KKR Ropes in Saurabh Dubey to Fill Void After Akash Deep’s Injury; SRH Acquire David Payne

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season encountered several hiccups before it could even commence. Players from multiple franchises have pulled out of action due to injuries and workload management, dampening the teams' strategies.

All the affected franchises are in a race against time to acquire suitable replacements which align with their game plan for the upcoming IPL 2026 season.

The Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad became the latest recipients of the setback after their players were ruled out of action. Both IPL franchises have now announced their replacement substitutes for 2026.

Saurabh Dubey Replaces Injured Akash Deep In KKR

The Kolkata Knight Riders have acquired Saurabh Dubey as a replacement for the injured Akash Deep for the IPL 2026 season. The left-arm pacer will join the three-time IPL champions for INR 30 lakh.

The Indian Premier League also shared an update on Akash Deep after being ruled out of the entire season.

The Indian right-arm pacer suffered a lumbar stress injury and will undergo rehab under the careful observation of the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru.

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"Akash Deep – a right-arm pacer, who has played 10 Tests for India, scalping 28 wickets – has been ruled out of the season due to a lumbar stress injury. He will be under the care of the BCCI Medical Team at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru for further management of his injury," a statement from the IPL mentioned.  

SRH Rope In David Payne For IPL 2026 Season

The Sunrisers Hyderabad also encountered major injury trouble after Jack Edwards was ruled out for the entire IPL 2026 season. Edwards was the sole uncapped overseas player to be signed in the auction, but an injury has ruled him out of action.

To replace the Australian seam-bowling all-rounder, SRH has roped in English left-arm medium fast bowler David Payne for INR 1.5 Crore.

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David Payne has featured in just one ODI for England cricket but has made 233 T20 appearances. He has scalped 304 wickets, making him a solid prospect for Edwards.