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Kolkata Knight Riders may release Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rovman Powell and others ahead of IPL 2026 to revamp their team.
Quinton de Kock was not at his best during IPL 2025 and perhaps released by KKR (Picture credit: BCCI)
Three-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders finished eighth in IPL 2025, despite being the defending champions from IPL 2024. After falling in need of defending their title in IPL 2025, the Kolkata Knight Riders, the league’s second-most successful team, want to refresh their team as they aim for an additional championship run next 12 months.
To usher in recent talent and release funds, KKR will first must release some cricketers from their 2025 team. While the management could also be keen on a serious revamp after a below-par season, the upcoming mini auction might see them retain most of their core group.
Here’s a take a look at five cricketers the Kolkata Knight Riders can release ahead of the IPL 2026 auctions:
Quinton de Kock: The star Protea batter scored 152 runs in eight matches at a mean of 21.71, in a below-par season. He was bought for Rs 3.6 crore within the IPL 2025 mega auction and releasing him would mean a substantial amount is freed up ahead of the mini auction.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz: The star Afghanistan batter scored just 74 runs in five matches at a dismal average of 18.5. He was bought for Rs 2 crore within the IPL 2025 mega auction and if KKR release de Kock as well, they may have a handbag of Rs 5.6 crore already.
Rovman Powell: The destructive Windies batter scored just five runs in two games at a bizarre average of 5. He was bought for Rs 1.5 crore within the IPL 2025 mega auction and one would think that it was a really poor investment from the KKR management, given the returns.
Venkatesh Iyer: The star India allrounder scored 142 runs in seven matches at a mean of 20.28. After being released ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, he was bought back for a whopping Rs 23.75 crore, which might appear to be an exorbitant amount given his poor form throughout the season.
Spencer Johnson: The Australian pacer picked up only one wicket in 4 matches, at an economy of 11.73. He was bought for Rs 2.8 crore within the IPL 2025 mega auction and could be an excellent bet to release.
Other players that KKR can release: Chetan Sakariya, Anrich Nortje, Anukul Roy, Ramandeep Singh
November 09, 2025, 23:15 IST
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