IPL 2026: Meet Sarthak Ranjan, KKR’s New Recruit — Pappu Yadav’s Son Who Made Headlines in Kolkata Knight Riders’ Intra-Squad Match

Exciting young batsman Sarthak Ranjan made a strong impression with his explosive batting display in the Kolkata Knight Riders intra-squad match at Eden Gardens on Friday, the team preparing for the Indian Premier League 2026 season.

Sarthak, batting for Golden Knights captained by Rinku Singh, scored an aggressive 37 runs off 16 balls against Purple Knights led by Ajinkya Rahane. He played beautifully with a variety of shots for five fours and two sixes at almost a 240 strike rate. Meaningful demonstrated that he could be a very destructive batsman. One of the best overs of his innings was the third one, where he scored 20 runs from the bowler Vaibhav Arora. Eventually, he got out by making a catch at third man off Blessing Muzarabani.

0 6 0 6 4 4 👉 Sarthak Ranjan is off and running 👉

Head to the X LIVE to watch our Intra-Squad game 🤩

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) March 20, 2026

Who is Sarthak Ranjan? DPL instincts and KKR auction

Sarthak Ranjan had limited opportunities across formats for Delhi; the 29-year-old truly made his mark in the Delhi Premier League 2025. He emerged as the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer, amassing 449 runs in just nine innings. His standout campaign included 21 sixes, while he maintained an impressive average of 56.12 and a striking rate of 146.73, underlining his consistency and attacking intent. After years of hard work and dedication in diverse tournaments like the domestic circuit and Delhi Premier League, 29-year-old Sarthak’s emergence in the IPL has been set through a steady series of performances that convinced selectors not only with his aggressive stroke-play but also his calmness under pressure. Recognition came in the form of the Kolkata Knight Riders signing him for his base price of Rs 30 lakh in the IPL 2026 mini-auction, thus realising a lifelong dream for him.

Connection With Pappu Yadav

Sarthak Ranjan is the son of Bihar MP Pappu Yadav. On the field, the occasion became a lot more touching when his father, Pappu Yadav, wrote a moving letter to express his feelings. Pappu Yadav took to social media to not only applaud his son but also to tell him that the way to make a name for himself is through hard work and talent, and he is proud of his son’s success.

Sarthak’s rise is a testament to the IPL being a stage where local players get the opportunity to show their mettle in front of a massive audience. The fresh season coming up, his showing at the intra-squad match has stirred up the fans’ excitement about KKR’s team and also raised the bar for what he could contribute during the tournament.

Also Read: IPL 2026: Rift in LSG Camp? Sanjiv Goenka’s Cryptic Message Fuels Rishabh Pant vs KL Rahul Buzz Before Delhi Capitals Clash

The post IPL 2026: Meet Sarthak Ranjan, KKR’s New Recruit — Pappu Yadav’s Son Who Made Headlines in Kolkata Knight Riders’ Intra-Squad Match appeared first on NewsX.