Kolkata Knight Riders

Cheteshwar Pujara recalled that Josh Hazlewood jokingly refused to bowl to him in the CSK nets after their long battles in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The veteran batter also reflected on his IPL journey, saying meeting Shah Rukh Khan was a fanboy moment, but a franchise's culture matters more than celebrity ownership.

During his stint on the Indian national team coaching staff, ten Doeschate was part of a coaching setup that achieved major white-ball success, including victories at the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025. In his new position, ten Doeschate will oversee scouting operations, player acquisition, squad architecture, and performance analysis across the global network.

Shah Rukh Khan celebrated the opening of the Knight Riders Cricket Ground in Los Angeles, calling it a "dream come true" as the venue hosted its first-ever Major League Cricket match. The stadium marks a historic milestone for the Knight Riders Group, becoming the first global cricket franchise to establish an international-standard cricket ground.

After a disappointing 7th-place finish in IPL 2026, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are poised for another squad rebuild for the next season. KKR, the three-time IPL champions, have struggled for consistency under the leadership of captain Ajinkya Rahane and head coach Abhishek Nayar; batting inconsistencies, injury concerns in the pace attack and underwhelming overseas contributions have affected their campaign. Ahead of the next IPL season, KKR may look to offload high-salary or underperforming players to free up purse space, boost the auction purse and refresh the roster. Here are 4 players Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) might release after finishing 7th in the IPL 2026 season:

Ajinkya Rahane said stepping down as KKR captain never crossed his mind despite the team's poor start to IPL 2026, stressing the importance of character and staying calm under pressure. He also praised Kartik Tyagi and Anukul Roy for making the most of their opportunities during the season.

Angkrish Raghuvansh sustained a serious injury during KKR's recent IPL 2026 match against Mumbai Indians at Eden Gardens and has been ruled out of the remainder of the tournament.

After struggling in the early half of the season and staying near the bottom of the points table, KKR have bounced back strongly with four consecutive victories to emerge as serious contenders for a top-four finish.

Green signed off by saying that getting another win under their belt will satisfy KKR's setup the most in their slight quest to reach the playoffs. Green, who partnered with Allen for the unbroken third-wicket stand, said he was chuffed for Allen to get the century.

Finn Allen’s superb knock ensured KKR completed a chase of 143 with 35 balls to spare and helped the three-time champions seal their fourth consecutive win of the season.

Blessing Muzarabani was initially named as a replacement signing in the PSL on a deal reportedly worth PKR 11 million (around Rs 37.4 lakh). However, he later pulled out and signed with KKR as a replacement for Mustafizur Rahman, a move that led to disciplinary action from the Pakistan Super League.

Matheesha Pathirana, who was acquired by KKR for a whopping Rs 18 crore in the IPL 2026 auction, has been sidelined since picking a calf strain during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.

The point was shared between the teams as PBKS continued to reign on top with KKR slipping to eighth position. KKR would have welcomed the break, having been in deep trouble at 25/2 after losing two key overseas batters early. PBKS, on the other hand, would have been frustrated by the interruption, having dominated proceedings and keen to maintain the pressure.

After winning the toss and opting to bat first against PBKS, KKR were struggling at 25 for 2 in 3.4 overs when heavens opened up, forcing the players off the field at the Eden Gardens.

IPL 2026, KKR vs PBKS Highlights: The 12th match of the IPL 2026 between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR ) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Eden Gardens was abandoned on Monday due to persistent rain in Kolkata and the subsequent wet outfield. Both KKR and PBKS shared a point apiece after the match was called off.

IPL 2026 KKR vs SRH Match Today: KKR's Ajinkya Rahane have won the toss and choose to bowl first at Eden Gardens.

MI vs KKR Highlights, IPL 2026: Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton blazed to half-centuries after Shardul Thakur claimed 3-39 in his first match for the franchise as Mumbai Indians defeated Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday to end their jinx and win the Indian Premier League season-opener, their first opening-game victory since 2012.

Mumbai Indians are set to start their IPL 2026 campaign against KKR Mitchell Santner and Will Jacks are yet to link up with Mumbai Indians The absence of Santner, Jacks has created an interesting selection puzzle for MI

In a significant policy shift, Zahir Uddin Swapan, the newly appointed Information and Broadcasting Minister of Bangladesh, said the government does not intend to mix politics with sports and will instead evaluate the matter from a commercial perspective.

KKR, led by veteran India opener Ajinkya Rahane, will open their IPL 2026 campaign against five-time champions Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on March 29.

Kolkata Knight Riders head into IPL 2026 with high expectations after a major squad rebuild in the mini-auction. After a disappointing performance in the previous season, the three time IPL champions KKR will be hoping to see a change of fortune and a key factor in their success will be the performance of their overseas players. However, KKR are facing a significant early-season hurdle looms as star Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana (bought for Rs 18 crore) is sidelined for the initial phase due to a calf injury sustained during the 2026 T20 World Cup. He is undergoing rehabilitation with Sri Lanka Cricket and is expected to be match-fit only around mid-April. This forces KKR to rely on their deep overseas pool and Indian pacers like Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, and Umran Malik for the opening matches. Here are four overseas players who might start for KKR in IPL 2026 in absence of Matheesha Pathirana:

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the three-time IPL champions, are gearing up for IPL 2026 amid some significant challenges in their pace bowling department. With India pacer Harshit Rana and Akash Deep officially ruled out for the IPL 2026 season and Matheesha Pathirana set to miss the initial phase, the KKR management has been forced to rethink their strategy. Despite these setbacks, KKR boast a strong core with retained stars like Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, and Ramandeep Singh. Big auction buys including Cameron Green (a massive all-rounder investment) and Finn Allen (explosive overseas opener/wicketkeeper) provide firepower. In the absence of the three primary pacers, here is the predicted Playing XI of KKR for the upcoming IPL 2026 season:

KKR have suffered yet another significant setback ahead of the IPL 2026 season Another Indian pacer has been ruled out of the entire IPL 2026 upcoming season KKR's bowling depth is looking alarmingly thin as they head toward their IPL 2026 campaign opener against Mumbai Indians