The Kolkata Knight Riders finished the 2025 season in 8th position as the defending champions could only accumulate 12 points.
Following a disappointing season where they struggled in both batting and bowling in phases, they would be raring to return to the 2026 season with the hope of a better finish after rectifying their mistakes.
There are a few areas, like the opening positions and the middle order, where KKR need reinforcements, and to generate funds for that, they will have to release some of their players back in the auction.
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In this article, TSN takes a look at the players who should be released by the Knight Riders in the 2026 auctions.
Who should KKR release in the 2026 auction?
Considering that the IPL 2026 auction is going to be a mini-auction with a smaller pool of players and a limited purse available, KKR will have to be smart in generating funds to reinforce the players.
The following are the players that KKR could release ahead of the IPL 2026 mini auction:
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1. Venkatesh Iyer:
Venkatesh Iyer has been a very important part of the Knight Riders family since joining them during the COVID-hit season and has repaid the faith that the franchise has shown in him, especially in the title-winning 2024 season.
However, the 23.75 crore spent on him seems a bit too much, and releasing him would cover their need for funds to fix the team. They can buy him back from the auction at around 15 crore, with other teams also low on funds.
2. Anrich Nortje:
Another big-money signing that they made in the 2025 auction was Anrich Nortje, who only played 2 matches in the season while picking a solitary wicket.
With the Indian bowling core they have and the likes of Sunil Narine, Andre Russell and an overseas wicketkeeper batter in the team, they can manage with other options over Nortje as the 4th overseas player. He will release 6.50 crore for them.
3. Quinton de Kock:
With the sort of season Quinton de Kock had, where he only played 8 matches and scored 152 runs that included a 97*, it looked like he had passed his heydays, and KKR could look at other exciting options with someone like Rahmanullah Gurbaz already in the roster.
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4. Spencer Johnson:
The 29-year-old Australian left-arm pacer played only 4 matches in the 2025 season for the Knight Riders with underwhelming returns of just 1 wicket while conceding at an economy rate of 11.73 — something KKR would want to replace with a reliable option after getting an extra 2.80 crore to the bag.
5. Moeen Ali:
With the bat, Ali only got to bat twice in 2025 with the stacked batting order that KKR had. He only managed to score a 5 and 0 in those two innings.
While he can still be of some use with the ball as an able off-spinner, he would be nearing 39 in the summer of 2026. KKR would like a younger option to get the side ready for the future, as the other big names like Sunil Narine are also turning 37.
The above releases would get KKR the funds of 38.65 crore that would help them massively to upgrade their squad.