IPL Auction 2026: ‘Badhai betu’, says Pappu Yadav after son Sarthak Ranjan gets picked by KKR for ₹30 lakh

Kolkata Knight Riders added 13 players to their squad at the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, but one modest ₹30 lakh signing drew attention. KKR picked Delhi domestic cricketer Sarthak Ranjan, the son of independent MP Rajesh Ranjan, popularly known as Pappu Yadav, triggering an emotional public reaction from the veteran politician. While KKR splurged big on stars like Cameron Green and Matheesha Pathirana, Sarthak’s selection stood out for its off-field buzz rather than the price tag.

‘Badhai betu’: Pappu Yadav celebrates as son Sarthak Ranjan enters IPL

Pappu Yadav took to X (formerly Twitter) to congratulate his son, sharing a message that quickly went viral.

"Badhai ho betu! Jamkar khelo aur apne pratibha ke dum par apni pehchan banao. Apni chahat poori karo. Ab Sarthak ke naam pe banegi humari sarkaar.(Congratulations, dear child Play with all your heart On the strength of your talent Build your own identity Fulfill your desires! Now under the name of Sarthak Our identity will be made).

Who is Sarthak Ranjan?

Sarthak Ranjan represents Delhi in domestic cricket and is still early in his professional journey. KKR picked him for ₹30 lakh, marking his first IPL contract.

So far, he has played:
2 First-Class matches, scoring 28 runs at an average of 9.33
4 List-A matches, scoring 105 runs at an average of 26.25
5 T20 matches, scoring 66 runs at an average of 13.20

For Kolkata, the move appears to be a depth addition rather than an immediate first-choice signing.

KKR’s busy IPL Auction 2026

KKR entered the mini-auction with the biggest purse of ₹64.30 crore and used it aggressively to reshape the squad for IPL 2026. The franchise signed Australian all-rounder Cameron Green for a record ₹25.20 crore and followed it up by spending ₹18 crore on Sri Lankan fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana.

In total, Kolkata brought in 13 players as part of a reset after a disappointing title defence last season.

KKR came into IPL 2025 as defending champions after winning the 2024 title, but the season quickly unravelled. The team finished eighth in the league stage, won only five matches, and struggled with combinations.

The exits of key players from the title-winning squad left gaps that were never fully filled, making the 2026 auction a crucial chance to rebuild.

Big money buys set the tone

Cameron Green’s ₹25.20 crore deal made him the third most expensive player in IPL auction history, crossing the previous overseas record. Matheesha Pathirana’s ₹18 crore signing highlighted KKR’s renewed focus on power-hitting and death-overs bowling.

Against that backdrop of big spending, Sarthak Ranjan’s ₹30 lakh entry added an offbeat human angle to an otherwise numbers-driven auction.

Players bought by KKR at IPL Auction 2026

1. Cameron Green – ₹25.20 crore
2. Matheesha Pathirana – ₹18 crore
3. Mustafizur Rahman – ₹9.20 crore
4. Tejasvi Singh – ₹3 crore
5. Rachin Ravindra – ₹2 crore
6. Finn Allen – ₹2 crore
7. Tim Seifert – ₹1.50 crore
8. Akash Deep – ₹1 crore
9. Rahul Tripathi – ₹75 lakh
10. Daksh Kamra – ₹30 lakh
11. Sarthak Ranjan – ₹30 lakh
12. Prashant Solanki – ₹30 lakh
13. Kartik Tyagi – ₹30 lakh

KKR squad after IPL Auction 2026

Retained players:
Ajinkya Rahane, Sunil Narine, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy