Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Rachin Ravindra has left the Indian Premier League (IPL) to prepare for New Zealand’s upcoming Test tour of England. The franchise announced this news ahead of their home match against Gujarat Titans.
Ravindra, who was bought by KKR for Rs. 2 crore in the IPL 2026 auction, has not played a single match this season. The team has opted to go with marquee signing Cameroon Green as their main all-rounder.
The 26-year-old now shifts his focus to red-ball training in preparation for his first tour to England. The Black Caps are scheduled to play a four-day warm-up game against Ireland in Belfast on May 27, followed by a three-match Test series in England at Lord’s (June 4-8), The Oval (June 17-21), and Nottingham (June 25-29).
New Zealand is currently ranked second in the 2025-27 World Test Championship standings, with two wins and a draw. Ravindra, a regular in the New Zealand Test side, has had notable performances including an unbeaten 165 against Zimbabwe in August 2025 and scores of 176, 72 not out, and 46 against West Indies in December.
The franchise confirmed Ravindra’s departure in a squad update released on Friday, with the match against Gujarat Titans set to take place at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday. The article was published on May 15, 2026.
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