KKR to save Rs. 40 crore! 6 Big Names, Including Rahane & Venkatesh Iyer, are Likely to be Released Ahead of IPL 2026 Auction

After Shreyas Iyer left the franchise, Ajinkya Rahane took command and captained KKR in the IPL 2025, but Kolkata could not do well as they had many gaps to fill. Therefore, KKR appointed new head coach Abhishek Nayar, and they are going with some fresh strategies to fill those gaps and perform better in the upcoming seasons.

KKR is struggling because of inconsistent performances across departments. Venkatesh Iyer was bought at a whopping price of Rs. 23.75 crore in the IPL 2025 Mega Auction, but he couldn’t justify his price as Iyer was able to score just 142 runs in 11 matches with one fifty in the last season.

Kolkata Knight Riders struggled after winning the IPL 2024 title as they lost some of their key players like Shreyas Iyer, Phil Salt, and Mitchell Starc. However, the management now wants to rebuild the squad by freeing up Rs. 40 crore to make a stronger squad for the IPL 2026.

KKK to release these underperforming players ahead of IPL 2026 Retention.

Venkatesh Iyer - Rs. 23.75 crore

Anrich Nortje - Rs. 6.50 crore

Spencer Johnson - Rs. 2.8 crore

Rahmanullah Gurbaz - Rs. 2 crore

Ajinkya Rahane - Rs. 1.5 crore

IPL 2026 mini auction is scheduled on December 15, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, and KKR will be looking for some consistent and reliable players who can perform for the franchise in the long-term. Kolkata mainly needs to target opening batters and quality pacers, as these departments are lacking the most in the previous edition.

However, KKR have one of the strongest finishing line-ups as they have plenty of players like Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi. KKR is likely to look for a new captain to replace Rahane; however, Rinku could be a captaincy choice, but they might look for options.

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