Three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders have on their radar former Chennai Super Kings pace duo Simarjeet Singh and KM Asif, along with veteran Sandeep Warrier, to fill the void left by the injured Harshit Rana in the upcoming Indian Premier League. KKR's pace resources have been hit hard by Rana's ligament strain in the right knee, sustained during India's T20 World Cup warm-up against South Africa. The pacer has undergone surgery and is currently in rehabilitation with no fixed timeline for his return. Keeping Rana's absence in mind, the KKR think tank is exploring other options. Simarjeet, who has played for CSK (2022, 2024) and Sunrisers Hyderabad, has 11 wickets from 14 IPL games. A tall quick capable of hitting 140kph-plus and delivering sharp yorkers, he impressed with nine wickets in 10 matches for CSK in 2022 but struggled last season for SRH, managing two wickets in four games. Asif and Warrier were called up for trials during KKR's first training session at Eden Gard
Kolkata Knight Riders new head coach Abhishek Nayar on Wednesday termed the arrival of Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani as a "blessing in disguise", as the franchise looks to regroup after a forgettable last season and aim for a fourth IPL title. Addressing the squad during their first training session at the Eden Gardens, Nayar made a pointed reference to the late replacement of Mustafizur Rahman, welcoming Muzarabani into the fold. "Blessing, you are a blessing in disguise for us," the 42-year-old former India all-rounder, who has been a longtime part of KKR set up under Gautam Gambhir, said in his opening pep-talk. Nayar was elevated to head coach ahead of IPL 2026 after KKR parted ways with Chandrakant Pandit following an eighth-place finish last season. Nayar had also recently taken charge of Women's Premier League side UP Warriorz, who finished last in the five-team 2026 season. "I know so far we've sort of folded you in the bus, but it's great to have you, the tallest mem
The tickets up for sale are for MI's two home games against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Sunday, March 29, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Sunday, April 12.
Among the most notable moves were the departures of all-rounders Venkatesh Iyer and Andre Russell, which freed up substantial funds.
The injury traces back to India's T20 World Cup warm-up clash against South Africa, where Rana experienced discomfort after bowling just one over.
Kolkata Knight Riders "took the wrong decision" by letting Shreyas Iyer and Phil Salt leave after their title-winning campaign in 2024, and unless the three-time IPL champions understand the importance of retaining key players, they cannot be considered serious title contenders, cautioned the legendary Anil Kumble. Iyer exited KKR to join Punjab Kings, whom he led to their first appearance in the IPL final in nearly a decade in the last edition, while Phil Salt -- another vital cog in KKR's success in 2024 -- moved to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where he played an impactful role in the franchise's maiden title win last year. "Two years ago, KKR won the IPL and lifted their third trophy. Two important cogs in that wheel were Shreyas Iyer and Phil Salt. Both played crucial roles in helping them win but KKR let both of them go," Kumble noted in a JioHotstar release. "There is no consistency from them in terms of player retention. KKR took the wrong decision by letting Shreyas Iyer and
Three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday announced the signing of lanky Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani ahead of the Indian Premier League season, with the fast bowler pulling out of the Pakistan Super League, which will run concurrently. The right-arm pacer Muzarabani was among the prominent bowlers in the recently-concluded T20 World Cup, finishing as the joint third-highest wicket-taker with 13 scalps as Zimbabwe made it to the Super Eights stage. "KKR have signed Zimbabwe fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani to join the squad for the upcoming Indian Premier League 2026 season," KKR said in a statement. "The 6 ft 8" right-arm quick has emerged as one of Zimbabwe's leading pace bowlers in the shortest format, known for his steep bounce and ability to strike in key phases of the innings." "Muzarabani brings significant T20 experience, having claimed over 90 wickets in more than 80 T20 Internationals at an average of around 21, with best figures of 3/8. His pace and ...
KKR secured marquee players including Cameron Green, Matheesha Pathirana, and Finn Allen, while also signing West Indies all-rounder Rovman Powell to fill the gap left by Andre Russell.
The first block of IPL 2026 fixtures will be played across Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad
While the start date has been confirmed, the full schedule and venues for the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League is expected to be released soon
Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was released by KKR last Saturday, as per a directive given by the BCCI
Mustafizur Rahman was brought by KKR during the IPL 2026 auction for a mammoth ₹9.20 crore price tag
KKR had secured Rahman's services for a hefty Rs 9.20 crore, significantly higher than his base price of Rs 2 crore, after a fierce bidding battle involving Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals.
With this, Green crossed the record held by Mitchell Starc, another Australian cricketer, at Rs 24.75 crore
The auction saw an intense battle between Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings for Green, with KKR eventually emerging as the highest bidder.
The accelerated rounds featured further big purchases, including Pathum Nissanka, Jason Holder, Mustafizur Rahman, Liam Livingstone and Josh Inglis.
KKR will walk into the IPL 2026 players auction with the biggest purse, while five-time champions MI will have the smallest purse
PL 2026 mini auction: Cameron Green tops the list at Rs 25.20 cr. Check top 20 costliest buys, including Pathirana, Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer, with teams and prices.
Under the IPL's maximum-fee rule, an overseas player's auction fee is capped at the lower of the highest retention slab and the highest price fetched at the previous mega auction.
The IPL 2026 Auction is scheduled to begin on December 16 (Tuesday), 2025. The IPL mini auction 2026 will begin at 2:30 PM IST.