KKR IPL 2026 retention list: All retained, released players, updated purse ahead of mini auction

KKR players during IPL 2025 (Source: AFP Photos)

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the IPL 2024 champions, put up a dismal show while defending the title, winning just five of their completed 12 matches (two were washed out). No wonder they are aiming to revamp their squad, as all the owners reportedly will gather on December 16 in Abu Dhabi to raise their paddles during the mini-auction.

KKR had 21 players in their IPL 2025 squad, with Venkatesh Iyer being the most expensive buy (23.75 crore INR). They trimmed it to 12, and thus, their remaining budget before heading to auction became INR 64.30 crore IST, the highest among all 10 franchises.

KKR retained players for IPL 2026

As expected, KKR retained to keep Rinku Singh despite his limited T20 opportunities in international cricket. On the other hand, Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana, who have been regulars for India lately, have secured their places as well, along with captain Ajinkya Rahane.

Here's the complete KKR's retention list:

KKR released players ahead of IPL 2026 auction

Perhaps the most shocking and the biggest talking point of the IPL retention list was the status of Andre Russell. The West Indies all-rounder has been one of the most influential figures in the Purple and Gold brigade, and releasing him was breaking news; it sent shockwaves.

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Among other big names, Venkatesh Iyer, the INR 23.75 cr buy from the last auction, has also been released. Anrich Nortje and Quinton de Kock were the other big names who lost their place in the three-time champion’s squad.

Here's the complete KKR's released list:

KKR remaining purse and slots

With so many outs from the mix, KKR will go into the auction as much as INR 64.30 Crore. To give a context, CSK have the second-highest purse, which contains INR 43.4 Crore, followed by SRH (INR 25.5 Cr) and LSG (INR 22.9 Cr). They now have a maximum of 13 slots, of which they can buy as many as six overseas.

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