When will Sunil Narine, Andre Russell join KKR for IPL 2026? Date Revealed

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Kolkata Knight Riders are preparing for the IPL 2026 season as they look to come back after last season's disappointment.

In the auction, the Knight Riders managed to buy a few decent players and will be hoping for a better outing this term.

KKR Pre-Season in Kolkata

The KKR team has assembled in Kolkata and will play two practice matches, before flying to Mumbai on March 25 for their season opener against Mumbai Indians on March 29. The season starts a day before as Royal Challengers Bengaluru take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 opener.

KKR trio to join on March 23

The majority of KKR players have arrived in Kolkata, but the West Indies trio are yet to join due to the Middle-East War issues. But the Knight Riders fans can breathe a sigh of relief.

Kolkata Knight Riders are gearing up for a strong IPL 2026 campaign as key West Indies stars Sunil Narine, Rovman Powell and power coach Andre Russell are set to join the squad on March 23. Rovman Powell will also arrive as he was retained by KKR.

The trio's arrival, slightly delayed by West Asia airspace disruptions, will boost team morale at Eden Gardens, where training is already underway under new head coach Abhishek Nayar.

Narine, the evergreen mystery spinner retained for ₹12 crore, remains KKR's spin spearhead in his 15th season. Powell, acquired for ₹1.5 crore, adds explosive middle-order power-hitting, while Russell, who retired as a player after stellar contributions, transitions into the specialised 'Power Coach' role to mentor finishers alongside Dwayne Bravo and Shane Watson.

After lifting the title in 2024 but enduring a disappointing 2025, KKR have rebuilt aggressively. Captain Ajinkya Rahane leads a core featuring retained stars Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy and young gun Angkrish Raghuvanshi.

The headline auction move saw them splurge a record ₹25.20 crore on Australian all-rounder Cameron Green, while Sri Lankan sling bowler Matheesha Pathirana (₹18 crore) was roped in for death-over firepower, though he is currently recovering from injury.