IPL 2026 auction: Full list of players signed by three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders

Kolkata Knight Riders, who have won the Indian Premier League trophy three times in the history of IPL, have also set their pace and goals for this season, the Indian Premier League 2026. In the auction ceremony held on the 16th of December 2026, the team strategically participated in the auction and acquired some of the high-profile cricket stars from around the globe. KKR acquired the players with the intention to create a balance between domestic yet promising players and some high-profile and high-worth players from around the world and created its squad for 2026.

Headlining buys: Green, Pathirana, and Allen

KKR’s acquisition of Cameron Green became the highlight of the auction ceremony. Cameron is an Australian all-rounder and is backed by the team for ₹25.20 crore. With this phenomenal bid, he became one of the most expensive global players in the 2026 IPL season.

Apart from Australia’s Cameron, there were other players who were also acquired by the team and joined the line, one of whom is Matheesha Pathirana. Matheesha Pathirana is a Sri Lankan fast bowler and joined the team after being bought for ₹18 crore. The Sri Lankan player is known for his death bowling techniques and yorkers and adds a valuable edge to the bowling lineup of the team. 

Further, apart from strengthening the bowling lineup, the team has also focused on their batting sequence. The team acquired Finn Allen, who is a New Zealand-based batsman, for ₹2 crore. This strengthened the batting lineup and top order of the team. 

Supporting cast: Multi-role and value picks

In addition to all the global acquisitions, KKR also focused on some valuable and domestic buys to create a balance between the team, such as

1. Rachin Ravindra, who is a New Zealand all-rounder, is acquired for ₹2 crore.
2. Tejasvi Singh, known for his commendable batting techniques in the Indian cricket team, is acquired for ₹3 crore.
3. Mustafizur Rahman, a Bangladeshi pacer, was acquired for ₹9.2 crore, breaking his own record for being the most expensive cricketer from the Bangladeshi team.
4. Tim Seifert, an experienced wicketkeeper, is acquired for ₹1.5 crore. 
5. Indian fast bowler Akash Deep has been acquired for ₹1 crore.

Some other players who were acquired as a strategic and strong move are Kartik Tyagi, Prashant Solanki, Sarthak Ranjan, D aksh Kamra, and Rahul Tripathi at prices ranging from somewhere between ₹30 lakh and ₹75 lakh.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kolkata Knight Riders (@kkriders)

The team also continues to have several key players from the previous season to maintain consistency and continuity. Their players are Ajinkya Rahane, Varun Chakaravarthy, Rinku Singh, Umran Malik, and Vaibhav Arora. 

KKR’s defensive approach in this season of the IPL tournament truly reflects their desire to claim the IPL trophy. With a combination of high-profile players and budding talents, this year’s IPL season is truly going to be in the headlines throughout.