Confidence and clarity make Anukul Roy ‘a really good package’ for KKR
“It’s good that guys like Anukul are getting opportunities because you could easily get overlooked for the next flashy toy,” says Mitchell McClenaghan
ESPNcricinfo staff
Published: May 9, 2026, 5:12 AM
Very early on in IPL 2026, on April 19 to be exact – after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had recorded their first win of the season – Ambati Rayudu had said, “Anukul Roy can be KKR’s story of the season.” On Friday, against Delhi Capitals (DC), he certainly was one even if Finn Allen took away the headlines.
Roy bowled the first and third overs of DC’s innings, and gave away just 18 runs. The two wickets, of Pathum Nissanka and Tristan Stubbs, came later – both in the 11th over – and he finished with 2 for 31 in four overs. In an exceptional performance from KKR in the field, the stunner Roy took at deep midwicket to send Axar Patel packing came even later, in the 19th over.
The upcurve in performance might be a result of being in KKR’s XI right through the tournament so far, one of only seven players to have played all ten games.
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“He’s always been a good player, and this season, the domestic season, he has done well. So that confidence, and also the confidence of knowing that he’s going to play more often than not [has helped him],” Deep Dasgupta said on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show. “And also the clarity. He’s the one who bowls in the powerplay, more often than not he will bowl at least an over or two in the powerplay, and then the fact that he can bat and he’s a decently good bat.
“I think all of that – he’s a really good package. Today he took a good catch, but he was a little off the mark [before this game]. But generally, he’s a gun fielder as well. So he’s had a good season, the fact that the confidence shown in him, the clarity, all of those things add up.”
The domestic performances Dasgupta spoke of came across all three formats in 2025-26. In the Ranji Trophy, it was Roy the bowler who outshone Roy the batter with 29 wickets at an average of 23.51 – no one took more wickets for Jharkhand. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Roy was among the runs, though, hitting 245 runs at an average of 49.00, but wasn’t among the wickets. But it was at the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which Jharkhand won, that Roy sparkled with both bat and ball, scoring 303 runs at a strike rate of 160.31, and picking up 18 wickets with an economy rate of 7.41.
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo afterwards, Roy had said: “I want to focus on just the positives, and ensure my batting and bowling remain top-notch.” That was with an eye at earning higher honours – playing for India – and also becoming a regular performer in the IPL.
It is starting to happen now. First, there was the 29 not out 16 balls to take KKR past Rajasthan Royals. And now this. Opportunities with the bat have been few, but Roy has picked up eight wickets in 20.1 overs, and has an economy rate of 8.87 in IPL 2026.
“He’s played enough, and he’s been in squads enough,” Mitchell McClenaghan said of Roy, who joined Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of IPL 2018, just before being part of India’s Under-19 World Cup-winning squad, and has been with KKR since IPL 2022.
“Quite often, you are overlooking guys who can do jobs, like Anukul. Proven domestic performers who could come in and do a job if you need them for a couple of games. It’s good that guys like Anukul Roy are getting opportunities because you could easily get overlooked for the next flashy toy.”
There are other benefits to having an allrounder in your midst, even in this day and age of impact players. And KKR have a few of them: Cameron Green and Sunil Narine, apart from Roy.
“I’m 100% ready to bowl four overs, [but] we’ve got Anu, who has been exceptional for us bowling one or two overs, so that means I can only bowl two or three overs,” Green said in the press conference after KKR’s win on Friday. “So yeah, it has been a really big help, having allrounders to potentially bowl through the middle, and I can bowl in the powerplay and potentially the death, or through the middle as well. We’ve got six guys that we can go to, and obviously myself and Anu are the allrounders there, so we just help each other out and bowl our four overs.”
