Kolkata Knight Riders have started preparing seriously for IPL 2026 as players continue to arrive at the team camp. The franchise is building its squad before the new season begins, and several important players are joining the camp this week.
Mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy and three New Zealand cricketers are set to join the team as KKR step up their training at Eden Gardens.
Varun Chakaravarthy Leads New Batch of Arrivals
Varun Chakaravarthy will join the KKR camp on March 19. The spinner was retained by the franchise for INR 12 crore and remains one of the key bowlers in the squad.
Along with him, three New Zealand players will also join the team camp. These players are Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra and Tim Seifert.
All four players recently played in the T20 World Cup 2026 final in Ahmedabad, which means they arrive with strong international experience in the shortest format of the game.
Players Joining KKR Camp
| Player | Role | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Varun Chakaravarthy | Mystery spinner | India |
| Finn Allen | Batter | New Zealand |
| Rachin Ravindra | All-rounder | New Zealand |
| Tim Seifert | Wicketkeeper-batter | New Zealand |
Their arrival is expected to strengthen the squad as the team continues preparations for the upcoming IPL season.
Training Session Planned at Eden Gardens
KKR have scheduled a full training session today at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
The day’s schedule begins with gym and fitness sessions in the afternoon. After that, the team will move to the ground for practice drills.
Also See : Virat Kohli Could Face New Challenges in IPL 2026 After Retirement from Two Formats
KKR Training Schedule
| Activity | Time |
|---|---|
| Gym session with support staff | Afternoon |
| On-field training session | 5:00 PM IST |
| Tactical and strategy discussions | Evening |
It is not yet confirmed whether the new arrivals will take part in the evening training session, as they are expected to join the squad later in the day. The coaching staff will decide their participation based on travel schedules and fitness.
Players Yet to Join the Squad
While several players have already reached the camp, a few important names are still expected to arrive in the coming days.
Rinku Singh has not yet joined the camp after dealing with a personal tragedy during the T20 World Cup period.
Rovman Powell has also faced travel delays. Cameron Green is another major player who has not yet linked up with the squad.
Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana is still waiting for clearance from his cricket board before he can join the team.
These delays mean the coaching staff will have to test different combinations until the full squad becomes available.
KKR IPL 2026 Squad
Batters
| Players |
|---|
| Ajinkya Rahane (Captain) |
| Rinku Singh |
| Angkrish Raghuvanshi |
| Manish Pandey |
| Cameron Green |
| Finn Allen |
| Tejasvi Singh |
| Rahul Tripathi |
| Tim Seifert |
| Rovman Powell |
All-Rounders
| Players |
|---|
| Anukul Roy |
| Sarthak Ranjan |
| Daksh Kamra |
| Rachin Ravindra |
| Ramandeep Singh |
Bowlers
| Players |
|---|
| Vaibhav Arora |
| Matheesha Pathirana |
| Kartik Tyagi |
| Prashant Solanki |
| Akash Deep |
| Umran Malik |
| Sunil Narine |
| Varun Chakaravarthy |
| Blessing Muzarabani |
IPL 2026 will also mark the first season with Abhishek Nayar serving as KKR’s head coach.
Nayar is expected to focus on team balance, strong preparation and building good coordination between experienced players and young talent.
With a mix of international stars and domestic performers, KKR are aiming to build a balanced squad capable of competing strongly this season.
As more players arrive in the coming days, the team will finalize combinations and strategies for the tournament.
