Defending champions in 2024, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) endured a disappointing campaign in IPL 2025, finishing a lowly eighth in the points table. With the team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) failing to replicate its past success, the franchise – a three-time IPL winner (KKR)- is planning a major shake-up ahead of the IPL 2026 season. While the upcoming mini auction may not allow for an extensive overhaul, KKR are expected to release several underperforming names to free up funds and inject fresh talent into the squad.
During the previous retention window, KKR had retained key players such as Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ramandeep Singh, and Harshit Rana. However, with their 2025 campaign faltering, not all of them are certain to stay this time. Among those under the scanner are two players who were part of last season’s retention list – Andre Russell and Ramandeep Singh.
A KKR legend and one of their biggest match-winners over the years, Russell’s recent form has been a shadow of his prime. The Caribbean all-rounder endured a rough IPL 2025, managing only 167 runs in 13 matches at a modest average of 18.56. With the ball, he picked up 8 wickets, but his economy rate of 11.94 proved costly. Given his declining impact and high price tag, the Knight Riders may finally part ways with the veteran to explore a younger, long-term all-round option for the future.
Another player likely to make way is Ramandeep Singh, who impressed initially with his athleticism and sharp fielding. However, his contributions with the bat have been inconsistent, and KKR might now look for a more reliable middle-order finisher to add depth and stability to their batting unit. Besides Russell and Ramandeep, other names who are on the potential release list include Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Venkatesh Iyer, Rovman Powell, Spencer Johnson, Chetan Sakariya, Anrich Nortje, and Anukul Roy.
Ahead of the retentions, Former KKR player now commentator Aakash Chopra has openly discussed about KKR’s potential releases ahead of IPL 2026.
Aakash Chopra discusses about KKR’s potential releases ahead of IPL 2026
Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) should release Anrich Nortje ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. He highlighted that the South African seamer has been laid low by injuries frequently and has played very little cricket in the last few years.
KKR finished eighth in IPL 2025 after heading into the tournament as the defending champions. Nortje was one of the Kolkata-based franchise’s big-ticket acquisitions at the IPL 2025 auction, but played only two games in the entire season. In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ the former India opener reckoned that KKR should let go of Venkatesh Iyer and Nortje.
“The biggest release point will be Venkatesh Iyer. The big story is that they gave more than ₹23 crore, and in the end, it seemed like too much money had been spent. If they release Venkatesh Iyer, straightaway ₹23.75 crore will get released, you will get around ₹5 crore more, and you will be in a very good space,” Chopra said
“However, KKR shouldn’t stop there. If you release Anrich Nortje, he is worth ₹6.50 crore. I am saying he should be released because Anrich Nortje has been a gun bowler, but when does he play? You won’t remember when was the last time you saw Anrich Nortje playing. There are too many injuries. It’s been ages since he has played,” he added.
Venkatesh Iyer managed only 142 runs at a below-par average of 20.29 in seven innings in IPL 2025. Anrich Nortje picked up a solitary wicket at an economy rate of 11.85 in the two games he played.In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that the Kolkata Knight Riders might consider releasing Spencer Johnson.
“You might wish to release Spencer Johnson as well. He came for ₹2.80 crore. You thought he could be a replacement for Mitchell Starc, but it didn’t work out for Spencer Johnson. He didn’t do anything special in the matches he played, and he didn’t get too many chances to play as well,” he reasoned.
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Ajinkya Rahane’s retention could be a tricky question for the three-time champions.
“The big question was Ajinkya Rahane. Will you retain him or let him go? Tough one. He is actually a good captain, but if he is not opening, a place doesn’t get created in the XI. If you keep him with you this year as well, you should make him the captain, but if you do that, will you actually do the right thing?” Chopra observed.
Aakash Chopra opined that KKR might consider releasing Umran Malik as well. While acknowledging that the speedster was acquired for just ₹75 lakh, the analyst highlighted that the former SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) seamer didn’t play a game in IPL 2025. The player retention list for all 10 franchises is set to be out on November 15.
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