The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have been looking to release some of their players ahead of the upcoming mini-auction. They are likely to release a few of their most costly players to increase their purse and rebuild their squad in the mini-auction.
Just ahead of the mini-auction, the Kolkata Knight Riders are looking forward to releasing some of their players. The Knight Riders finished eighth in the IPL 2025 points table, as they had headed into the tournament as the defending champions of the IPL.
They acquired the services of some of the finest players through the mega-auction in the form of Venkatesh Iyer, Anrich Nortje, Quinton de Kock, Spencer Johnson, Sherfane Rutherford, and more.
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“The biggest release point will be Venkatesh Iyer,” said Aakash Chopra
Former Indian player Aakash Chopra has opined on the KKR squad and suggested that they release Venkatesh Iyer ahead of the 2026 IPL auction. The retention lists are to be announced by the 15th of November.
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 then made his debut for India.
“The biggest release point will be Venkatesh Iyer. The big story is that they gave more than ₹23 crore, and in the end, it seemed like too much money had been spent. If they release Venkatesh Iyer, straightaway, ₹23.75 crore will get released, you will get around ₹5 crore more, and you will be in a very good space,” Chopra said.
“It’s been ages since he has played,” Aakash Chopra on Proteas pacer
He has further cited that Anrich Nortje, the South African speedster, has been laid low by injuries and has not played much cricket over the last few years. He was one of the biggest acquisitions of the Kolkata-based franchise.
The Proteas pacer played in only 2 games for the KKR team, and he managed to pick up only one wicket. Venkatesh Iyer, on the other hand, scored just 142 runs in the season at an average of 20.
“However, KKR shouldn’t stop there. If you release Anrich Nortje, he is worth ₹6.50 crore. I am saying he should be released because Anrich Nortje has been a gun bowler, but when does he play? You won’t remember when was the last time you saw Anrich Nortje playing. There are too many injuries. It’s been ages since he has played,” he added.
KKR’s potential release ahead of IPL 2026 auction
The same video found Aakash Chopra giving his opinion that the KKR team might consider releasing Spencer Johnson. He further said that Umran Malik might also be released after the speedster did not play a single game in the season.
“You might wish to release Spencer Johnson as well. He came for ₹2.80 crore. You thought he could be a replacement for Mitchell Starc, but it didn’t work out for Spencer Johnson. He didn’t do anything special in the matches he played, and he didn’t get too many chances to play as well,” he reasoned.
The last season’s KKR captain, Ajinkya Rahane, could be retained or might be released as well, as it could be a tricky question for the three-time champions.
“The big question was Ajinkya Rahane. Will you retain him or let him go? Tough one. He is actually a good captain, but if he is not opening, a place doesn’t get created in the XI. If you keep him with you this year as well, you should make him the captain, but if you do that, will you actually do the right thing?” Chopra observed.
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