“I don’t know whether Ajinkya will lead” - Indian legend’s massive claim on KKR after IPL 2026 auction

Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin praised the Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) strategy and recruitment during the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) Auction in Abu Dhabi, on Tuesday, December 16. The three-time winners conducted a massive revamp after walking in with the biggest purse under their new head coach, Abhishek Nayar.

KKR set the tempo early on in the auction by breaking the bank for Cameron Green with a record bid of ₹25.20 crore. It was followed by yet another massive victorious bidding war where they secured Matheesha Pathirana's services for ₹18 crore.

Apart from the big money signings, KKR also conducted some shrewd business, by bringing in the New Zealand trio of Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra, and Finn Allen for their base prices. They also stacked up their Indian domestic bowling reserves by roping in Akash Deep and Kartik Tyagi for their base prices.

R Ashwin opined that the new-look KKR outfit has a lot of potential, and named them as one of the top performers in the auction along with the Rajasthan Royals (RR).

"KKR have a terrific side, I don't know whether Ajinkya will lead. But, if he leads that side with composure, that is one side to reckon with. Another team is the Rajasthan Royals, after doing such big trades, you come into the auction and bag Ravi Bishnoi for 7 crore. RR cooked in the auction, they are in an amazing position now," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. "KKR did not run after Venkatesh Iyer, so I think that Cameron Green will open the batting, while Rahane might either open or bat at No.3. The biggest challenge for KKR is how they can bring Pathirana back to his best. If they can manage to squeeze in Pathirana's overs with the mystery spinners, how will opponents score? KKR are one hell of a team," Ashwin continued.

KKR were involved in a bidding war with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in an attempt to buy Venkatesh Iyer once again. However, the franchise bowed out of the race at the ₹7 crore mark.

"I think the other franchises were sleeping on their haunches" - R Ashwin on Quinton de Kock going to MI for ₹1 crore during IPL 2026 Auction

MI came into the auction with the smallest purse, with just ₹2.75 crore available to spend after retaining the majority of the squad. The five-time winners conducted most of their business during the trade window, where they brought in Sherfane Rutherford, Shardul Thakur, and Mayank Markande.

Their biggest signing at the IPL 2026 auction was South African wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock for his base price of INR 1 crore. The left-handed opener returns to the franchise after a successful first stint from 2019 to 2021.

"I think the Quinton de Kock buy was a good move. I think the other franchises were sleeping on their haunches, and MI snooped it up. I think MI are not sure about the Rickelton opening combination. I think MI are trying to replicate their IPL 2020 championship squad, only Ishan Kishan is not there," Ashwin said. "MI had 2.75 crore, but it was as if they had 27 crore, because they bought so many players. MI already had a winning squad before they went into the IPL auction, and now, after the auction, they look even stronger," Ashwin concluded.

Apart from Quinton de Kock, MI roped in several uncapped talents like Atharva Ankolekar, Danish Malewar, and Mayank Rawat at the IPL 2026 Auction.

Edited by Gokul Nair