Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is looking to release some of its players ahead of the upcoming mini-auction. They may release some of their most expensive players in the mini-auction to increase their purse and rebuild their team.
Just before the mini-auction, Kolkata Knight Riders are expected to release some of their players. The Knight Riders finished eighth on the IPL 2025 points table as they entered the tournament as the defending IPL champions.
They acquired the services of some of the best players like Venkatesh Iyer, Anrich Nortje, Quinton de Kock, Spencer Johnson, Sherfane Rutherford and others through the mega-auction.
Aakash Chopra said, “The biggest release point will be Venkatesh Iyer.”
Former Indian player Aakash Chopra has expressed his opinion on the KKR team and suggested that they release Venkatesh Iyer before the 2026 IPL auction. The retention lists are to be announced by November 15.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra mentioned that the Knight Riders should let go of Venkatesh Iyer, who has been playing in the IPL since 2021 and made his debut for India again.
Chopra said, “The biggest release point will be Venkatesh Iyer. The big story is that they gave more than ₹23 crore, and in the end, it felt like too much money was spent. If they release Venkatesh Iyer, ₹23.75 crore will be released directly, you will get about ₹5 crore more, and you will be in a much better position.”
“It’s been a long time since he played,” said Aakash Chopra on the Proteas pacer.
He further said that South African fast bowler Anrich Nortje is troubled by injuries and has not played much cricket in the last few years. He was one of the biggest acquisitions of the Kolkata-based franchise.
The Proteas pacer played only 2 matches for the KKR team, and he managed to take only one wicket. Whereas Venkatesh Iyer scored only 142 runs at an average of 20 in the season.
“However, KKR should not stop here. If you release Anrich Nortje, his price tag is ₹6.50 crore. I am saying he should be released because Anrich Nortje has been a gun bowler, but when does he play? You don’t remember the last time you saw Anrich Nortje play. There are too many injuries. It has been years since he played.”
KKR’s possible release before IPL 2026 auction
In the same video, Aakash Chopra was found giving his opinion that the KKR team can consider releasing Spencer Johnson. He further added that Umran Malik could also be released as the fast bowler has not played a single game in the season.
He argued, “You might also want to release Spencer Johnson. He came for ₹2.80 crore. You thought he could be Mitchell Starc’s replacement, but it didn’t work out for Spencer Johnson. He didn’t do much in the matches he played and didn’t get many chances to play.”
Whether last season KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane could be retained or even released could be a tough ask for the three-time champions.
“The big question was Ajinkya Rahane. Will you keep him or let him go? Difficult. He is a really good captain, but if he is not opening, there is no place in the XI. If you keep him with you this year too, you should make him the captain, but if you do that, will you really be doing the right thing?” Chopra saw.
Also Read: KKR release of Andre Russell planned ahead of IPL 2026 auction
