Talented opening batter Prithvi Shaw faced a new low after going unsold in the previous IPL auction. He had a difficult season with the Delhi Capitals (DC) in 2024 and was released, even though he was one of their top retentions after the 2021 season.

Since then, the explosive batter has been working hard to make a strong comeback. To his credit, he is on the right path. His performances are making headlines again, instead of controversies or mistakes.

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are one of the teams preparing for a major rebuild in the mega auction. After releasing players like Quinton de Kock and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, the team clearly needs a new opener on their list.

On that note, let us look at three reasons why KKR should sign Prithvi Shaw at the IPL 2026 Auction.

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1. KKR Need an Aggressive Opener

KKR had great success when they used aggressive openers like Phil Salt and Sunil Narine in their 2024 title run. But Narine is not in the same form now, and players like Quinton de Kock and Rahmanullah Gurbaz also failed to deliver. So, KKR must look for a fresh modern-day opener in the auction.

Ajinkya Rahane and Narine had decent strike rates in the powerplay, but they are not long-term options, nor do they match the firepower seen in other teams.

KKR have a big purse, but they also have many other key slots to fill. So choosing a strong but budget-friendly opener makes sense.

Prithvi Shaw, despite ups and downs, remains a powerful attacking batter who can take on any bowling attack. His IPL powerplay strike rate is 146.62, which rises to 150.34 outside it. In T20s in 2024, he scored at a strike rate of 153.39.

With support and confidence from the franchise, Shaw can easily become one of the most explosive openers in the league.

2. Prithvi Shaw Is Showing Strong Signs of a Comeback

Shaw has been in good form after moving to Maharashtra in domestic cricket. He bounced back strongly after a tough 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

He started his Ranji season with a brilliant double century against Chandigarh. Midway through the season, he has an average of 67.15 and a strike rate of 92.33.

Shaw also carried this form into white-ball cricket, scoring a quick 36-ball 66 as captain against Hyderabad.

After a long gap, Shaw finally looks confident, settled, and free from off-field distractions. This is the perfect time for a team like KKR to invest in his second rise because his talent has never been in doubt.

3. Nayar and Rahane Can Bring the Best Out of Him

For Shaw’s comeback story to work, he needs the right environment. KKR offer exactly that with coach Abhishek Nayar and captain Ajinkya Rahane.

Nayar has a strong record of rebuilding players mentally and technically. He played a huge role in reviving Dinesh Karthik’s and KL Rahul’s T20 careers.

Rahane is highly respected in Mumbai cricket and has seen Shaw grow from his early days. He has even guided Shaw in tough moments, as recalled by former fielding coach R. Sridhar.

Playing under Rahane’s leadership and Nayar’s mentorship will give Shaw discipline, focus, and the support needed to prove himself again.

The talent hunt project of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is going on ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. Multiple uncapped, emerging players have already showed their latents in the trials. Sahil Parakh, an under-19 cricketer from Maharashtra, reportedly was in those KKR trials. 

Who is Sahil Parakh?

Sahil Ulhas Parakh, commonly known as Sahil Parakh, is a 18-year-old cricketer who played for India U19s. In September last year, the batter scored an unbeaten hundred during an IND Under-19 vs. AUS Under-19 in Puducherry. In this match, he played as an opener and got these amount of runs against only 75 deliveries because of the fourteen 4s and five 6s he hit. 

If we talk about his recent success, then it was definitely during his stint in the Maharashtra Premier League 2025 (MPL 2025) season for Eagle Nashik Titans team. With them, the batter, in total, amassed 202 runs and a strike rate of 177.19 and was named as the emerging player of the season. 

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Sahil was one of the leading run scorers in the tournament as he scored 202 runs in 9 innings at an average of 28.86 and an average strike rate of 177.19. He was also among the batters in the contest who smashed a good number of boundaries. During MPL 2025, the left-handed batter slammed 20 bundaries. 

A day ago, the franchise shared a video of their talented batter playing in the Cooch Behar Trophy with some serious intent. Against Uttarakhand, in the Cooch Behar Trophy, Sahil encrypted 84 off 64.  

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A post shared by Eagle Nashik Titanss (@eaglenashiktitanss)

Jammu and Kashmir sensation Auqib Nabi reportedly is under the radar of multiple Indian Premier League teams ahead of the IPL 2026 season. It is believed that Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) also has interest in the pace bowling all-rounder. 

So far, in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2025 season, Nabi has emerged as one of their most consistence cricketer with the ball as well as with the bat. On a regular basis, the pacer has taken wickets  for his state team. For J&K, Nabi has claimed three 5-wicket figures three time and one 10-wicket haul in their last 5 matches, which is evidence of his talent. 

