Kolkata Knight Riders Retained Players 2027 — Retention List, Rules & 2025 Recap
KKR · Retention deadline 15 November 2026 · Salary cap Rs 157 crore · Head coach: Abhishek Nayar
What to Watch on the KKR List
KKR's list carries the league's biggest single contract question of the cycle: Cameron Green, bought for a record overseas Rs 25.20 crore in 2026 with his salary capped at Rs 18 crore. Around him, Abhishek Nayar's second list will show how much of the 2024 title core the franchise still believes in.
KKR Retention History — the Pattern
Kolkata used the maximum six retentions in 2025, which also meant they carried no Right-to-Match cards into that auction — the list was the whole strategy. Rinku Singh, once an uncapped signing for a fraction of a crore, headlined it at Rs 13 crore: the clearest before-and-after photograph of what the IPL does to a career.
Kolkata Knight Riders Retentions at the 2025 Mega Auction (Verified)
The last full retention event set the contracts this cycle still runs on. KKR retained 6 players and entered the 2025 auction with Rs 51 crore remaining — the reference point for judging the 2027 list.
| Player retained (2025) | Price |
|---|---|
| Rinku Singh | Rs 13 crore |
| Varun Chakaravarthy | Rs 12 crore |
| Sunil Narine | Rs 12 crore |
| Andre Russell | Rs 12 crore |
| Harshit Rana | Rs 4 (uncapped) crore |
| Ramandeep Singh | Rs 4 (uncapped) crore |
The Rules KKR Are Working To
IPL 2027 is a mini-auction year: there is no slab-based retention event and no Right-to-Match. Kolkata Knight Riders simply confirm which contracted players they keep — each salary counting in full against the Rs 157 crore cap — and which they release into the 16 December Goa auction pool. Trades remain possible until 9 December 2026. Current captain: Ajinkya Rahane. Full squad: Kolkata Knight Riders squad page. League-wide picture: IPL 2027 Retention Hub.
Full KKR Squad → KKR Auction 2027 → Retention Hub →
Frequently Asked Questions
Which players did Kolkata Knight Riders retain at the 2025 mega auction?
Kolkata Knight Riders retained 6 players: Rinku Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh. The top-priced retention was Rinku Singh at Rs 13 crore, and the franchise went into the 2025 auction with Rs 51 crore of purse remaining.
When will Kolkata Knight Riders announce their retained players for IPL 2027?
Franchise retained/released lists for IPL 2027 are due by 15 November 2026. Kolkata Knight Riders have not published their official list yet — when they do, this page carries the full list with salaries in the same update cycle.
How much purse will Kolkata Knight Riders have at the IPL 2027 auction?
The exact figure depends on their official retained/released list against the Rs 157 crore salary cap, so it is PENDING until the list is published. For context, at the last full retention event (2025) KKR retained 6 players and still had Rs 51 crore left for the auction.