Kolkata Knight Riders went absolutely crazy at the IPL 2026 auction. They became the most aggressive bidders among all franchises there honestly. Andre Russell retired, so KKR needed a complete squad makeover desperately.
The franchise spent record amounts on two overseas stars particularly. Cameron Green and Matheesha Pathirana cost them a combined Rs 43.20 crore. That’s serious money showing KKR wants another championship trophy badly now.
Let’s find out the most likely names who’re gonna start the IPL 2026 season as the overseas players.
- Cameron Green
Cameron Green became the most expensive player of 2026 at Rs 25.20 crore. KKR smashed all auction records to grab the Australian all-rounder quickly. Venkatesh Iyer left and Russell retired, so Green fills both gaps somehow.
He’ll probably bat in the top three for KKR this season. Green offers stability plus explosive hitting depending on the match situations faced. His batting gives KKR the flexibility they desperately lacked in previous campaigns.
The Aussie also bowls four overs of quality seam bowling regularly. That extra bowling option helps balance the team composition much better. The 4 overseas players in the KKR lineup start with this massive signing.
- Sunil Narine
Narine remains KKR’s evergreen mystery spinner despite all the changes happening. The franchise retained him because his value goes way beyond nostalgia. His economy rate in T20 cricket is just ridiculous across years.
He might continue opening the batting and swinging freely during powerplays. Finn Allen or Ajinkya Rahane could partner him at the top. Narine’s role as a disruptive opener has worked brilliantly for KKR before.
His mystery spin becomes even more critical without Russell’s all-round presence. The 4 overseas players in the KKR lineup include this proven match-winner.
- Matheesha Pathirana
KKR paid Rs 18 crore for “Baby Malinga” from Sri Lanka. Pathirana fixes their long-standing death-over problems once and for all hopefully. Mitchell Starc helped in 2024, but Pathirana is the long-term solution needed.
His slinging action and yorkers at will are perfect weapons available. Eden Gardens scores run heavily, so controlling death overs becomes crucial there. The young pacer gives KKR exactly what they’ve been missing badly.
- Rovman Powell
Powell got retained before the auction, showing KKR’s massive faith clearly. The fourth overseas spot debate was between him and Finn Allen. But Powell’s finishing ability won that argument eventually in management discussions.
