Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has said that the Kolkata Knight
Riders (KKR) might get Angkrish Raghuvanshi to keep wickets in IPL 2026 as well. However, he shared that Jonny Bairstow could be a potential acquisition for the franchise, stating that the veteran has previously scored a blazing match-winning century at the Eden Gardens as well.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “All of us feel that they would need a wicketkeeper-batter, but maybe Angkrish Raghuvanshi is your wicketkeeper-batter. Abhishek Nayar went to the UP Warriorz and he is here with KKR. I feel Phoebe Litchfield will keep wickets for the UP Warriorz and I feel Angkrish Raghuvanshi will keep wickets here, unless things change radically.”

“However, they will still need a top-order batter because you have let Quinton de Kock and Rahmanullah Gurbaz go. Among the few names I can understand, one is Jonny Bairstow. He has already hit a hundred on this ground when Punjab chased 262. He will like this pitch. He played very well in the few matches he played last year,” he further added.

However, Aakash Chopra added that the Kolkata Knight Riders might add Venkatesh Iyer for half his previous price at the IPL 2026 auction as well.

“Since both Shreyas Iyer and Venkatesh Iyer are no longer there, you need something there. If they get Venkatesh Iyer for half the money, is it actually bad? Not at all, sir. Even though his recent form is not good and the last year wasn’t good, he is a proven IPL performer. They might take Venkatesh Iyer back for ₹10-12 crore. They need Cameron Green, but their batting becomes top-heavy by taking him. You need a little fast-bowling backup. (Matheesha) Pathirana will be available there. Anrich Nortje will be available again there. Lungi Ngidi, Gerald Coetzee and Jacob Duffy will also come there,” Aakash Chopra concluded.