IPL Auction 2026: Indian pacer Akash Deep goes to KKR for Rs 1 crore

Indian pacer Akash Deep was picked by Kolkata Knight Riders at the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, after going unold in the first round.

Akash Deep, who has donned RCB and LSG jerseys in IPL, had entered the IPL auction with a base price of ₹1 crore.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) had released the right-arm fast medium bowler ahead of the IPL 2026 auction cycle. The 29-year-old played six matches for LSG in IPL 2025, claiming three wickets at an economy rate of 12.05. In his overall IPL career, Akash Deep has played 14 matches in which he has claimed 10 wickets.


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He can trouble top-order batsmen and was seen as a good investment before the auction. His trajectory with Royal Challengers Bengaluru included sharp new-ball movement and confident death-overs spells, both highly valued traits in domestic pacers.

Akash Deep's addition to KKR squad further bolsters the KKR pace attack which now boasts Harshit Rana, Matheesha Pathirana, Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik and Mustafizur Rahman, among others.

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With the ball, he has taken 10 wickets in 278 deliveries, with his best figures being 3/45. His economy rate of 11.83 and bowling average of 54.80 indicate some expensive spells, though he has shown potential in key moments, particularly in 2022, where he claimed 5 wickets in 5 matches. Batting lower down the order, Akash has scored 25 runs in limited opportunities, with a highest score of 17, reflecting his role as a tailender.