3 KKR players who should be released ahead of the IPL 2026 auction ft. Venkatesh Iyer

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) endured a rough campaign in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL). The defending champions at the time finished eighth in the table, managing just five wins and missing out on the playoffs by a fair margin.

Kolkata were hamstrung by poor resource utilization, both on the field and with their purse. Expensive purchases at the auction meant that they had barely any backups on the bench, and those who were part of the playing XII didn't always deliver.

Ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, the Knight Riders will certainly need to take some brave decisions. It might go against what they've come to trust over the years, but changes are the need of the hour.

KKR's squad for IPL 2025 (including replacements): KKR's squad for IPL 2025: Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Luvnith Sisodia, Ajinkya Rahane, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Moeen Ali, Varun Chakaravarthy, Mayank Markande, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Anrich Nortje, Spencer Johnson, Umran Malik, Chetan Sakariya.

On that note, here are three KKR players who should be released ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.

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#3 Venkatesh Iyer

India Cricket - Source: Getty

Bought for ₹23.75 crore, Venkatesh Iyer had a hugely disappointing campaign for KKR. The left-hander managed just 142 runs in 11 matches at an average of 20.29 and a strike rate of 139.22, crossing the 50-run mark just once over the course of the tournament.

Venkatesh is going to find it impossible to justify his price tag, given that he doesn't bowl at the IPL level anymore. KKR clearly have a lot of faith in him, but they simply cannot afford to have a batter command such a large portion of their purse while offering nothing special against any style of bowling.

KKR should look to buy Venkatesh back at the IPL 2026 auction.

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#2 Manish Pandey

2025 IPL - Sunrisers Hyderabad v Kolkata Knight Riders - Source: Getty

It's clear that Manish Pandey's best years are behind him. The experienced batter, signed towards the end of the IPL 2025 auction by KKR, played three games for the franchise during the campaign. Although he did decently, scoring 92 runs, he clearly doesn't have a lot of time left at the top level.

Kolkata need to move towards a younger side and ensure that the likes of Angkrish Raghuvanshi get enough game time in their ideal positions. Having someone like Pandey, who is 35 years old, on their books doesn't make much sense despite the fact that he brings experience and fielding prowess to the table.

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#1 Quinton de Kock

2025 IPL - Sunrisers Hyderabad v Kolkata Knight Riders - Source: Getty

Quinton de Kock endured one of the worst seasons of his IPL career earlier this year. Opening the batting for KKR, he notched up 152 runs in eight matches at an average of 21.71 and a strike rate of 129.91. The South African eventually lost his place in the side, although the other wicket-keepers didn't fare much better for the side.

De Kock, who doesn't represent the Proteas in any format these days, is clearly on the wane. A batter who depends on hand-eye coordination, he hasn't been at his consistent best in any of the franchise leagues he has featured in lately. KKR, who have Luvnith Sisodia in their ranks, should ideally target someone younger and with a bigger upside if they want a gloveman who can bat in the top order.