Kolkata Knight Riders made major changes to their squad before the IPL 2026 auction. They released several players, including both of their overseas wicketkeeper-batters, Quinton de Kock and Rahmanullah Gurbaz. The three-time IPL champions retained only 12 players and have a purse of ₹64.30 crore left.
During an interaction on Star Sports, Sanjay Bangar said that the Kolkata Knight Riders are likely to continue with Ajinkya Rahane as both their captain and top-order batter for IPL 2026. He noted that no stronger leadership option is expected to emerge from the auction.
"They would certainly want to consider continuing with Ajinkya Rahane. Raghuvanshi, I believe that he will keep the gloves as well. So, in addition to his batting, they will make him a wicketkeeper-batter," he added.
Rovman Powell Clearly Comes in as the Finisher - Sanjay Bangar
"Powell, I think he clearly comes in in the finisher's slot. He has got that ability, similar sort of a role as Andre Russell. I see him slotting in quite nicely. Ramandeep and Vaibhav could be your impact players," Bangar observed.
I Don't Really Think So - Sanjay Bangar on Cameron Green
"At the moment, I don't really think so because I believe that they would want to buy back Venkatesh Iyer. Even though they got him at a very high valuation last season, they have a lot of faith in Venkatesh. In my view, he would take the slot at No. 4," he said.
Bangar believes KKR will aim to bring in a quality overseas fast bowler. He stated that Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana is an ideal fit, saying his addition would significantly strengthen and diversify the team’s pace attack.
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