From clinching the IPL 2024 title to being ruled from the IPL 2025 edition at the eighth position, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) undoubtedly witnessed one of the most tragic downfalls ever witnessed in the history of the Indian Premier League, leaving the fans of the franchise in utter shock and disbelief.
Despite nearly exhausting their full purse of INR 120 crore at the TATA IPL 2025 mega-auction held in Jeddah in November 2024 and retaining six most crucial players including Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, and Harshit Rana, with a combined retention cost of ₹69 crore, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise majorly failed to dominate the IPL 2025 edition.
In this article we will take a look at the top four players who might be released by the KKR squad ahead of the IPL 2026 edition.
IPL 2026 : Top 4 Players Who Might be Released by Kolkata Knight Riders
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Anrich Nortje
South African professional international cricketer, Anrich Arno Nortje, who made his international debut for the South Africa cricket team in March 2019, is at the first spot in our list of the top four players who might not be a part of the KKR squad in the IPL 2026 edition.
Anrich Nortje was acquired by the KKR franchise for a staggering INR 6.50 crore, making him one of the most expensive players signed by the franchise in the IPL 2025 edition. Anrich Nortje got to play only two matches in the entire IPL 2025 edition and ended up picking up only one wicket after conceding 83 runs off seven overs, which could turn out to be a major reason for his anticipated dismissal from the KKR squad ahead of the IPL 2026 edition.
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Venkatesh Iyer
Often hailed as one of the biggest names in the current scenario of the Indian Premier League, the Indian professional cricketer Venkatesh Iyer, who plays for Madhya Pradesh in domestic cricket and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, is at the second spot in our list of the top four players who might be released by the KKR squad ahead of the IPL 2026 edition.
The Kolkata Knight Riders spent a hefty INR 23.75 crore in order to acquire Venkatesh Iyer at the TATA IPL 2025 mega auction held in Jeddah in November 2024. Although Iyer was anticipated to be one of the most crucial flag bearers of the squad, he turned out to be a major disappointment for the team. Throughout the IPL 2025 edition, Iyer managed to score only 142 runs at an average of 20.28. Therefore, ahead of the IPL 2026 edition, Iyer might be ruled out from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad owing to his poor performance.
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Spencer Johnson
Next, at the third spot in our list of the top four players who might not be a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad in the IPL 2026 edition, we have the Australian international cricketer, Spencer Johnson, who represents the Australian national cricket team in ODI and T20I cricket.
Well, Spencer Johnson was acquired by the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise for a staggering INR 2.80 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 edition and was anticipated to dominate the top batting lineups of numerous franchises with his annihilating bowling attacks throughout the IPL 2025 edition. However, the Australian bowling sensation ended up disappointing the franchise and its fans big time and picked up only one wicket in the four matches that he played throughout the IPL 2025 edition, putting him at a major risk of being ruled out from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad ahead of the IPL 2026 edition.
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Quinton de Kock
The 32-year-old iconic South African international cricketer and former captain of the Proteas in all three formats, Quinton de Kock, is at the fourth spot in our list of the top four players who might be released by the KKR squad ahead of the IPL 2026 edition. Often widely hailed as one of the greatest wickets keeper batsmen of his generation, Quinton de Kock was acquired by the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise for a staggering INR 3.6 crore, making him one of the most expensive players in the squad, yet turned out to be one of the most shocking disappointments for the franchise.
Quinton de Kock played a total of eight matches throughout the IPL 2025 edition and managed to amass only a total of 152 runs at 21.71 and a strike rate of 129.91, putting him on the radar of being released by the KKR franchise in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League.