In Group D of Ranji Trophy 2025 (Elite), Jammu and Kashmir is in the second spot of the points table after Mumbai. After 5 matches, Mumbai has 24 points and J&K has 20 points with their name. When these two teams faced each other from October 15 - 18, it turned into a thrilling contets. The bowling department of J&K fought toe-toe with the star-studded Mumbai batting line-up. 

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KKR can try to bring in Auqib Nabi for IPL 2026

During the Mumbai vs J&K match, Nabi took 5 wickets in the second innings after getting 2 wickets in the first innings. In the second innings, the pacer clinched Musheer Khan, Ajinkya Rahane, Siddhesh Lad, Sarfaraz Khan, and Tanush Kotian from the wicket. Despite the remarkable bowling from Auqib and brilliant batting from Paras Dogra, J&K captain, they lost the match by 35 runs to Mumbai. 

Auqib Nabi's bowling perfromance in the last 5 matches: 

Jammu and Kashmir vs Hyderabad: 4/39 & 1/19
Jammu and kashmir vs Delhi: 5/35 & 0/43
Jammu and Kashmir vs Chhattisgarh: 2/90
Jammu and Kashmir vs. Rajasthan: 3/29 & 7/24
Jammu and Kashmir vs Mumbai: 2/54 & 5/52

Should Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bid for Prithvi Shaw during the IPL 2026 mini auction? The question has been asked constantly on social media platforms mainly for two reasons—the huge purse of KKR ahead of IPL 2026 and Prithvi Shaw's recent performance. Amid the discussions around Shaw's chances in the upcoming auction, a video of Abhishek Nayar is surfacing on the internet. 

Nayar, the apppinted coach of the multi-time IPL franchise, said in the podcast that he would like to work with Shaw. The date of publication of the podcast is not mentioned in the social media post, but still, Nayar's admiration and willingness to work with the talenten batter are clear from his comments. 

Nayar said, "If I had to work with someone that has potential, and messed it up and everyone knows. Maybe Prithvi (Shaw). Because of what he's going through. But! That is what I want." 

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In the video, Nayar further stated, "I think that would be a fun person to work with. To sort of resurrect his career, which I'm pretty sure he will on his own if he puts in the work. Because, he is God's gift to cricket."

Abhishek Nayar drops a banger 🗣:
"I would like to work with PRITHVI SHAW"

Well, well 👀😀

Can anyone tell me the timeline of this interview?

KKR Fandom, can we see PRITHVI SHAW in KKR? 💜❤
pic.twitter.com/7BSPT0P72r

— Cricketwood (@thecricketwood) November 19, 2025

Why should KKR go for Shaw? 

KKR was the champion of IPL 2024 season but missed a chance in IPL 2025 in the round of four. For the upcoming season, with over INR 60 crore in money bag, they are ready for some big deals. After a deep downfall in career, Prithvi Shaw is now in a redemption mode with Maharahstra cricket team. To revamp his career, the top-order batter shifted from Mumbai to Maharashtra. Ahead of the IPL 2026 mini auction, Indian cricket fans are curious about his future in the Indian Premier League.  

After a disappointing season in IPL 2025, the former champions are all set to make some changes in their squad. They may have the desire to sign some exciting top-order batters who can score runs aggressively. Shaw can be fit for this role. Shaw’s powerplay aggression and spin-hitting ability would suit Eden Gardens’ traditional pitch conditions. The right-handed batter also can be useful if the franchise wants to apply a rotational formula to utilize most of their talents. 

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is in search of exciting uncapped talents ahead of the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026). It is reported that Sunny Sandhu, a TNPL star, was in the trial arranged by the multi-time league champion franchise in Chennai. 

Sunny Sandhu, a pace bowling all-rounder, emerged as a watch-out talent during this year's Tamil Nadu Premier League. The emerging all-rounder played multiple well-impacted knocks during the season with the Salem Spartans. He performed equally well with the ball and the bat. Sandhu showed his hard-hitting skills as a lower-order batter on multiple occasions. 

Ahead of the IPL 2026 mini auction, KKR let go of their star pace bowling all-rounder Andre Russell. It is now obvious that they will try to secure at least one pace bowling all-rounder as a like-for-like substitution. They will need backups as well to increase the bench strength. 

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Sunny Sandhu was at a KKR trial in Chennai ahead of IPL 2026 season

Sunny Sandhu is a 22-year-old all-rounder and can be a good asset if he is able to perform well in the trial seasons. Rather than his bowling skills, it was his aggressive batting that attracted cricket fans' attention. As of now, Sandhu is inexperienced in the higher stage of franchise cricket. 

