Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani has replaced Mustafizur Rahman in the Kolkata Knight Riders squad for the upcoming edition of the IPL 2026. Mustafizur Rahman was released by Kolkata Knight Riders after being instructed by the BCCI in December last year and there was a spot to fill in the side. The Bangladesh pacer was bought for 9.2 Crore at the auction but was later released and was later picked up in PSL. Kolkata Knight Riders have now officially named Blessing Muzarabani as the replacement and after this move, Muzarabani has pulled out of the PSL.
Blessing Muzarabani was picked up by Islamabad United in 2026 Pakistan Super League but after securing a deal he has now informed Islamabad of the decision to withdraw from the tournament in order to participate in the IPL. The Zimbabwe pacer was extremely impressive in the recent 2026 WT20 where he ended up among the top wicket-takers of the side.
Previously Muzarabani was picked up by Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the last few games of the campaign and won the trophy with them despite not getting a chance to be in the playing side. His career has been on the rise in the last few years where he has done extremely well for Zimbabwe across different formats.
Since the Pakistan Super League and Indian Premier League are running concurrently for the second straight year and hence players have to make a choice between one of the two leagues. Similarly last year Corbin Bosch who was picked up by Peshawar Zalmi pulled out of the league after being named as the replacement pick in the Mumbai Indians side. Muzarabani picked up 13 wickets in the 2026 WT20 and the pacer showed his class throughout the tournament. He will be part of the Kolkata Knight Riders campaign. The 2026 IPL season is set to start on March 28 and the schedule for the initial phase is out and the fans cannot wait for the action to begin.
