The Aryavarth Express:
Kolkata (West Bengal) : Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are set to bring in left-arm pacer Saurabh Dubey as a replacement for injured fast bowler Akash Deep ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026 season, according to reports.
The announcement was made by KKR CEO Venky Mysore during the team’s second intra-squad practice match in Kolkata. Dubey, who represents Vidarbha in domestic cricket, is yet to make his IPL debut. He has played three T20 matches so far without taking a wicket and has been away from top-level competitive cricket for over two years.
Despite limited recent experience, the 28-year-old impressed during the Vidarbha Pro T20 League, picking up five wickets in six games before an injury halted his progress. He had earlier gained attention as the leading wicket-taker in the 2019 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup and has also served as a net bowler for Mumbai Indians.
KKR had been conducting trials to find replacements for Akash Deep and potentially Harshit Rana, who is also at risk of missing the season due to injury. Several pacers, including Navdeep Saini, KM Asif, Simarjeet Singh, Akash Madhwal, and Sandeep Warrier, participated in the selection process.
Head coach Abhishek Nayar was credited by Mysore for organizing the trials and identifying promising talent. Dubey stood out among all candidates, with coaches recommending him as the ideal replacement.
Meanwhile, KKR are also monitoring the fitness of Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana, who is recovering from an injury sustained during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The franchise expects him to join the squad by mid-April but is cautious about rushing his return.
Akash Deep has been ruled out due to a lower back stress injury and is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, with an estimated recovery period of three months.
KKR’s pace attack for the upcoming season includes Pathirana, Blessing Muzarabani, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, and Umran Malik, with all-rounder Cameron Green providing an additional pace option.
With injuries affecting key players and the absence of Mustafizur Rahman, KKR head into their IPL 2026 campaign opener against Mumbai Indians on March 29 with a depleted bowling lineup.
