IPL 2026 Auction: Full List of Players Bought by Kolkata Knight Riders

Three-time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders are all set to right the wrongs of the previous season after the conclusion of the IPL 2026 auction. In this article, we will talk about the full list of players bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders.

IPL 2026 Auction: Full List of Players Bought by Kolkata Knight Riders

Past Performances and IPL Titles of Kolkata Knight Riders

Kolkata Knight Riders' journey in the IPL can be divided into three halves, which include the 'Pre Gautam Gambhir Era', 'The Gautam Gambhir Era', and the 'Post Gautam Gambhir Era.'

2008-2013

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The 'Pre Gautam Gambhir Era' saw KKR getting off to a very disappointing start in the first three seasons, where the team did not even come close to qualifying for the knockouts in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

Although the team has good players like Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, and Sourav Ganguly, KKR failed to click as a unit.

Things started to change when the team management picked Gautam Gambhir in the 2011 auction, as the left-hander guided them to the playoffs in that particular season and went a step ahead to help KKR lift their maiden IPL title in 2012.

However, the team wasn't able to replicate a similar performance in the following season, as the defending champions got eliminated after the first round

2014-2019

2014 saw KKR make a strong comeback as the Gautam Gambhir-led side won its second IPL title and became only the second team to win IPL twice after Chennai Super Kings, who were crowned the champions in 2010 and 2011.

Despite being consistent Kolkata Knight Riders had to wait for a decade to have a taste of the IPL trophy again, but made the playoffs frequently.

2018 was a year of great significance as it saw KKR break its seven-year-long association after the team released him before the auction that year and picked Dinesh Karthik, who captained the team till 2020.

The association, which started on the right note as KKR made it to the top four that particular season, wasn't able to sustain itself, which reflected in the team's performance in the next two editions.

2020-2025

As a result, Dinesh Karthik decided to step down as KKR's captain mid-season during IPL 202,0 with Eoin Morgan taking the responsibility.

The change in captaincy reaped rewards next year after KKR had a poor start during the first half of the season, which was suspended midway due to COVID-19, but turned it around when the tournament was shifted to the UAE in the second half.

At the helm of this resurgence was Venkatesh Iyer, who led the way for the team after coming in as a replacement, helping KKR reach its first IPL final after 2014.

The next two seasons did not go as per KKR's expectations, but the team turned it around in 2024 when they defeated SRH in the final.

The team would want to get back to winning ways after a below-par performance in the last season.

Players Retained by Kolkata Knight Riders

KKR would bank on its India core to come good, having retained Ajinkya Rahane, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh, and Varun Chakravarthy, among others.

IPL 2026 Auction: Full List of Players Bought by Kolkata Knight Riders