Three-time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have retained 12 players ahead of the 2026 mini auction, scheduled for December 16 in Abu Dhabi. The franchise announced their retained players list on Saturday, November 15.
In a major development, KKR have released veteran all-rounder Andre Russell, who joined the team in the 2014 edition and remained with the franchise until 2025. Russell played 133 matches for KKR, scoring 2,593 runs at an average of 28.81 with a strike rate of 174.97, including 12 fifties. He also took 122 wickets in 114 innings, including a five-wicket haul.
The franchise also released last season’s marquee signing, Venkatesh Iyer, who was bought for a massive ₹23.75 crore in the 2025 mega auction. Iyer struggled throughout the season, scoring just 142 runs in seven innings.
KKR endured a disappointing IPL 2025, failing to qualify for the playoffs. Under Ajinkya Rahane’s leadership, the team finished eighth on the points table, managing just 12 points from 14 matches.
With new head coach Abhishek Nayar at the helm, the management will be looking to start fresh and bring glory in the upcoming season.
### List of Players Retained by Kolkata Knight Riders (with price tags in INR)
– Rinku Singh (₹13 crore)
– Varun Chakaravarthy (₹12 crore)
– Sunil Narine (₹12 crore)
– Harshit Rana (₹4 crore)
– Ramandeep Singh (₹4 crore)
– Angkrish Raghuvanshi (₹3 crore)
– Vaibhav Arora (₹1.80 crore)
– Rovman Powell (₹1.50 crore)
– Manish Pandey (₹75 lakh)
– Ajinkya Rahane (₹1.50 lakh)
– Anukul Roy (₹40 lakh)
– Umran Malik (₹75 lakh)
### List of Players Released by Kolkata Knight Riders
– Luvnith Sisodia (₹30 lakh)
– Quinton de Kock (₹3.60 crore)
– Rahmanullah Gurbaz (₹2 crore)
– Venkatesh Iyer (₹23.75 crore)
– Andre Russell (₹12 crore)
– Moeen Ali (₹2 crore)
– Spencer Johnson (₹2.80 crore)
– Anrich Nortje (₹6.50 crore)
– Chetan Sakariya (₹75 lakh, Injury Replacement)
– Mayank Markande (₹30 lakh, traded to Mumbai Indians)
### KKR Purse for IPL 2026 Auction
Kolkata Knight Riders will enter the IPL 2026 auction with a massive purse of ₹64.3 crore and 13 remaining slots, including six overseas players. The franchise aims to strengthen their squad and bounce back strongly in the upcoming season.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/news-kkr-retention-list-ipl-2026-full-list-players-retained-kolkata-knight-riders-price-tags-inr-purse-remaining