Kolkata Knight Riders(KKR) have triggered one of the most stunning decisions in IPL history, releasing star all-rounder Andre Russell ahead of the IPL 2026 mini auction — a move that is set to send shockwaves through their fanbase. Andre Russell, who joined KKR in 2014, had been one of the franchise’s longest-serving and most influential overseas players.
He was among the five cricketers retained ahead of the 2025 mega auction at a price of ₹12 crore, signalling his continued importance. His release marks a significant shift in KKR’s long-term planning. KKR have also released several other overseas names, including Moeen Ali, Anrich Nortje, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Spencer Johnson, clearing substantial space in their squad and purse.
Another major call — though not entirely unexpected — is the release of Venkatesh Iyer, who struggled for consistency over the past two seasons. With the departures of Russell and a group of high-value overseas players, KKR now enter the auction with a strong purse of ₹64.3 crore, giving them one of the largest spending capacities for the 2026 season.
The franchise is expected to be among the most active bidders at the auction as it looks to rebuild its core around a fresh set of marquee players.
| Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â KKR released players | ||||
| Player name | IPL 2026 team | IPL 2025 team | Current Salary | Previous salary |
| Venkatesh Iyer | TBD | KKR | TBD | Rs 23.75 crore |
| Andre Russell | TBD | KKR | TBD | Rs 12 crore |
| Anrich Nortje | TBD | KKR | TBD | Rs 6.5 crore |
| Quinton de Kock | TBD | KKR | TBD | Rs 3.6 crore |
| Spencer Johnson | TBD | KKR | TBD | Rs 2.8 crore |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | TBD | KKR | TBD | Rs 2 crore |
| Moeen Ali | TBD | KKR | TBD | Rs 2 crore |
| Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) retained players ahead of IPL 2026 auction | |||
| Player | Type | Base (INR Cr) | Sold (INR Cr) |
| Rinku Singh | BAT | – | 13 |
| Varun Chakravarthy | AR | – | 12 |
| Sunil Narine | BOWL | – | 12 |
| Harshit Rana | BOWL | – | 4 |
| Ramandeep Singh | AR | – | 4 |
| Angkrish Raghuvanshi | BAT | 0.3 | 3 |
| Vaibhav Arora | BOWL | 0.3 | 1.8 |
| Rovman Powell | BAT | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Ajinkya Rahane | BAT | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Umran Malik | BOWL | 0.75 | 0.75 |
| Manish Pandey | BAT | 0.75 | 0.75 |
| Anukul Roy | AR | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Luvnith Sisodia | BAT | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Mayank Markande (Traded) | BOWL | 0.3 | 0.3 |
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has suggested that Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) should pursue Australian all-rounder Cameron Green in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction, following their decision to release Andre Russell. KKR now enters the auction with a substantial purse of Rs 64.3 crores, and Chopra believes Green could be an upgraded version of Russell.
Former KKR player Aakash Chopra opens up on the KKR’s release policy ahead of IPL 2026
Former India opener Aakash Chopra has noted that the Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) releases ahead of the IPL 2026 auction show that loyalty is no longer given importance in the Indian Premier League. He highlighted that the three-time champions have released a plethora of players, including the immensely trusted Andre Russell.
KKR released nine players apart from trading Mayank Markande to the Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. They have a huge remaining purse of ₹64.30 crore heading into the mini-auction. In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ the former KKR player noted that the franchise’s releases, including Russell, reflect the changing dynamics in the IPL.
“Kolkata have said they would change everything. They have released six overseas players. Loyalty used to be royalty earlier. Now loyalty is nothing. Now unemotional trades are the new thing. There was an era when Andre Russell had tweeted that he would always be a knight till he plays the IPL. Then Venky Mysore said he would always be a knight, but he is no longer a knight,” he said.
Chopra opined that Russell still has something to offer and that the all-rounder wasn’t utilized effectively by KKR in the last couple of seasons.
“Is he done yet completely? No, you didn’t get him to bat much last time. He scored 167 runs in 110-odd balls. He scored runs the year before that as well. He didn’t get to play too many balls and didn’t get to bowl much. He had a limited role,” he observed.
Andre Russell smashed 167 runs at a strike rate of 163.72 in 10 innings in IPL 2025. He picked up eight wickets at an economy rate of 11.94 in the 18.1 overs he bowled in this year’s edition of the prestigious league. In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that KKR might have decided to target Cameron Green at the auction, highlighting that they can spend an exorbitant amount to acquire the Australian all-rounder
“Maybe they have made up their mind that they need Cameron Green. You can spend ₹25 crore because ₹40 crore will still be left even after spending ₹25 crore. So you don’t have any concern till ₹25 crore. At least one player they put their finger on will be theirs, and it’s possible that two players they put their finger on could be theirs,” he said.
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that KKR would also need a wicketkeeper who can open the batting.
“Who can be the second? I am thinking about Cameron Green as one because an all-rounder is required. Second, I think they need a wicketkeeper opening batter because they don’t have a wicketkeeper at all. It could be Tim Seifert, Jonny Bairstow or Jamie Smith, or anyone else they might have thought about. They can get whoever they want,” Chopra observed.
Aakash Chopra opined that the Kolkata Knight Riders could consider repurchasing Venkatesh Iyer at the auction. He added that the Kolkata-based franchise would also need an overseas fast bowler to complement Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, and potentially Cameron Green in the bowling attack.
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