3 teams who should consider signing in-form Jacob Duffy at IPL 2026 Auction ft. KKR

New Zealand bowler Jacob Duffy has been making the headlines ahead of the upcoming IPL 2026 auction. The medium pacer starred with the ball in the fifth and final T20I against the West Indies, returning with figures of 4/35 as the Kiwis won the game by eight wickets on Thursday, November 13. Overall, the 31-year-old bagged 10 wickets to win the Player of the Series award as NZ won the series 3-1.

The Southland-born cricketer has been impressive for the Kiwis in the white-ball formats. Duffy has bagged 53 wickets in just 38 T20Is at an economy rate of 7.36, including four four-fers. He has been equally promising in ODIs, scalping 33 wickets in 17 matches at an economy rate of 6.06.

Overall, in T20s, he has picked up 178 wickets in 156 games with the help of two fifers and seven four-wicket hauls. In additon, Duffy has also been a seasoned professional in domestic cricket, having 320 and 176 wickets in his First-Class and List-A careers, respectively.

Notably, Duffy went unsold at the IPL 2021 auction despite having a base price of INR 50 lakh. Over the years, he’s grown in experience. The Kiwi pacer is likely to be bought in the mini-auction as several teams look to strengthen their bowling core.

Kolkata Knight Riders

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are heavily reliant on Anrich Nortje (South Africa) and Harshit Rana (India) among their pace bowling options. When Nortje sustained an injury after just two games, the Knight Riders copped a blow. The lanky pacer, however, has made a stunning comeback with seven wickets in matches for the Dolphins in the ongoing CSA T20 challenge.

With 15 scalps, Rana emerged as their second-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2025 but bowled at an economy rate of 10.18. Vaibhav Arora emerged as the leading wicket-taker with 17 wickets, but he’s still a work in progress.

Australian pacer Spencer Johnson failed to live up to expectations in the 2025 edition, managing just one wicket in four matches at an economy rate of 11.73. With no question marks over seasoned veteran Nortje, Jacob Duffy could prove to be a potent replacement for Johnson.

Delhi Capitals

Delhi Capitals (DC) also have a problem with their fast-bowling core. The Axar Patel-led side is heavily reliant on Australian quick Mitchell Starc. Their second overseas option, Dushmantha Chameera, proved to be a big flop with the ball in IPL 2025, managing just four wickets in six matches at an economy rate of 11.40. Thus, Jacob Duffy can be an ideal replacement for Chameera.

Meanwhile, Mukesh Kumar bagged 12 wickets in as many games but failed to stay consistent across IPL 2025. His economy rate of 10.32 didn’t help the Capitals, who finished fifth in the points table last season. On the other hand, Mohit Sharma seems to be fading away with time. The 37-year-old managed just two wickets in eight matches at an economy rate of 10.28.

SunRisers Hyderabad

Like DC, SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) are heavily reliant on just one pacer – skipper Pat Cummins. Mohammad Shami had a poor IPL season last season. The speedster bagged six wickets in nine games before sustaining an injury. However, his recent form is likely to benefit the Hyderabad-based franchise next season.

Like Shami, Simarjit Singh also failed to deliver with the ball, managing two wickets in four games in IPL 2025. On the contrary, Jaydev Unadkat looked impressive with his 11 scalps in seven games. Similarly, Eshan Malinga stepped up with the ball in his seven games, bagging 13 wickets. As a result, they would back Malinga as the second seamer. However, the 2016 champions need an overseas player to back up Cummins, and Jacob Duffy can fill that spot.

Edited by James Kuanal