Kolkata Knight Riders took a subtle dig at five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. KKR have the highest purse heading into the event, with Rs 64.30 crore while CSK are the second highest with Rs 43.40 crore. Ahead of the mini-auction which will be held on December 16 in Abu Dhabi, the two teams had a go at each other on social media.
KKR teases CSK with heavy auction purse
It all started on December 10 when CSK shared a video of their mascot Leo shopping at a market. The video was intended to drop clues as to which players the team will target at the IPL 2026 auction. Many fans speculated that while the team may not go for Cameron Green, the clues indicated that CSK are aiming for a New Zealand star, a Jammu and Kashmir player and a local talent from Tamil Nadu.
However, KKR responded to CSK indirectly on Friday with a witty video of their own. In the video uploaded on their social media platforms, a man is seen flaunting the money he has while shopping at a market. He goes to the extent of buying the other man’s watch, mobile phone and more – all of this while flaunting a bundle of notes in his hand.
CSK released 11 players before the IPL 2026 auction – Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Sam Curran, Andre Siddarth, Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tripathi, Vansh Bedi, Shaik Rasheed, Matheesha Pathirana and Kamlesh Nagarkoti. The five-time champions are eyeing a large-scale revamp after finishing at the bottom of the points table in IPL 2025.
Meanwhile, KKR released a total of 9 players, including the Rs 23.75 crore Venkatesh Iyer and stalwart Andre Russell. Other released players include Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Anrich Nortje, Luvnith Sisodia, Chetan Sakariya, Moeen Ali and Spencer Johnson.
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