Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) entered the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction with the highest purse amount of INR 64.3 crore. Hence, there were a total of 13 KKR buys in IPL 2026 auction, as the franchise filled their gaps in all departments. The last edition witnessed the Knight Riders finish eighth in the points table with only five wins in 14 games. The opening combination failed, while the big buys didn’t meet the expectations. Apart from the retirement of Andre Russell, they had major released in the form of openers, fast bowlers and all-rounders.

Kolkata Knight Riders squad for IPL 2026: Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy, Cameron Green, Finn Allen, Matheesha Pathirana, Tejasvi Singh, Kartik Tyagi, Prashant Solanki, Rahul Tripathi, Tim Seifert, Mustafizur Rahman, Sarthak Ranjan, Daksh Kamra, Rachin Ravindra, Akash Deep.

Let’s take a look at all the players who were added to the 2026 KKR squad, as the three-time champions look to bounce back from a disappointing season.

Newest Additions to KKR 2026 Players List

He 𝘾𝙖𝙢e, he saw, he’s ready to #KorboLorboJeetbo 👊💜 pic.twitter.com/9Omi7HyWAg

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) December 16, 2025

Cameron Green

The Kolkata-based franchise acquired the Australian all-rounder, Cameron Green for a whopping amount of INR 25.2 crore in a bidding war with the Chennai Super Kings. Green was expected to incite interest among KKR team management after Andre Russell’s retirement and the release of all-rounders, Venkatesh Iyer and Moeen Ali. Coming at No. 4/5, Green can rotate strike in the middle overs and can provide a sublime finish with his six-hitting abilities. He can extract swing with the new ball and contain the batters in the middle overs.

Move over, Harvey Specter. There’s a new closer in town 😎🔥 pic.twitter.com/CDOLSUnAu0

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) December 16, 2025

Matheesha Pathirana

Sri Lanka’s Matheesha Pathirana was one of the most significant KKR buys in IPL 2026 auction, as they shelled out INR 18 crore to secure his services. His presence was crucial as KKR lacked an overseas pacer after the release of Anrich Nortje and Spencer Johnson. Pathirana has done well in the IPL, with 47 wickets in 32 games at an economy of 8.68. With 19 wickets in the 2023 season, he helped CSK to win the title. With championship experience, the right-arm pacer could be crucial for KKR in the death overs with his toe-crushing yorkers and slower balls.

Death overs best-served c̷o̷l̷d̷ with 𝙁𝙞𝙯𝙯 🤩🔥 pic.twitter.com/eaU2Gh7SPW

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) December 16, 2025

Mustafizur Rahman

Mustafizur Rahman was added to the KKR 2026 players list for his ability to trouble the batters in the middle overs with his variations and also be a strong support in the death overs. The INR 9.2 crore price tag was a reflection of Rahman’s impressive performance in the IPL. He has bagged 65 wickets in 60 appearances at an economy of 8.13, and can be trusted to handle the wrath of batters in all phases of the game.

It’s time to r̷o̷c̷k̷ Rachin-and-Roll in Kolkata 🤩🎸 pic.twitter.com/wAIBk3hTan

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) December 16, 2025

Rachin Ravindra

The left-hander from New Zealand had a mediocre IPL 2025, where he garnered 191 runs in eight innings. However, with the release of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Quinton de Kock, KKR have now got an experienced opening batter for the side.

Finn’s ALL-IN for purple and gold 💜💛 https://t.co/8yAhAg2twy pic.twitter.com/MP0YLsZqTT

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) December 16, 2025

Finn Allen

The top-order batter has done well in the ongoing Big Bash League, scoring 95 runs in two innings. With over 4,500 runs in T20s, he will be a strong backup option as an opener for the Knight Riders.

Kolkata te Tim chai ☕💜 pic.twitter.com/ELIBPY49OO

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) December 16, 2025

Tim Seifert

The Kiwi batter, Tim Seifert slammed a sensational hundred in the ongoing Big Bash League, which fuelled his selection into the KKR 2026 players list. He is expected to serve as a keeper for the side, as the franchise had released all their keepers of the last edition.

Akash Deep back home, nijer ghore 💜 pic.twitter.com/GlCBEVRmpa

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) December 20, 2025

Akash Deep

The talented pacer, Akash Deep was released from the Lucknow Super Giants side despite impressive performance for the Indian team. However, the right-arm pacer is likely to pair up with Harshit Rana for handling the new ball. Other purchases for KKR were Rahul Tripathi, Kartik Tyagi, Daksh Kamra, Sarthak Ranjan, Prashant Solanki and Tejasvi Singh.

Strengths of the 2026 KKR Squad

The key strength of the Kolkata Knight Riders lies in its spin bowling department, with the presence of experienced players like Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine.

Shopping ✅ Season ⏭ pic.twitter.com/CMzJRYh2Kr

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) December 16, 2025

Meanwhile, the pace bowling also looks good in terms of bowlers for all phases of the game. Harshit Rana and Akash Deep can handle the new ball, while Matheesha Pathirana/ Mustafizur Rahman will be used in the death overs. Meanwhile, Cameron Green could be used in the middle overs.

Weaknesses of the 2026 KKR Squad

The Kolkata-based franchise will have difficulty in finding suitable batting combinations, as the latest additions to the KKR buys in IPL 2026 auction have made their top-order heavy. However, the middle-order batters like Rinku Singh and Rovman Powell lacked consistency in the 2025 edition, and it will be crucial for them to rise to the occasion.

𝙊𝙉𝙀 𝙏𝙀𝘼𝙈. 𝙊𝙉𝙀 𝘿𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙈. 𝙊𝙉𝙀 𝙆𝙉𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏𝙃𝙊𝙊𝘿 💜👑 pic.twitter.com/aqHgLPv0Zi

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) December 16, 2025

Overall, 2026 KKR squad could have a deeper run in the next edition, with the presence of a quality bowling attack. However, the form and the approach of the batters could play a significant role in them going over the line.