KKR could suffer major setback as big-budget buy might miss part of IPL 2026

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) used their big purse to their advantage at the Indian Premier League 2026 auction where they bought three of the six most expensive players. KKR entered the auction with an enormous purse of over Rs 64 crore and they took home any player that they wanted.

READ | KKR IPL Auction 2026: Kolkata Knight Riders full squad after auction and complete players list

KKR won an intense bidding war against Chennai Super Kings to sign Cameron Green for a whooping sum of Rs 25.20 crore, the highest ever in auction history for an international player. They then shelled out Rs 18 crore to also sign Sri Lankan fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana. Green and Pathirana were two biggest signings at the auction which took place on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi.

To further boost their fast-bowling stocks, they added Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman to their ranks for Rs 9.2 crore, the sixth highest in the Abu Dhabi event. Mustafizur thus becomes the most expensive Bangladeshi player in the history of this league. However, KKR could suffer a big blow as the Bangladesh pacer could well miss a part of the 2026 edition of the IPL.

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Mustafizur Rahman to miss IPL 2026?

Injuries have blunted Mustafizur’s sharpness with the ball but he still remains an effective weapon in any T20 side. Even as he is not at his best, his unplayable cutters on slower pitches can make the best of batters look like newbies. That is why KKR went till Rs 9.20 crore to acquire his services.

Also Read | IPL 2026 Full Squads: How the 10 teams stack up after mini auction in Abu Dhabi

Although, Bangladesh’s international commitments could come in the way of Mustafizur spending entire IPL 2026 with the Knight Riders.

Bangladesh play New Zealand at home for a white ball series in mid-April and if Mustafizur is selected in the squad, he might miss KKR’s game during that period. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) might also issue a No Objection Certificate to Mustafizur, allowing him to play the entire season. It remains to be seen.

Mustafizur has played for five teams in IPL and has 65 wickets in 60 matches. He played a key role in helping SRH win the title in 2016 with 17 wickets at an economy of less than seven. He won the Emerging Player Award in the 2016 season and till date remains the only overseas player to win the honour.

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