Three-time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have enlisted Vidarbha’s tall left-arm fast bowler Saurabh Dubey to fill in for the injured Indian pacer Akash Deep, who was sidelined from the tournament due to a lower back stress reaction. Dubey, who was previously with Sunrisers Hyderabad for IPL 2022 but had to cut short his stint due to a back injury, has now joined KKR’s main squad as a replacement.
Saurabh Dubey, aged 28, is yet to make his IPL debut and remained unsold at the mini-auction in Abu Dhabi last year. However, as a part of the Registered Available Player Pool (RAPP) after registering for the auction, he became eligible for selection by any of the ten franchises to replace their injured players.
Having played eight List A games and three T20 matches for Vidarbha, Dubey was part of the India A team during the 2019 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup, under the coaching of current India men’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak. Former India pacer Subroto Banerjee, who was a national selector until last year, also showed interest in Dubey.
The franchise is yet to decide on a replacement for India’s seam-bowling all-rounder Harshit Rana, who underwent knee surgery for a meniscus tear in February and is ruled out for the season. Kolkata Knight Riders have been conducting trials since Wednesday to identify replacements for Rana and Akash Deep.
Under the leadership of veteran India opener Ajinkya Rahane, KKR will kick off their IPL 2026 campaign against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on March 29. Subsequently, they will play their first home match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Eden Gardens on April 2, followed by hosting Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants for home games on April 6 and 9 respectively.
