?
A. Chandrakant Pandit has been replaced as head coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders for the 2025 Indian Premier League by Abhishek Nayar.
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