Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have let go of Rachin Ravindra as New Zealand prepares for their red-ball tour of England. This decision was announced just before KKR’s IPL 2026 match against Gujarat Titans on May 16.
KKR had recently lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur and will play their final three league games at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on May 16, 20, and 24. They will face Gujarat Titans, Mumbai Indians, and Delhi Capitals during these matches.
In a media statement, KKR said Ravindra is returning home to prepare for New Zealand’s Test series against England. Ravindra was bought by KKR for ₹2 crore in the IPL 2026 auction but did not play any games this season due to competition from other players like Finn Allen and Tim Seifert.
New Zealand will play three Tests in June, with matches at Lord’s, The Oval, and Nottingham. Before that, they have a warm-up game against Ireland in Belfast from May 27. Ravindra has been performing well in recent Tests, scoring high scores in his last four matches.
KKR’s playoff chances are slim as they sit on nine points with three games left. They need significant improvement to qualify for the playoffs, given their current standing behind teams like Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
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