IPL 2026: Kolkata Knight Riders - Know Your Players

IPL 2026: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) - Know Your Players

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spent approximately ₹62.95 crore to ₹63.85 crore at the IPL 2026 auction, making them the highest spenders. They utilized the bulk of their ₹64.3 crore purse to build a 25-player squad, headlined by purchasing Cameron Green for ₹25.20 crore (making him the most expensive overseas player) and Matheesha Pathirana for ₹18 crore.

Who are the lesser known Knights? Let's take a look

SAURABH DUBEY

Saurabh Dubey, a tall left-arm medium-fast bowler from Wardha, Maharashtra, is known for generating steep bounce and natural swing. Primarily used with the new ball, he leverages his height to create challenging angles for batters. In eight List A matches so far, the Vidarbha seamer has taken 16 wickets at an average of 23.21, with best figures of 4/26.

The 28-year-old was also part of India’s squad for the 2019 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup. Although he has previously been associated with Sunrisers Hyderabad, he is yet to feature in an IPL game. For IPL 2026, Dubey joined Kolkata Knight Riders as an injury replacement for Akash Deep, bringing valuable left-arm variation to their pace attack.

DAKSH KAMRA

Daksh Kamra may not be a widely known name yet, but his early performances point to a bowler with exciting potential. A leg-spinner from Haryana, he has so far played only at the U23 level, where he has shown clear signs of being a wicket-taking option.

In the CK Nayudu Trophy, he impressed with figures of 3 for 29 and 2 for 21 against Bihar U23, showcasing both control and the ability to strike at crucial moments. He followed that up in the 2024/25 U23 One-Day competition with a standout spell of 4 for 7 in his only appearance of the season.

Tall and operating with a relatively upright arm action, Kamra extracts extra bounce and creates deception. His googly, in particular, has already emerged as a potent weapon, marking him as a player to keep an eye on.

TESJASVI SINGH

Tejasvi Singh’s rise has been rapid and hard to ignore. After going unsold in the IPL 2025 Mega Auction, the 23-year-old wicketkeeper-batter from Delhi made an immediate impact, scoring 114 off 78 balls on his List A debut, an innings that featured six sixes.

That performance, along with his growing presence in domestic cricket, triggered strong interest at the 2026 auction, where Kolkata Knight Riders signed him for INR 3 crore, ten times his base price, outbidding Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals. Despite having played only 14 white-ball matches so far, Tejasvi has already showcased his power-hitting ability, smashing 17 sixes. In T20 cricket, he has a strike-rate of 168.65 from a small sample of four innings.

The 2024 champions did not have the best of starts to their 2026 campaign but they've got plenty of variety. The Knights finished 8th last season and it'll be interesting to see how far they go this season.