India, March 23 -- Kolkata Knight Riders have signed left-arm pacer Saurabh Dubey as a replacement for Akash Deep ahead of IPL 2026, moving quickly to address a growing seam-bowling shortage before the start of their campaign. (As reported by Cricbuzz)

The development is significant not merely because Akash Deep has been ruled out, but because it comes at a time when KKR's Indian pace resources have already been stretched. With Harshit Rana also unavailable for the season and uncertainty around the availability of overseas fast bowlers, the franchise has been forced to look deeper into the domestic pool. In that context, Dubey's arrival is less a routine squad adjustment and more a practical attempt to restore balance to the bowling atta...