The IPL 2026 auction will be very important, especially for Kolkata Knight Riders. There was a lot of discussion about the captaincy of KKR last season, ultimately the burden of captaincy was placed on the shoulders of Ajinkya Rahane. KKR stood eighth in the table. Now the speculation about releasing Venkatesh Iyer before the auction has also gained momentum, because with his departure the Kolkata team’s purse will be emptied by Rs 23.75 crore. Here let us know about those 5 players whom KKR can release before the IPL 2026 mini auction.

KKR can release 5 players

Venkatesh Iyer

The first name can be that of Venkatesh Iyer, because emptying the purse of Rs 23.75 crore in the mini auction will help KKR a lot in making a strong team. Last year, after receiving such a huge amount, Iyer was able to score only 142 runs in 11 matches.

Moeen Ali

Moeen Ali was bought by KKR for Rs 2 crore in the mega auction last year. Ali could score only 6 runs in 5 matches and could take only 6 wickets in bowling. Due to this poor performance, Kolkata Knight Riders can release him and choose another all-rounder.

spencer johnson

Spencer Johnson, who wreaked havoc across the world with his lethal bowling speed, proved to be a complete failure in the IPL. KKR bought him for Rs 2.8 crore, but after playing 4 matches in the entire season, he was able to take only one wicket.

Enrique Nortje

Enrique Nortje has failed to perform consistently in the last 2-3 seasons. In the last 2 seasons, he has taken only 8 wickets in 8 matches. Whereas in 2025, he took only one wicket in 2 matches for KKR. His economy rate was 11.86.

Manish Pandey

Manish Pandey is one of the few players who has been an integral part of the Indian Premier League since 2008. KKR had signed him in the mega auction for Rs 75 lakh. He got three matches in the entire season, in which only 92 runs were scored from his bat.

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