Kolkata Knight Riders have roped in Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani for IPL 2026, replacing Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman, who was released in line with BCCI guidelines. The 29-year-old had been part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s title-winning campaign in IPL 2025 but was released ahead of the auction.
After going unsold in the IPL auction, Muzarabani signed with Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League. He had initially gone unsold in the PSL auction as well, but Islamabad approached him after releasing Shamar Joseph amid controversy. Impressed by his T20 World Cup performances, Kolkata Knight Riders eventually reached out to Muzarabani with a contract, which the Harare-born agreed to and withdrew from his PSL contract.
Notably, Muzarabani finished as the fourth-leading wicket-taker in the T20 World Cup, claiming 13 wickets in six matches at an economy rate of 7.88. He was a force to reckon with and played a major role in helping Zimbabwe qualify for the Super Eights of the competition. On the other hand, Muzarabani has never played in the cash-rich league. He has played multiple seasons in the PSL and also won the trophy with Multan Sultans.
Second player to switch from PSL to IPL
In IPL 2025, South Africa international Corbin Bosch signed for Peshawar Zalmi. However, the all-rounder pulled out of the tournament at the last moment to sign as an injury replacement of Mumbai Indians. It resulted in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) banning him from PSL for a year, but it didn’t bother the cricketer, who has re-signed for Mumbai. Nevertheless, Bosch apologised to the team management for his switch.
KKR to reveal jersey tomorrow
Three-time champions KKR are set to reveal their kit for IPL 2026 on March 14 at 12 pm. While the franchise has teased a retro-inspired design, no official confirmation has been made. Previously, KKR wore black and yellow until 2012, after which the team switched to its iconic purple and yellow combination.
KKR’s first four fixtures announced
The Ajinkya Rahane-led side will open their campaign against five-time champions Mumbai Indians on March 29 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Following which, they will host three home matches on April 2, 6 and 9 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants, respectively.
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