Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) fast bowling stock has taken a massive hit ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, with Akash Deep and Harhit Rana ruled out of the tournament. As a result, KKR have turned to uncapped 28-year-old left-arm pacer Saurabh Dubey as Akash Deep’s replacement.
Impressive debut
Dubey made his competitive debut at the Asian Cricket Council Emerging Teams Cup in 2019 against Nepal in Bangladesh and finished with figures of 4/26 to earn him the player of the match award. He finished the tournament as the leading wicket-taker for India with seven scalps from three matches.
Zero T20 wickets
Dubey has played just three T20 matches, all of which came in 2023 for Vidarbha, and is yet to pick up a wicket in the format. In his short career so far, he has conceded at over 12 an over, which is far from ideal.
Previous IPL experience
Dueby was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SEH) for his base price of INR 20 lakh in 2022, but never got a chance to represent the franchise as his stint was cut short by an injury and was released the following season.
Unsold in IPL 2026 auction
Dubey, who went in with a base price of INR 30 lakh, went unsold in the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi despite having a base price of just INR 30 lakh
What does he offer?
According to reports, the pacer has the ability to swing the ball both ways and also gets extra bounce off the wicket. Also, if certain reports are to be believed, Dubey participated in an intra-squad practice match where he conceded 26 runs in three overs.
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