Updated: 28 October 2026
Kolkata Knight Riders Squad 2027: Players, Captain, Coach and Retentions
Kolkata Knight Riders need a new captain. Ajinkya Rahane, who led them in 2026, announced his retirement on 30 July 2026, so the job is open going into the auction. Right now, KKR have 24 players under contract: 16 Indian and 8 overseas.
Below is the full KKR squad with each player’s role and 2026 fee, every change since last season and what happens at the retention deadline on 15 November 2026.
24
players under contract
8/8
overseas slots used
3
IPL titles
7th
IPL 2026 finish
Team facts
KKR at a Glance
| Detail | Kolkata Knight Riders |
|---|---|
| Home ground | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| IPL titles | 3 (2012, 2014, 2024) |
| IPL 2026 finish | 7th (6 wins, 7 losses, 1 no result) |
| Captain in 2026 | Ajinkya Rahane (retired in July 2026) |
| Head coach for 2027 | Abhishek Nayar |
| Players under contract | 24 (16 Indian, 8 overseas) |
| Retention deadline | Sunday, 15 November 2026 |
| IPL 2027 auction | Wednesday, 16 December 2026, Goa (expected) |
Full squad
KKR Squad for IPL 2027
These are the 24 players under contract with Kolkata Knight Riders going into the IPL 2027 retention. The fee is what each player was paid in IPL 2026 (or his new fee, if he was traded), and overseas players are marked in orange. On 15 November 2026, we will mark every player as retained or released.
Batters (3)
| Player | Country | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Rinku Singh Vice-captain in 2026 | India | ₹13 crore |
| Manish Pandey | India | ₹75 lakh |
| Rahul Tripathi | India | ₹75 lakh |
Wicketkeepers (4)
| Player | Country | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Angkrish Raghuvanshi | India | ₹3 crore |
| Tejasvi Singh | India | ₹3 crore |
| Finn Allen | New Zealand | ₹2 crore |
| Tim Seifert | New Zealand | ₹1.5 crore |
All-rounders (8)
| Player | Country | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Cameron Green Paid ₹18 crore under the overseas cap | Australia | ₹25.2 crore |
| Sunil Narine | West Indies | ₹12 crore |
| Ramandeep Singh | India | ₹4 crore |
| Rachin Ravindra | New Zealand | ₹2 crore |
| Rovman Powell | West Indies | ₹1.5 crore |
| Anukul Roy | India | ₹40 lakh |
| Sarthak Ranjan | India | ₹30 lakh |
| Daksh Kamra | India | ₹30 lakh |
Bowlers (9)
| Player | Country | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Matheesha Pathirana Missed part of 2026 (hamstring) | Sri Lanka | ₹18 crore |
| Varun Chakravarthy | India | ₹12 crore |
| Mustafizur Rahman Withdrawn from 2026 at the BCCI’s request | Bangladesh | ₹9.2 crore |
| Harshit Rana Missed 2026 (knee) | India | ₹4 crore |
| Vaibhav Arora | India | ₹1.8 crore |
| Akash Deep Missed 2026 (back) | India | ₹1 crore |
| Umran Malik | India | ₹75 lakh |
| Kartik Tyagi | India | ₹30 lakh |
| Prashant Solanki | India | ₹30 lakh |
Squad built from the official IPL 2026 retention and auction records, plus every trade and retirement since. Last checked on 28 October 2026.
Since last season
KKR Changes for IPL 2027
- Ajinkya Rahane retired on 30 July 2026, so he is no longer part of the squad.
- KKR have no captain for 2027 yet. Vice-captain Rinku Singh is the front-runner.
- Abhishek Nayar stays as head coach. No player trades so far.
Replacement players signed during IPL 2026
These players joined during the 2026 season when someone was injured or unavailable. Whether they stay for 2027 will be clear when the retention lists come out.
| Player | Country | Came in for |
|---|---|---|
| Blessing Muzarabani | Zimbabwe | Mustafizur Rahman |
| Navdeep Saini | India | Harshit Rana |
| Saurabh Dubey | India | Akash Deep |
| Luvnith Sisodia | India | Matheesha Pathirana |
The money
KKR’s Biggest Contracts
Together, the 24 players in this squad are on contracts worth about ₹117.05 crore. Every player a team keeps for 2027 is paid out of its purse, so releasing a big contract is the quickest way to free up money for the auction. These are the five biggest deals in the squad.
#1
₹25.2 crore
Cameron Green, all-rounder
#2
₹18 crore
Matheesha Pathirana, bowler
#3
₹13 crore
Rinku Singh, batter
#4
₹12 crore
Sunil Narine, all-rounder
#5
₹12 crore
Varun Chakravarthy, bowler
Last season
KKR in IPL 2026
KKR finished 7th in IPL 2026 with 6 wins, 7 losses and a no result. They were the biggest spenders at the 2026 auction, paying a record ₹25.20 crore for Cameron Green and ₹18 crore for Matheesha Pathirana.
KKR IPL titles
Kolkata Knight Riders have won the IPL 3 times: 2012, 2014, 2024.
Your questions
KKR Squad 2027 FAQs
Who is the KKR captain for IPL 2027?
KKR have not named a captain for IPL 2027. Ajinkya Rahane, who led them in 2026, retired on 30 July 2026. Vice-captain Rinku Singh is seen as the front-runner, and Sunil Narine and Rovman Powell have also been talked about.
Who is the KKR head coach for IPL 2027?
Abhishek Nayar is the KKR head coach. He took over from Chandrakant Pandit before IPL 2026.
How many players are in the KKR squad right now?
KKR have 24 players under contract: 16 Indian and 8 overseas. A team can have up to 25 players, with no more than 8 from overseas.
When will KKR announce their retained players for IPL 2027?
By Sunday, 15 November 2026. That is the deadline for all ten teams to submit their retained and released players. We will update this page the same day.
Why is Cameron Green paid less than his ₹25.20 crore bid?
IPL rules for the 2026 mini auction capped overseas players at ₹18 crore. KKR bid ₹25.20 crore, but Green receives ₹18 crore, and the rest goes to the BCCI for player development.
More squads
Other IPL 2027 Squads
PBKS
How We Check Our Facts
Players, fees and replacements come from the official IPL 2026 retention and auction records. Trades, retirements and staff changes come from trusted outlets. If you spot a mistake in the KKR squad, tell us and we will fix it.
Main sources: IPL 2026 retentions, auction and replacements, IPL 2026 season records, India TV (trades), IANS (Pant and Kuldeep trade) and The National (coaching changes).