KKR’s veteran all-rounder Andre Russell has been denied a trade deal as the Knight Riders had offered Russell in exchange for KL Rahul from Delhi Capitals, but he rejected the offer.
Kolkata Knight Riders are constantly looking for a player who can replace their captain Ajinkya Rahane. Rahane can be cited as a middle-order batsman; However, he is not ideal to retain as team captain.
Knight Riders have made a massive change in their team, as Abhishek Nair has been appointed as the new head coach of the team in place of Chandrakant Pandit. Dwayne Bravo will remain the mentor of the team.
Delhi Capitals reject Andre Russell deal
Delhi Capitals were keen to part ways with their marquee player KL Rahul, whom they bought in the IPL 2025 mega-auction, but at different demands. The Knight Riders have reportedly hinted at several offers for a swap, but the Capitals have rejected all of them.
Delhi Capitals were also reportedly offered Andre Russell in exchange for KL Rahul in the trade deal. Delhi Capitals rejected this offer along with three other offers reported by TOI.
According to reports, he also mentioned swap deals between KL Rahul and Sunil Narine, Rahul and Rinku Singh-Angkrish Raghuvanshi and finally Rahul and Raghuvanshi-Harshit Rana.
| Sahil Malhotra of Times of India has reported that Kolkata Knight Riders had offered Andre Russell to Delhi Capitals in exchange for KL Rahul but he rejected it. pic.twitter.com/hH9KUoEEsR
– KnightridersXtra (@KKR_Xtra) 4 November 2025
KKR may release several players before the mini-auction
Kolkata Knight Riders had a poor performance last season, as they could win only 5 games in the edition and finished with 12 points in the season. First of all, he can break ties with captain Ajinkya Rahane.
Apart from this, other players can also be dropped from their team. This includes foreign players like Moeen Ali and Spencer Johnson. Two players can be dropped from the team.
Lastly, retained player Ramandeep Singh may also be dropped from the KKR squad before the mini-auction as he does not fit into the playing eleven.
Will KKR wait for Sanju Samson’s arrival in the IPL auction?
Sanju Samson’s deal between Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals has not been finalized yet. The Royals sought players like Tristan Stubbs and the Capitals are reluctant to part with the Protea wicketkeeper.
Additionally, they have added another uncapped player to the Capitals lineup along with Stubbs. Sanju Samson could lose this trade too, which would definitely take him into the mini-auction, and he could attract one of the most attractive bids.
This will benefit the KKR franchise, as they can consider including him in the team as a wicketkeeper, opening batsman and captain as well. This can solve all their problems in every important role which they were lacking earlier.
Also read: KL Rahul to enter IPL auction as last attempt to save T20 career
