Copyright Cricket Addictor
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have found themselves in the spotlight once again ahead of the IPL 2026 retentions. The Kolkata franchise has lately made a reputation for releasing players only to buy them back later, often hoping to get them at a cheaper price at the IPL auctions. However, that strategy dramatically backfired during the IPL 2025 mega auction. Before the auction, KKR had made sure to keep their Indian core intact by retaining key stars like Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, and Ramandeep Singh. KKR's buyback strategy ahead of IPL 2026 resurfaced But their biggest surprise move came when they decided to release all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, even after his solid performance in Kolkata Knight Riders' 2024 title-winning season under captain Shreyas Iyer. Their plan was simple—release him, let his auction price drop, and buy him back for less. Read Also: Ravindra Jadeja beats Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag to become RR captain But things didn’t go as expected. Venkatesh’s consistent performance sparked an intense bidding war among the teams, and Kolkata Knight Riders was forced to shell out a massive ₹23.75 crore to get him back. Along with Iyer, the three-time IPL champions had also brought back Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Vaibhav Arora. However, the high-profile gamble didn’t pay off, as Iyer had a disappointing IPL 2025 season, managing only 142 runs in 11 matches. The Indian all-rounder’s poor form left fans frustrated and raised questions about whether he could justify his record-breaking price tag. KKR CEO Venky Mysore shuts down rumours of releasing Venkatesh Iyer ahead of IPL 2026 auction Reports soon emerged suggesting that the Kolkata Knight Riders might consider releasing Iyer again before the IPL 2026 auction, given their buy-and-release approach to managing player costs, especially keeping in mind the youngster’s flop show earlier this year. However, as reported by ESPNcricinfo, KKR CEO and Managing Director Venky Mysore has categorically dismissed the reports. Mysore insisted that the franchise does not operate with that mindset and focuses on long-term planning instead. Mysore’s statement was a clear hint that the Kolkata Knight Riders are going to retain Iyer for ₹23.75 crore ahead of the IPL 2026 auction despite his disappointing 2025 season, leaving one and all shellshocked. Aaron Finch urges Kolkata Knight Riders to release Venkatesh Iyer and Andre Russell ahead of IPL 2026 Meanwhile, former Australia captain Aaron Finch has suggested the Kolkata Knight Riders part ways with Venkatesh Iyer and Andre Russell ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. Iyer was bought for a massive ₹23.75 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction but failed to perform, while Andre Russell, who has been with KKR since 2014, was retained for ₹12 crore last season. The West Indies legend played 13 games in IPL 2025, scoring 167 runs and taking eight wickets. Ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, Finch has suggested that the Kolkata Knight Riders should rebuild with new talent instead of relying on big names who couldn’t deliver last season. Finch was quoted as saying by Star Sports, “Rs 23.75 crore—it’s too high for a player (Iyer) that they (Kolkata Knight Riders) bought as an opening batter but then used in the middle. Didn’t really bowl him all that much." "That’s way too much to pay for a player playing out of position. I will release, but I think you could get a great trade, but we know that they are not going to do that and never release Dre Russ.”
