Who is KKR's new recruit Saurabh Dubey? Details here
23 Mar 2026

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have signed Vidarbha's Saurabh Dubey as a replacement for Akash Deep in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season.

Akash was ruled out of the tournament after failing to recover from a lower-back stress injury in time.

The report by Cricbuzz further states that while Dubey has been signed as a replacement, KKR is yet to make an official announcement regarding the same.

Here we decode Dubey's profile.

Who is Saurabh Dubey?
Player profile

Saurabh Dubey, a left-arm medium-fast bowler, represents Vidarbha in domestic cricket.

He has played eight List A matches and three T20s so far.

While Dubey owns 16 wickets in the 50-over format, he is yet to register a scalp in T20s (ER: 12.10).

The 28-year-old was also part of India's squad for the 2019 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Bangladesh.

Notably, Dubey entered the IPL 2026 mini-auction with a base price of ₹30 lakh but went unsold.

Has Dubey played an IPL game before?
Career highlights

On his List A debut against Nepal, Dubey impressed with figures of 4/26 in India's seven-wicket win.

He was named Player of the Match for his performance.

The left-arm pacer had previously been part of Sunrisers Hyderabad after being picked up for ₹20 lakh in the IPL 2022 auction, but did not get a game and is yet to make his IPL debut.

Dubey offers variety
Fact

The recruitment of Dubey has added variety to the KKR bowling attack. He is the only left-arm pacer in the squad, which makes him a valuable asset. If given the new ball, he can test the top order of teams on swing-friendly conditions.