Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is all set to release its captain Ajinkya Rahane and vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 mini auction.
This comes as a big development as the release of Ajinkya Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer will mean that Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will have to look for a new pair of leaders.
Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer out, Rinku Singh in
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) led by Shreyas Iyer won the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, but they had a very poor campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 and finished eighth in the points table.
KKR kept their core intact from their IPL 2024 win but were unable to retain captain Shreyas Iyer, fast bowler Mitchell Starc and opening batsman Phil Salt. And due to the absence of these players, the team suffered a lot in IPL 2025.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) appointed Ajinkya Rahane as captain after Shreyas Iyer’s exit and gave vice-captaincy to Venkatesh Iyer, who was bought for Rs 23.75 crore.
Meanwhile, a journalist from RevSportz has now reported that KKR will part ways with Ajinkya Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer, while retaining the services of Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Vaibhav Arora and Varun Chakravarthy.
Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakraborty
Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer
– Subhayan Chakraborty (@CricSubhayan) 11 November 2025
Furthermore, another RevSportz journalist has claimed that the three-time champions will go tough against Australia all-rounder Cameron Green in the IPL 2026 auction.
Cam Green is on the priority list for KKR – they need a batsman who can bowl fast.
– Rohit Juglan (@rohitjuglan) 11 November 2025
Venkatesh Iyer- KKR’s payment of Rs 23.75 crore is too much for a player like Aaron Finch
Australian World Cup-winning captain Aaron Finch recently shared his views on Venkatesh Iyer, saying that he has not been able to perform consistently and should be released. Speaking on JioStar, Finch said:
“Paying Rs 23.75 crore is too much for a player like Venkatesh Iyer, who has been relegated to the position as a middle-order batsman without using his bowling. While Venkatesh Iyer has been a match-winner for KKR, been their top scorer in 2021 and helped them lift the trophy in 2024, his inconsistent role and high price tag do not align. KKR are forced to free up funds and potentially They should consider releasing him in order to buy him back at a more reasonable price that matches his current role on the team.
Notably, Venkatesh Iyer looked poor in the Indian Premier League 2025 and scored just 142 runs at an average of 20.28.
IPL auction to be held in December
The Indian Premier League 2026 mini auction is scheduled to be held in Abu Dhabi in mid-December. According to a report in India Today, the auction may take place on 15 or 16 December.
“The IPL Governing Council is currently finalizing the logistics and an official confirmation is expected in the coming days,” the report said. It added, “Sources told India Today that a formal announcement confirming the venue and exact dates of the IPL 2026 auction is expected soon.”
This will be the third consecutive time that the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction will be held outside India, as the last two editions were held in Dubai and Jeddah.
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