Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is one of the most successful and popular franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Franchise Brief Owned by Bollywood A-lister Shah Rukh Khan, as well as Juhi Chawla and Jay Mehta, the franchise has developed a unique brand value since its launch in 2008. KKR’s home games take place at Eden Gardens, Kolkata in high-voltage atmosphere and cheering spectators.
IPL 2026 : Review of Kolkata Knight Riders have had a major overhaul of their side in the build up to IPL 2026 following an unimpressive campaign last time. With a revived line-up, revamped support staff and experienced leadership at the helm, KKR will be looking to qualify for play-offs the season and claim their fourth IPL trophy.
Kolkata Knight Riders Overview – IPL 2026
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Franchise | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| Owners | Knight Riders Group |
| Home Ground | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| Team Colors | Purple & Gold |
| Motto | Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo |
| Captain | Ajinkya Rahane |
| Head Coach | Abhishek Nayar |
| IPL Titles | 3 (2012, 2014, 2024) |
KKR Full Squad for IPL 2026
| Player Name | Role | Price (₹ Crore) |
|---|---|---|
| Ajinkya Rahane | Batter (Captain) | 3.5 Cr |
| Rinku Singh | Batter | 13 Cr |
| Sunil Narine | All-rounder | 12 Cr |
| Varun Chakravarthy | Bowler | 12 Cr |
| Cameron Green | All-rounder | 25.2 Cr |
| Matheesha Pathirana | Bowler | 18 Cr |
| Angkrish Raghuvanshi | Batter | 3 Cr |
| Manish Pandey | Batter | 1.5 Cr |
| Rovman Powell | All-rounder | 7.4 Cr |
| Finn Allen | Wicketkeeper-Batter | 4 Cr |
| Tim Seifert | Wicketkeeper-Batter | 2 Cr |
| Rahul Tripathi | Batter | 6.5 Cr |
| Rachin Ravindra | All-rounder | 5.5 Cr |
| Mustafizur Rahman | Bowler | 6 Cr |
| Umran Malik | Bowler | 4 Cr |
| Harshit Rana | Bowler | 2 Cr |
| Vaibhav Arora | Bowler | 1.8 Cr |
| Kartik Tyagi | Bowler | 2.5 Cr |
| Akash Deep | Bowler | 3 Cr |
| Ramandeep Singh | All-rounder | 1.2 Cr |
| Anukul Roy | All-rounder | 1 Cr |
| Prashant Solanki | Bowler | 1 Cr |
| Daksh Kamra | All-rounder | 30 L |
| Sarthak Ranjan | All-rounder | 30 L |
Team Strengths for IPL 2026
KKR’s key to success is their balanced team combination. The inclusion of high-impact all-rounders such as Cameron Green and Sunil Narine provides depth in both batting and bowling. The middle order led by Rinku Singh, continues to be one of the most threatening finishing combinations in the tournament.
With Varun Chakravarthy being good in and around the middle overs, the fast-bowling mix of Pathirana along with someone like Mustafizur Rahman and Umran Malik provides wicket-taking ability.
Team Challenges
While KKR have a good looking side on paper, the main concern for them will be consistency. Plenty of leadership turnover and combination changes in the past few years have stymied momentum. Another issue was to balance overseas players and playing XI according to spin-friendly and pace-friendly tracks.
Expectations from IPL 2026
A reassembled side, led by a seasoned Ajinkya Rahane, Kolkata Knight Riders will have their sights set on nothing less than a playoff berth. KKR can also challenge for the title again, if their leading players are able to deliver on a more consistent basis.
Conclusion
Kolkata Knight Riders take the field in 2026 IPL season; What are we expecting? With the fanatical support and robust management, the Knight Riders will be raring to add further glory to the purple-and-gold. The motto, as always, hasn’t changed — Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo.
