3 overseas wicket-keeper batters KKR must target in IPL 2026 Auction ft. Jonny Bairstow

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have the biggest budget ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. After releasing 10 players, they are looking for an overhaul. Interestingly, the three-time champions released all three wicketkeeper-batters ahead of the mini-auction. They are Quinton de Kock (South Africa), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan), and Luvnith Sisodia (uncapped Indian).

The Knight Riders will be looking to buy at least one overseas wicketkeeper-batter, with the probability of going back to de Kock or Gurbaz. However, they have plenty of options like Jamie Smith (England), Shai Hope (West Indies), Jonny Bairstow (England), and Tim Seifert (New Zealand).

Notably, the Kolkata-based franchise has INR 64.3 crore in its purse after retaining 14 players. The Ajinkya Rahane-led side has 13 slots, including six overseas players.

KKR retained players for IPL 2026: Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, and Varun Chakaravarthy.

In this article, we will discuss three wicketkeepers who can be their primary options in IPL 2026:

Jonny Bairstow

Jonny Bairstow. [Getty Images]

England wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow will be one of the biggest names at the IPL 2026 auction. The 36-year-old has played 52 matches in the T20 league, scoring 1674 runs at a strike rate of 146.07, including two centuries and nine fifties. Last year, MI bought him as a replacement player for Will Jacks ahead of the playoffs. The right-handed batter scored 38 (24) and 47 (22) against Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Gujarat Titans (GT), respectively.

Overall, Bairstow has 5,895 runs in 244 matches at a strike rate of 139.39, including five tons and 31 half-centuries. The Yorkshire batter can help set the tone for KKR in the powerplay overs, which Quinton de Kock failed to provide in the IPL 2025 season, managing 152 runs in eight innings with the help of one fifty.

Tim Seifert

Tim Seifert. [Getty Images]

KKR might also be looking at New Zealand swashbuckling opener Tim Seifert. The 30-year-old had an impressive Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2025 season, amassing 396 runs in 12 matches at a strike rate of 169.23, including one ton and two half-centuries. The wicketkeeper-batter has experience playing in several T20 leagues around the world, including Major League Cricket (MLC), ILT20, the Big Bash League (BBL), and the Lanka Premier League (LPL). Overall, he has scored 6698 runs in 293 T20s at a strike rate of 134.63, hitting four centuries and 32 fifties.

Seifert was part of the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), last season. The Kiwi wicketkeeper-batter was brought as a replacement player for Jacob Bethell ahead of the playoff, but didn’t play any games. He, however, last batted in IPL in 2022, scoring 24 runs in two games during his stint with Delhi Capitals (DC). He also played one match for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2021.

Jamie Smith

Jamie Smith. [Getty Images]

Another England player, Jamie Smith, could be another option for KKR at the IPL 2026 auction. The wicketkeeper-batter impressed with his performances in the last edition of The Hundred, scoring 203 runs in seven matches at a strike rate of 170.58, including a half-century. The youngster has also amassed 130 runs in his limited outings for England in T20Is, scoring 130 runs in five innings at a stunning strike rate of 194.02 with the help of a 26-ball 60 against the West Indies.

Overall, Smith has scored 1687 runs in 97 T20s at a strike rate of 144.31, comprising nine half-centuries. Notably, the 25-year-old could be a long-term investment for the Knight Riders.