IPL 2026 KKR players list: How does their batting line-up looks like ahead of opener against Mumbai Indians? Check Kolkata Knight Riders' complete squad

Kolkata Knight Riders have entered the final week of pre-season preparations for IPL 2026 with a heavily restructured bowling department and a new coaching hierarchy. With the season opener against Mumbai Indians scheduled for March 29, the franchise has confirmed the signing of Vidarbha left-arm pacer Saurabh Dubey to replace the injured Akash Deep, who has been sidelined for at least eight weeks with a lower-back stress reaction. This development follows the confirmed absence of Harshit Rana due to a knee injury and the delayed arrival of Matheesha Pathirana, who is recovering from a calf strain. Despite these setbacks, the arrival of Australian all-rounder Cameron Green—the most expensive overseas player in the league's history at ₹25.20 crore—alongside a spin-heavy attack led by Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy, remains the cornerstone of the KKR strategy under the new leadership of Head Coach Abhishek Nayar and Mentor Dwayne Bravo.

IPL 2026: KKR Injury and Replacements Update

The Kolkata Knight Riders' pace attack has undergone substantial changes in the days leading up to the tournament. The franchise has roped in Saurabh Dubey, a 28-year-old left-arm seamer from Vidarbha, to fill the void left by Akash Deep. The latter was ruled out after failing to recover from a lower-back stress injury. The franchise is also navigating the loss of Harshit Rana, who has been ruled out of the entire season. To bolster the overseas options, KKR previously secured Blessing Muzarabani as a replacement for Mustafizur Rahman and acquired Matheesha Pathirana for ₹18 crore, though Pathirana is expected to be available only from mid-April.

IPL 2026: KKR Leadership and Support Staff

A new era in the KKR dugout is officially underway with Abhishek Nayar elevated to the role of Head Coach, succeeding the previous regime. He is supported by a high-profile staff including Dwayne Bravo as Team Mentor and Shane Watson as Assistant Coach. Former New Zealand captain Tim Southee has joined the ranks as the Bowling Coach, while Dishant Yagnik manages fielding duties. Speaking at a pre-season press conference at Eden Gardens, Bravo emphasized that while losing key bowling options is a setback, the "depth of Indian cricket" allows the team to remain competitive. The mentor specifically highlighted the roles of Umran Malik and Kartik Tyagi as young talents capable of stepping up in the absence of senior pacers.

KKR Batting Order for IPL 2026

The primary tactical challenge for the management involves the integration of Cameron Green, who arrived in the Kolkata camp on March 21. As the replacement for the retired Andre Russell, Green’s role remains a subject of internal debate. Skipper Ajinkya Rahane noted that detailed discussions would define Green’s position, especially given the competition from emerging talent Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who recently scored an intra-squad century. The batting core remains anchored by Rahane, Rinku Singh, and Rachin Ravindra, while the all-round capabilities of Sunil Narine—who scored 246 runs and took 12 wickets last season—continue to provide the necessary balance.

KKR Full Player Roster: IPL 2026

IPL 2026: Batters for KKR this year

• Ajinkya Rahane (Captain), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Rahul Tripathi, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh.

IPL 2026: All-Rounders for KKR this year

• Cameron Green, Sunil Narine, Rachin Ravindra, Rovman Powell, Anukul Roy, Daksh Kamra, Sarthak Ranjan.

IPL 2026: Wicket-Keepers for KKR this year

• Finn Allen, Tejasvi Singh, Tim Seifert.

IPL 2026: Bowlers for KKR this year:

• Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Matheesha Pathirana, Umran Malik, Kartik Tyagi, Saurabh Dubey (Replacement for Akash Deep), Blessing Muzarabani, Prashant Solanki.