New Delhi, March 23: Ahead of IPL 2026, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have faced another setback. According to Cricbuzz, Akash Deep is out for the upcoming season. In his place, KKR has signed Saurabh Dubey, who was previously part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad team.
In the IPL 2022 auction, Sunrisers Hyderabad acquired Saurabh Dubey for ₹2 million. However, he did not get a chance to debut in the IPL. For the IPL 2026 auction, Saurabh set his base price at ₹3 million, but no team showed interest in him. According to Cricbuzz, Saurabh has already been training with the KKR squad. The left-arm fast bowler plays domestic cricket for Vidarbha.
Saurabh has played 8 List-A matches, taking 16 wickets. He has also participated in 3 T20 matches. In 2019, he was part of the Indian team for the ACC Emerging Asia Cup. In his List-A debut against Nepal, Saurabh excelled, claiming 4 wickets for just 26 runs and was named Player of the Tournament, finishing with a total of 7 wickets in the event.
KKR’s fast bowling attack appears quite weak this season. Reports indicate that Harshit Rana and Akash Deep are out of the tournament, while Matheesha Pathirana will not be available for the initial matches. The injuries have left KKR in a challenging situation. Last season, under Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy, KKR had a disappointing performance, winning only 5 out of 14 matches and losing 7.
However, the addition of Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, and Cameron Green has strengthened KKR’s batting order this season. Allen scored a century off just 33 balls in the T20 World Cup 2026, while Seifert is also in good form. After Andre Russell’s departure, KKR has brought in Rovman Powell, another powerful Caribbean finisher.
My name is Himanshu Tiwari. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including TECHNOLOGY, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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