IPL 2026: KKR and SRH Announce Key Player Replacements Ahead of Season

Player Replacements for IPL 2026

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have signed pacer Saurabh Dubey to fill the spot of the injured Akash Deep, while the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have brought in England's David Payne as a substitute for Jack Edwards as the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season approaches.

An official IPL announcement stated, "Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have selected Saurabh Dubey and David Payne, respectively, as player replacements for the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026."

Injury Updates for KKR

Akash Deep, a right-arm pacer with 10 Test appearances for India and 28 wickets to his name, has been ruled out for the season due to a lumbar stress injury. He will receive treatment from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Medical Team at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru.

The absence of Akash Deep is a significant setback for KKR, especially after they released Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman last year following BCCI directives related to the situation of Hindus in Bangladesh. KKR subsequently acquired Zimbabwean pacer Blessing Muzarabani, who impressed in the T20 World Cup with 13 wickets in six matches.

Additionally, Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana, who was purchased for Rs 18 crores last year, has yet to join the KKR squad due to his own injury concerns. Indian pacer Harshit Rana, who missed the T20 World Cup, may also be sidelined for the entire IPL season.

Replacement Player Profiles

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