One of the best moments of Sandhu in TNPL 2025 was during the Salem vs. Trichy match at Coimbatore when he scored 45 runs as a middle-order batter and took a couple of wickets to secure a much-needed win. Against Chepauk Super Gillies, the all-rounder scored 30 off 18 with one boundary and a couple of over-boundaries. 

KKR Retained Players: Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, ⁠Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy

Available Slots: 13 (including 6 Overseas slots)

Available Purse: INR 64.3 Crore.

Watch Sunny Sandhu's batting in this video:

Sunny sandhu from Tamil Nadu as been called for kkr trials in chennai did well pic.twitter.com/zKeHuI88o7

— Rebellious Knight 🦁 (@Knight__74) November 19, 2025

Should Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) again bid for Venkatesh Iyer during the IPL 2026 auction? The question has been running around since they released their list of released players. KKR, who bought Iyer for INR 23.75 in the mega auction ahead of the IPL 2025 season, let him go ahead of a new Indian Premier League season. During a recent YouTube conversation, the cricketer himself claimed that the franchise can again try to acquire his service for another season. 

During the conversation Venkatesh Iyer said that he has been in discussion with Kolkata Knight Riders. He is still in touch with the newly appointed head coach, Abhishek Nayar. 

'Yes, I’ve been in conversation with KKR. I’m still in touch with Abhishek Nayar. We are all looking forward to the auction, and let’s see what happens," Iyer stated. 

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During the IPL 2025 campaign, the southpaw played eleven matches and scored 142 runs at an average of 20.28, including the highest score of 60. In the 2024 season, his batting average was 46.25. After the massive dip in the batting stats of Iyer, KKR team management decided to let him go to secure a handsome purse for the mini auction. 

Released and retained players of Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of IPL 2026: 

Released Players of KKR: Andre Russell (₹12 crore), Venkatesh Iyer (₹23.75 crore), Quinton de Kock (₹3.6 crore), Moeen Ali (₹2 crore), Anrich Nortje (₹6.5 crore), Spencer Johnson (₹2.80 crore), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (₹2 crore)

Retained Players of KKR: Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, ⁠Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy

Available Slots: 13 (including 6 overseas slots)

Available Purse: INR 64.3 Crore.

Numerous surprising moves ahead of IPL 2026 mini-auction — Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released Andre Russell and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) parted ways with Ravindra Jadeja. Both of the teams will try to sign in all-rounders from the upcoming IPL 2026 mini auction. Jadeja joined Rajasthan Royals, but where will Russell join?

According to speculations, CSK can bid for the West Indian all-rounder. It will make sense if they go for the pace bowling all-rounder. Chennai Super Kings has the tendency to cash in for experienced, proven players; Russell will fit in the bracket. The all-rounder has cemented his legacy as a globetrotting, prolific T20 cricketer. He is among the lower middle-order batters, who can smash the ball hard in any part of the park. Ahead of the new season, CSK released pace bowling all-rounder Sam Curran and Vijay Shankar, and they have the opportunity to bid for 4 overseas players. If they wish to bid for a pace bowling all-rounder who can make an impact on the field from the middle or lower-middle order, then they can think about Russell.

Though, as of now, there are no official confirmations about CSK's interest in him. The Jamaica-born was a core member of Kolkata Knight Riders for years. From IPL 2014 to IPL 2025, Russell was with KKR. Now, he will try his luck in the auction.  

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CSK to bid for Andre Russell?

CSK Released Players: Ravindra Jadeja (traded to Rajasthan Royals), Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Sam Curran (traded to Rajasthan Royals), Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, Shaik Rasheed, Matheesha Pathirana, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Rahul Tripathi, Vansh Bedi, and Andre Siddarth.

CSK Retained Players: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ayush Mhatre, M.S. Dhoni, Sanju Samson (traded from Rajasthan Royals), Dewald Brevis, Urvil Patel, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Shreyas Gopal, Mukesh Choudhary, and Nathan Ellis.

Purse remaining: Rs. 43.40 crore

Slots left: 9 (4 overseas)

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released some of their key players ahead of the IPL 2026 mini auction. The multi-time IPL-winning franchise will enter into the auction with a balance of INR 64.3 Crore. With this amount of money, KKR is expected to bid high for multiple exciting Indian and overseas talents. If the speculations are to be believed, then they can go for Sri Lanka international Matheesha Pathirana, who is released by Chennai Super Kings (CSK). According to rumors, the Kolkata-based franchise is interested in the pacer. Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin also believed that KKR could bid for the fast bowler who is known as 'Baby Malinga' because of his sling bowling action. 

Last season, Spencer Johnson and Anrich Nortje were the main overseas seamers bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders. Both of them are already released by the franchise. Pace bowling all-rounder Andre Russell also will enter into the auction as a free player. Overall, there are a total number of 6 slots left for foreign players in KKR. 

