ipl 2026 auction A high-stakes mini-auction took place in Abu Dhabi on 16 December, where franchises spent over ₹215 crore on 77 players from the 369-player pool. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)Armed with the biggest purse of ₹64.3 crore after bold pre-auction release, dominated the proceedings by securing two most expensive buys: Australian all-rounder cameron green Record ₹25.20 crore for the Sri Lankan slinger Mathisha Pathirana For ₹18 crore. This aggressive spending of a total of ₹124.55 crore on 25 players (8 foreigners), reduced to just ₹0.45 crore, indicating KKR’s intention to rebuild after a disappointing IPL 2025 title defence.
Kolkata Knight Riders sign strategic big bucks in IPL 2026 auction
KKR entered the auction by releasing high-profile names like andre russell (Earlier ₹12 crore), Venkatesh Iyer (₹23.75 crore), and quinton de kock To maximize flexibility, retained the core of 12 players for approximately ₹39.35 crore. His top goals focused on explosive batting depth, death bowling firepower and all-round balance, to overcome rivals such as Chennai Super Kings There will be an intense battle for Green – who brings middle-order muscle and seam options – and Pathirana, whose slinging yorker can terrorize finishers. Mustafizur Rahman (₹9.20 crore) adds left-arm variety, while finn allen (₹2 crore) and Rachin Ravindra (₹2 crore) provide aggressive top-order options, complementing retained finishers like Rinku Singh.
This improvement addresses KKR’s weaknesses in 2025: over-reliance on aging stars and batting collapse. green, fresh with Mumbai Indians And Royal Challengers BangaloreAverages 44.50 and strike rate close to 145 in T20Is, offers seam-hitting prowess at Eden Gardens. Pathirana’s investment of Rs 18 crore pays dividends with his IPL record of 42 wickets at an economy of 7.25 in the death overs. like mid level choice Tejasvi Dahiya (₹3 crore) and Tim Seifert (₹1.50 crore) Uncapped promises and options to promote retention Harshit Rana (retained at ₹4 crore) controls the domestic pace. KKR’s overseas quota for power-hitting well filled with Powell (₹1.50 crore) Sunil Narine For Spin Wizardry (₹12 crore retained).
Also read: IPL 2026 auction: Complete list of sold players with their prices
KKR players salary in IPL 2026
KKR’s squad has a mix of retained veterans with the auction moves prioritizing youth and versatility. Abhishek NairHigh intensity style of. Here are the full details:
| Sl.No. | player | Selling Price (₹) |
| 1 | cameron green | 25 crores 20 crores |
| 2 | Mathisha Pathirana | 18 crores |
| 3 | Rinku Singh | 13 crores |
| 4 | Sunil Narine | 12 crores |
| 5 | Varun Chakraborty | 12 crores |
| 6 | Mustafizur Rahman | 9 crore 20 lakh |
| 7 | Harshit Rana | 4 crores |
| 8 | Ramandeep Singh | 4 crores |
| 9 | Tejasvi Dahiya | 3 crores |
| 10 | Angkrish Raghuvanshi | 3 crores |
| 11 | Rachin Ravindra | 2 crores |
| 12 | finn allen | 2 crores |
| 13 | Vaibhav Arora | 1 crore 80 lakh |
| 14 | rovman powell | 1 crore 50 lakh |
| 15 | Tim Seifert | 1 crore 50 lakh |
| 16 | Ajinkya Rahane | 1 crore 50 lakh |
| 17 | sky lamp | 1 crore |
| 18 | Rahul Tripathi | 75 lakhs |
| 19 | Manish Pandey | 75 lakhs |
| 20 | Umran Malik | 75 lakhs |
| 21 | Anukul Roy | 40 lakhs |
| 22 | Sarthak Ranjan | 30 million |
| 23 | efficient room | 30 million |
| 24 | Prashant Solanki | 30 million |
| 25 | Karthik Tyagi | 30 million |
Also read: IPL 2026 auction: Complete list of unsold players including base price