Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Probable Released Players List for IPL 2027

The three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have been going through tough situations for the last two years. Last time, they won the Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, and after that, they finished 8th in 2025 and 7th in 2026. 

Now for the upcoming IPL 2027 season, KKR will definitely look up to some big changes in their squad to reclaim their glory. From the last 2 auctions, KKR management failed to retain their core players such as Phil Salt, Shreyas Iyer, and Mitchell Starc, and some of their decisions damaged their performance. 

[sportzclaus_poll player=”Cameron Green” team=”KKR” poll_id=”green_mi_2026″]

Here is an in-depth analysis of the Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) probable retained and released players list for IPL 2027, including squad restructuring and auction purse implications.

KKR 2026 Campaign Review

To understand the release strategy for the IPL 2027 season, it is crucial to analyze how Kolkata Knight Riders’ campaign fell apart in 2026. Under the guidance of Ajinkya Rahane, KKR started one of its worst campaigns in the past few years. In the first 6 matches, KKR lost 5, and one match against PBKS was abandoned due to rain. 

Then a mid-season recovery, winning 6 out of 8 matches, helped them to finish 7th on the points table. In a total of 14 matches, Kolkata won 6 matches, lost 7, and had one abandoned match due to rain. With a total of 13 points, they finished 7th on the points table. 

Captaincy has undoubtedly been one of the major areas where KKR has looked weak. Ajinkya Rahane’s old ideas did not gel well with the current T20 thinking. To build a more balanced squad for IPL 2027, several high-priced players are likely to be released into the auction pool to free up purse space.

Stat Metric	IPL 2026 Numbers
Matches Played	14
Wins	6
Loses	7
No Result (NR)	1
Points	13
Final Position	7

High-Profile Players PBKS is Likely to Release

KKR needs to clean out their purse to get match-winners in the next auction. Some of the pricier purchases had poor years in 2026 and are strong candidates to be released.

Matheesha Pathirana: (INR 18 Crore)

This is the easiest decision for KKR. Matheesha Pathirana was bought for Rs 18 crore, a quarter of KKR’s total auction purse, and he bowled only 1.2 overs before the hamstring injury. 

There is no return on investment for the franchise. That’s way too much money for a restructured team for a player who was basically unavailable all season. So releasing him is just basic financial management for a franchise that needs its budget to work harder in 2027.

Read also CricketIPL 2027: 3 Players Who Might Leave Mumbai Indians ahead of the next season›

Ramandeep Singh: (INR 4 Crore)

The 29-year-old Ramandeep Singh has been with KKR for 3 years, but he is not providing that much value in the team and has also failed to perform as he used to do in domestic matches. Ramandeep is known for his hard-hitting and strike rate but his batting strike rate is decreasing year by year. 

His 29 years of age is also be afactor for KKR management; KKR could release him for the upcoming auction and go for a good and young batting all-rounder with the 4 crore INR. 

Ajinkya Rahane: (INR 1.50 Crore)

Captain Ajinkya Rahane is one of the big names that KKR will release in the IPL 2027 auction. Undoubtedly, Rahane is a very respectful player in Indian cricket, but looking at the modern era of IPL, his playing style is not suitable for the franchise. 

Ajinkya Rahane’s 335 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 135.08 is a big problem for KKR’s top order. Rahane always failed to give a fast start to his team, and his captaincy also has a question mark. For the captaincy option, players like Rinku Singh and Angkrish Raghuvanshi could be better options. 

Rachin Ravindra (INR 2 Crore) and Blessing Muzarabani (INR 75 Lakh)

New Zealand star cricketer Rachin Ravindra doesn’t even get a chance to play a single match in IPL 206. Due to this problem, he might get released from the team. 

On the other hand, Blessing Muzarabani played for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2026 Indian Premier League. He featured in over 2 matches during the 2026 season, claiming 4 wickets at an average of 18.75 and an economy rate of 10.71. 

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Retained Players List

KKR had a very bad season this year, but they want to claim their top and core players for the IPL 2027 season. The core consists of local Indian stars who have performed exceptionally well, alongside crucial international big names.

• Cameron Green
• Rinku Singh
• Rovman Powell
• Angkrish Raghuvanshi
• Finn Allen 
• Tim Seifert
• Anukul Roy
• Daksh Kamra
• Akash Deep
• Sunil Narine
• Saurabh Dubey
• Kartik Tyagi
• Umran Malik
• Vaibhav Arora
• Varun Chakravarthy

KKR Probable Retained & Released Players

The table below summarizes the expected player movements for the Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the IPL 2027 auction, outlining their purchase price and status:

Name	Role	Price	Expected Status
Ramandeep Singh	All-rounder	INR 4 Cr	Released
Matheesha Pathirana	Bowler	INR 18 Cr	Released
Ajinkya Rahane	Batter	INR 1.50 Cr	Released
Rachin Ravindra	All-rounder	INR 2 Cr	Released
Blessing Muzarabani	Bowler	INR 0.75 Cr	Released
Manish Pandey	Batter	INR 0.75 Cr	Released
Rahul Tripathi	Batter	INR 0.75 Cr	Released
Prashant Solanki	Bowler	INR 0.30 Cr	Released
Tejasvi Dahiya	Wicketkeeper	INR 3 Cr	Released
Cameron Green	All-rounder	Retained Core	Retained
Rinku Singh	All-rounder	Retained Core	Retained
Rovman Powell	All-rounder	Retained Core	Retained
Angkrish Raghuvanshi	Batter	Retained Core	Retained
Finn Allen	Wicketkeeper	Retained Core	Retained
Tim Seifert	Wicketkeeper	Retained Core	Retained
Anukul Roy	All-rounder	Retained Core	Retained
Daksh Kamra	All-rounder	Retained Core	Retained
Akash Deep	Bowler	Retained Core	Retained
Sunil Narine	All-rounder	Retained Core	Retained
Saurabh Dubey	Bowler	Retained Core	Retained
Kartik Tyagi	Bowler	Retained Core	Retained
Umran Malik	Bowler	Retained Core	Retained
Vaibhav Arora	Bowler	Retained Core	Retained
Varun Chakravarthy	Bowler	Retained Core	Retained

Purse Value and Auction Strategy for IPL 2027

Kolkata Knight Riders will get back a big chunk of their budget by releasing these nine mediocre performers or overpriced players. The total value of the purse recovered from these releases is of the order of ₹31.05 crore. “It is a big war chest, and it will enable the team management to be highly competitive in the IPL 2027 auction.

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With ₹31.05 crore back in the bank, KKR will likely target the following:

• A premium overseas fast bowler to replace Matheesha Pathirana.
• An impact middle-order batter option to replace Ramandeep Singh.
• A reliable finisher to take the pressure off from Rinku Singh. 

With these kinds of changes KKR could manage to bring their glory days back and look to win their 4th IPL trophy.