With just days remaining before the start of IPL 2026, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have moved to address their growing injury concerns by signing Saurabh Dubey. The Vidarbha pacer replaces India international Akash Deep, who was ruled out of the entire tournament on 21 March due to a recurring lumbar stress injury.

The decision was confirmed by KKR CEO Venky Mysore during the team's final round of intra-squad trials at Eden Gardens. Dubey, who entered the 2026 mini-auction at a base price of INR 30 lakh but went unsold, has already joined the squad’s preparatory camp in Kolkata. List of Players Who Preferred IPL 2026 Over PSL.

Saurabh Dubey Profile: A Tall, Left-Arm Asset

Saurabh Dubey is a 28-year-old left-arm fast-medium bowler from Wardha, Maharashtra. Standing over six feet tall, he is known for his ability to extract extra bounce and swing the ball both ways, a combination that caught the eye of KKR head coach Abhishek Nayar during recent trials.

While Dubey is yet to make his IPL debut, he is not a stranger to the league's environment. He was previously part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) squad in 2022 after being bought for INR 20 lakh, though a back injury prematurely ended his stint that year. He has also served as a net bowler for the Mumbai Indians. BCCI Makes Rule Changes for IPL 2026, Check Updated Guidelines.

Saurabh Dubey Career Highlights and Domestic Stats

Dubey first gained national attention during the 2019 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Bangladesh. Playing under the mentorship of Rahul Dravid, he finished as one of the tournament's top performers. On his List A debut against Nepal, he claimed figures of 4 for 26 and was named Player of the Match.

Saurabh Dubey Stats

Format Matches Wickets Average Economy
List A 8 16 23.31 5.79
T20s 3 0 — 9.42

Why KKR Chose Saurabh Dubey

The signing comes at a critical time for the three-time champions. KKR's pace department has been hit by a "perfect storm" of unavailability:

  1. Akash Deep: Ruled out for 8–12 weeks with a stress reaction in his lower back.

  2. Harshit Rana: Sidelined for the season following a ligament injury sustained during the T20 World Cup warm-ups.

  3. Matheesha Pathirana: Snapped up for INR 18 crore, but expected to miss the first half of the season as he recovers from a calf strain.

The Road Ahead for Saurabh Dubey

Dubey beat out several IPL-experienced bowlers during the Kolkata trials, including Navdeep Saini, KM Asif, and Akash Madhwal. His inclusion offers KKR a domestic left-arm option to pair with right-arm quicks Vaibhav Arora and Umran Malik.

KKR will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Mumbai Indians on 29 March at the Wankhede Stadium. With the current injury list, there is a strong possibility that Dubey could make his long-awaited IPL debut within the opening week of the tournament.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 24, 2026 02:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).