Kolkata Knight Riders Squad: IPL 2026 Players and the Captaincy Gap
Kolkata Knight Riders go into the 2027 season without a captain. Ajinkya Rahane, who led them in 2026, retired from all cricket in July, and no successor has been named. This page lists the squad that played IPL 2026, what has changed since, and the shirts we stock.
Kolkata Knight Riders at a Glance
| Owner | Knight Riders Sports |
| Home ground | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| 2026 captain | Ajinkya Rahane |
| 2026 head coach | Abhishek Nayar |
| IPL 2026 finish | 7th of 10, 13 points |
| IPL titles | Three: 2012, 2014, 2024 |
What Has Changed Since IPL 2026
- Captain retires: Ajinkya Rahane announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on 30 July 2026, ending his IPL career and leaving the captaincy vacant, as Outlook India reported. No new captain had been named as of 14 October.
- New role: Ryan ten Doeschate was appointed head of cricket strategy on 29 July 2026, according to the Knight Riders site.
- Coach: Abhishek Nayar remains head coach, appointed in October 2025.
- Trades: none since the season.
The IPL 2026 Squad
These are the 29 players the IPL lists for Kolkata Knight Riders in 2026, 9 of them overseas. The list includes players brought in during the season as injury replacements, so it runs past the 25-player limit.
| Player | Role | Indian or overseas |
|---|---|---|
| Ajinkya Rahane (captain) (retired, July 2026) | Batter | India |
| Angkrish Raghuvanshi | Batter | India |
| Cameron Green | Batter | Overseas, Australia |
| Daksh Kamra | Batter | India |
| Finn Allen | Batter | Overseas, New Zealand |
| Manish Pandey | Batter | India |
| Rahul Tripathi | Batter | India |
| Ramandeep Singh | Batter | India |
| Rinku Singh | Batter | India |
| Rovman Powell | Batter | Overseas, West Indies |
| Sarthak Ranjan | Batter | India |
| Luvnith Sisodia | Wicketkeeper | India |
| Tejasvi Dahiya | Wicketkeeper | India |
| Tim Seifert | Wicketkeeper | Overseas, New Zealand |
| Anukul Roy | All-rounder | India |
| Rachin Ravindra | All-rounder | Overseas, New Zealand |
| Akash Deep | Bowler | India |
| Blessing Muzarabani | Bowler | Overseas, Zimbabwe |
| Harshit Rana | Bowler | India |
| Kartik Tyagi | Bowler | India |
| Matheesha Pathirana | Bowler | Overseas, Sri Lanka |
| Mustafizur Rahman | Bowler | Overseas, Bangladesh |
| Navdeep Saini | Bowler | India |
| Prashant Solanki | Bowler | India |
| Saurabh Dubey | Bowler | India |
| Sunil Narine | Bowler | Overseas, West Indies |
| Umran Malik | Bowler | India |
| Vaibhav Arora | Bowler | India |
| Varun Chakaravarthy | Bowler | India |
The 2026 Season
Kolkata won six, lost seven and had one no result to finish seventh, missing the playoffs. Mustafizur Rahman, bought at the December 2025 auction, was released in January 2026 and replaced by Blessing Muzarabani.
Titles and Finals
Three titles, in 2012, 2014 and 2024, and one lost final, in 2021. Our guide to the IPL teams compares all ten.
The 2027 Auction
IPL 2027 squads will be settled at a mini auction in Goa in December 2026, the BCCI secretary confirmed on 23 September 2026; the exact date has not been announced. Before it, franchises submit the players they are keeping and releasing; a deadline of 15 November 2026 has been reported but not confirmed by the BCCI. Under the 2026 rules a squad can hold up to 25 players, no more than eight of them overseas. We will update this page with the 2027 squad after the auction. Our guides to IPL retention rules and the IPL auction explain how it works.
Kolkata Knight Riders Shirts
We stock Kolkata Knight Riders player edition long sleeve shirts printed for two of the 2026 squad, Harshit Rana and Rovman Powell, in XL at £54.99, and a 2024 kids' shirt in age 8, in our choose your own collection. Our guide to Kolkata Knight Riders jerseys covers the team's kits.
FAQs: Kolkata Knight Riders Squad
Who is the KKR captain for 2027?
Not yet announced. Ajinkya Rahane, the 2026 captain, retired in July 2026.
Who is the KKR head coach?
Abhishek Nayar, appointed in October 2025.
How many IPL titles have KKR won?
Three: 2012, 2014 and 2024.
Where do KKR play?
Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
Leave a comment