”’What a splendid journey it has been. I gave priority to my batting. My bowling was up to the mark but this year I wanted to make a double contribution, one with the bat and one with the ball”, shared Anukul Roy who was full of joy after being awarded the Man of the Tournament in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025.
If you want to know the worth of an all-rounder to a team like KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders), just look at the situation where KKR had to release two of their best all-rounders just before the IP 2025 (Indian Premier League) season. Andre Russell and Venkatesh Iyer both made it to the list of players released before the mini-auction – a move that not only added over INR 60 Crores to the purse of the three-time IPL champions but also opened up room in the team for new players.
However, the Ajinkya Rahane-led team certainly had one of the most fruitful IPL auctions in Abu Dhabi on December 16. They were able to take care of almost all of their shortcomings before the coming season. Still, among their retentions could be their trump card for the 19 IPL edition – even after splurging huge amounts on players like Cameron Green in the mini-auction in Abu Dhabi.
Anukul Roy, the all-rounder from Jharkhand, has been with them for four years. His performances in both departments have not been extremely impressive in any of the years but the fact that the franchise retained him every time is an indication that they see some potential in the young lad. Moreover, with the brilliant display of skills in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025, Anukul has made the management believe in his talent.”’
The Jharkhand team that was led by Ishan Kishan won the championship at the MCA stadium, Pune, defeating Haryana by a big margin of 69 runs. The 27-year-old all-rounder was involved in everything and contributed with bat and ball. His final score of 40 not out in the Final helped the team to go over the 250 mark, which left the Haryana players stunned with a mountain of runs to chase.
How KKR play Anukul Roy in IPL 2026 season?
The three-time IPL winners indeed have a superb squad with a lot of alternates in every department. Top-order options make them a strong contender for IPL’s 19th edition. Coach Abhishek Nayar has already announced that Cameron Green would be batting in the franchise’s top three.
Not that there is a fixed top five, quite the opposite. Rinku Singh and Rovman Powell are anticipated to be the finishers, whereas Ramandeep Singh and Anukul Roy are considered to play in the lower order. The bowling department is more or less set, as Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy will be the spinners in the XI. Additionally, Matheesha Pathirana and Harshit Rana will be the two pacers to begin with.
Nonetheless, Anukul Roy can be considered before Ramandeep Singh. The latter had a strike-rate of 134.25 in the previous season while Anukul posted a strike-rate of 160.32 in the T20 domestic circuit. Apart from the difference in quality of bowling being an arguable matter, the Jharkhand all-rounder is not lacking in quality either.
Moreover, Anukul Roy is an outstanding fielder and his quality matches with Ramandeep Singh’s – both are very active players in the field. However, another point that tips the scale towards Anukul is his spinning ability. The left-arm orthodox spinner has taken 18 wickets in 11 matches in the SMAT 2025 season and would love to repeat the same for the Knights.
KKR Ideal Playing XI:
Ajinkya Rahane (capt.), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Cameron Green, Rinku Singh, Tejasvi Dahiya (wk), Rovman Powell, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Matheesha Pathirana, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy.
