ngkrish Raghuvanshi’s participation for Kolkata Knight Riders in the upcoming season is doubtful after the young Mumbai batter suffered a serious head injury during a Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Uttarakhand in Jaipur.
The 21-year-old was rushed to a nearby hospital after sustaining a concussion while attempting a difficult catch at deep mid-wicket. Chasing a top edge off Saurabh Rawat’s slog-sweep, Raghuvanshi sprinted in and dived full length, and hurt his shoulder, hitting his head on the
turf. He was stretchered off the field and taken to SDMH Hospital, where he remains under observation and has undergone scans.
Although his condition is reported to be stable, the injury has raised concerns for KKR, who retained the batter for the IPL 2026 season. However, if Raghuvanshi fails to recover in time, the three-time IPL champions could search for a replacement player from the pool of unsold players.
Here are the 3 cricketers who can replace Angkrish Raghuvanshi in IPL 2026
3. Abhinav Manohar
Abhinav Manoharis another reliable replacement option for KKR. Known primarily for his power-hitting abilities, Manohar has also shown that he has the skills to play the anchor’s role when the situation demands.
The Karnataka batter was in impressive touch during the Maharaja T20 Trophy 2025, scoring 284 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 165. His IPL 2025 campaign with Sunrisers Hyderabad was underwhelming, where he managed only 61 runs in eight matches, and eventually went unsold in the mini-auction. The 31-year-old could be a solid fit in KKR line-up.
2. Srikar Bharat
If Raghuvanshi is sidelined, Kolkata Knight Riders could turn to a far more experienced option in KS Bharat as a reliable keeper-batter. Bharat has scored 5,997 runs at an average of 37.01 in 110 first-class matches, including 11 hundreds and 34 fifties. In white-ball cricket, Bharat has been equally consistent, averaging 36.81 in List A cricket with 2,540 runs, and striking at 119.36 in T20s.
In the IPL, Bharat has featured in 10 matches, scoring 199 runs at an average of 28.42, while also contributing behind the stumps. With KKR having released all specialist wicketkeepers ahead of IPL 2026, Bharat’s experience make him a dependable replacement option.
1. Mayank Agarwal
Karnataka skipper Mayank Agarwal could be a potential replacement for the Kolkata Knight Riders after going unsold at the IPL 2026 mega auction. Despite his experience at the top of the order, no franchise showed interest in him. Last year, Agarwal went unsold until an injury to Devdutt Padikkal opened the door for him at the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who signed him as a replacement player last season.
Mayank’ failed to make an impression. The right-hander struggled to convert starts and could not anchor the innings consistently, which eventually resulted in his release by the franchise. Nevertheless, his domestic form remains solid, including his prolific run-scoring in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and leadership for Karnataka. Agarwal, if given a chance, is expected to strengthen the KKR middle-order and revive his IPL career.