Pathirana was considered one of the exciting talents the Chennai Super Kings bought into their squad during the IPL 2022 season. From IPL 2022 to IPL 2025, he was with CSK. In 32 IPL matches, he got 47 wickets at an economy rate of 8.68. Though, during IPL 2025, he was a little bit out of form, claiming 13 scalps in 12 games at a high economy rate of 10.13. After these stats, CSK management decided to release him. 

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KKR can show interest in Matheesha Pathirana

KKR Retained Players: Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, and Varun Chakaravarthy.

KKR released players Luvnith Sisodia, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Moeen Ali, Spencer Johnson, Anrich Nortje, Chetan Sakariya & Mayank Markande (traded out).

Available Slots: 13 (including 6 Overseas slots)

Available Purse: INR 64.3 Crore.

A shocking comment from Venkatesh Iyer just ahead of the IPL 2026 mini auction. During an interview, Iyer expressed his desire to become the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Last season, both the player and the team performed poorly and crashed out of the title race. 

Kolkata Knight Riders was the defending champion in the IPL 2025 season. But they failed to defend their title. Because of inconsistence performace, they even was unable to reach the super four stage of the contest. In that season, Venkatesh Iyer proved to be one of the biggest flops of the entire campaign. 

Because of his high price tag, many critics and former cricket experts already advised the franchise to release Iyer from the squad to save a big chunk of money for the auction day. During last season's mega auction, KKR retained the middle-order batter for a whopping amount of INR 23.75 Crore. In reality, when the team needed him the most during the matches, Iyer misfired. 

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In the IPL 2025 season, Venkatesh scored only 142 runs in 11 matches at an average of 20.29 and a strike rate of 139.22. His performance was largely seen as disappointing, particularly given his high price tag of INR 23.75 crore in the mega auction, and he did not bowl any deliveries during the season. 

Iyer to become the captain of KKR in IPL 2026?

During a conversation, Iyer revealed that when he joined KKR for the IPL 2025 season, he was well aware of the leadership role in the team, as the management assigned him as the deputy of the skipper, Ajinkya Rahane. So, he already prepared mentally to become the captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders. 

I am always ready for the Captaincy. When KKR appointed me as the vice-captain, it meant they saw me in leadership role. But Rahane had a lot of international experience, and KKR had made that clear to me through our conversations.

— Venkatesh Iyer 🎙️pic.twitter.com/p6dZHAjgty

— KKR Karavan (@KkrKaravan) November 12, 2025

"I am always ready for the captaincy. When KKR appointed me as the vice-captain, it meant they saw me in a leadership role. But Rahane had a lot of international experience, and KKR had made that clear to me through our conversations," Venkatesh Iyer said.  

Former Indian cricketer Kris Srikkanth has shared a strong opinion about Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, saying that the franchise should release him instead of considering a trade. According to Srikkanth, Iyer’s performances over the last two IPL seasons have been disappointing, and no team would trade for him at his current value. He believes teams would prefer to buy him at a much lower price in the next auction.

The three-time IPL champions had secured Iyer for a massive INR 23.75 crore during the IPL 2025 mega auction. However, the 30-year-old failed to live up to expectations, scoring at an average of only 20.28 across 11 matches in the season. “He’s not a tradeable asset. He’ll be released. No team will trade for him and look to buy him. Instead, in the auction, he can be bought easily for Rs. 3 crores. The last two years he hasn’t been great. He only scored in the semi-final and final. Throughout the tournament, he didn’t score much. When he came into KKR, he was an explosive opening batter. His best position is opening,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.

Srikkanth further added that Iyer’s inconsistency has cost him value as an IPL player, and KKR might need to look for fresh options to strengthen their top order in the upcoming season.

Srikkanth’s Advice to MI and SRH Before IPL 2026

Along with his comments on KKR, Srikkanth also suggested that Mumbai Indians (MI) should release Deepak Chahar ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. The pacer, bought for INR 9.25 crore, struggled through the 2025 season, taking only 11 wickets at an economy rate of 9.17. “MI should definitely release Deepak Chahar. He struggles to run or field. Half the time, he walks off the field unfit as well. Why will I keep him in the squad? MI is a set team as is,” Srikkanth said.

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The former Indian opener also spoke about Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and their South African wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen. Klaasen, who was bought for INR 23 crore, had a decent season with an average of over 44 but lacked consistency. “Why would you release Heinrich Klaasen? The year before, he only scored big for them. Last season, they messed with his batting position too much. He batted at 5 at times and played as a finisher after 16 overs a few times. Instead, they should let him bat at 3 from the 3rd over itself. And you don’t even have to give him any instructions, plus he’s still keeping superbly too. If you release him, then it’ll be difficult to get him back,” Srikkanth concluded.