IPL 2026: KKR sign Saurabh Dubey as injured Akash Deep's replacement

Kolkata Knight Riders is set sign left-arm pacer Saurabh Dubey as a replacement for injured India seamer Akash Deep for the upcoming Indian Premier League season. The 28-year-old Vidarbha bowler, who is yet to make his IPL debut, was previously part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad. But KKR is yet to make any official announcement in this regard. "KKR has decided to rope in Saurabh Dubey as a replacement for Akash Deep," a KKR source told PTI. Dubey has taken 16 wickets in eight List A games. Akash Deep was ruled out for at least eight weeks due to a stress reaction in lower back on Saturday, effectively sidelining him from IPL. The injury has also put the right-arm pacer in serious doubt for the one-off Test against Afghanistan in early June.