The Kolkata Knight Riders, owned by the charismatic trio of Shah Rukh Khan, Jay Mehta, and Juhi Chawla, boast a passionate fanbase, second only to RCB and CSK. Despite early struggles with a talented but underperforming squad, their fortunes changed in 2011 with the arrival of Gautam Gambhir, leading them to a golden period with two IPL titles. After a dip, the 2022 season saw a renewed KKR under Shreyas Iyer, while veterans like Andre Russell and Sunil Narine continue to be their pillars of strength. Emerging talents like Rinku Singh add further excitement to this ever-evolving team.
| Captain: Shreyas Iyer |
| Coach: Chandrakant Pandit |
| Home Ground: Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| IPL Titles: 2 (2012, 2014) |
| Owners: Red Chillies Entertainment, Mehta Group |
KKR IPL 2024 Squad
KKR IPL 2024 Matches
The Kolkata Knight Riders kick off their 2024 IPL season on March 23rd, facing the Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. They then hit the road for their next two matches, traveling to Bengaluru to play the Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 29th, followed by a clash with the Delhi Capitals in Vizag on April 3rd.
| Date | Time | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23rd March | 7:30 PM | KKR vs SRH | Kolkata |
| 29th March | 7:30 PM | RCB vs KKR | Bengaluru |
| 3rd April | 7:30 PM | DC vs KKR | Vizag |
| 8th April | 7:30 PM | CSK vs KKR | Chennai |
| 14th April | 7:30 PM | KKR vs LSG | Kolkata |
| 17th April | 7:30 PM | KKR vs RR | Kolkata |
| 21st April | 3:30 PM | KKR vs RCB | Kolkata |
| 26th April | 7:30 PM | KKR vs PBKS | Kolkata |
| 29th April | 7:30 PM | KKR vs DC | Kolkata |
| 3rd May | 7:30 PM | MI vs KKR | Mumbai |
| 5th May | 7:30 PM | LSG vs KKR | Lucknow |
| 11th May | 7:30 PM | KKR vs MI | Kolkata |
| 13th May | 7:30 PM | GT vs KKR | Ahmedabad |
| 19th May | 7:30 PM | RR vs KKR | Jaipur |
Journey of KKR
Despite boasting strong squads under the leadership of Sourav Ganguly and Brendon McCullum, featuring legends like Gayle, Ponting, and Akhtar, KKR couldn’t break the top six in their first three seasons. A change in management brought success, with them clinching their first title in 2012 and another in 2014, with Andre Russell becoming a mainstay.
Under Dinesh Karthik’s leadership, KKR reached the final in 2018 but finished runners-up. Skipper changes followed, with Eoin Morgan and then Shreyas Iyer taking the helm, but consistency remained elusive. Injuries forced Iyer out in 2023, and Nitish Rana led the team to a decent performance. The hunt for sustained success continues for the Knight Riders.
High’s
The Kolkata Knight Riders are one of three teams to have won more than one IPL trophy. In 2012, they chased down a target of 192 runs against the mighty Chennai Super Kings at their home ground in Chennai during the IPL finals. Building on their success, KKR continued their strong performance in the league and emerged champions for the second time in the 2014 season. In the final at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, the men in purple and gold successfully chased down a target of 200 runs against Kings XI Punjab. After few quite seasons KKR roared their way back to the top in the 2021 IPL season under the leadership of Eoin Morgan. They reached the finals and were thrashed by the inform CSK team in the 2021 IPL finals at Dubai International Stadium.
Lows
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) struggled significantly in the initial IPL seasons of 2008 and 2009. Unfortunately, a similar fate befell them in the recent seasons of 2022 and 2023. Despite periods of promise, key player injuries and underwhelming performances by star players in crucial matches ultimately led to their downfall.
Season by Season Performance of KKR
IPL 2023: 7th Place
A season where new stars were born for KKR and one name that has been the talk of the town is Rinku Singh. Nitish Rana captained the side in the absence of Shreyas Iyer and it was a pretty ordinary season for the men in gold. They finished the season with six wins and eight losses.
IPL 2022 – 7th Place
After a mind boggling 2021 IPL season everyone expected KKR to the best team under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer and coach Brendon McCullum. But things didn’t go as expected for KKR. They lost crucial matches at the backend of the tournament which costed them another playoff spot. They did manage to win six of the 14 games played in the season.
IPL 2021 – 2nd Place
After a sedate start to the tournament in the first leg in India, Kolkata Knight Riders won six of their last eight games and reached the playoffs by a cliffhanger with a better net run rate than Mumbai Indians. In the playoffs they ushered RCB and DC in the eliminator and qualifier 2 rounds respectively. But it all boiled down to a potential rematch of the 2012 IPL final where CSK vs KKR in the 2021 IPL final which no one expected at the start of the tournament. But CSK turned the tables and claimed their fourth IPL trophy by outlasting KKR in the finals.
IPL 2020 – 5th Place
KKR’s 2020 season started disastrously, mirroring their past struggles. Early performances were so dismal that captain Dinesh Karthik even stepped down, paving the way for Eoin Morgan. However, under Morgan’s leadership, the team clawed its way back, narrowly securing a fifth-place finish. This season provided a silver lining in the form of Varun Chakravarthy, a talented spinner who emerged as a bright spot amidst the team’s inconsistency.
IPL 2019 – 5th Place
Despite a glimmer of hope with Shubman Gill’s strong performance during their six-match losing streak, the Kolkata Knight Riders ultimately fell short of the playoffs. Their six consecutive defeats proved too much to overcome, even though a win against Mumbai Indians in their final match could have secured their qualification. While Gill’s individual success offered a bright spot, the team’s struggles ultimately dashed their playoff hopes.
IPL 2018 – 3rd Place
KKR had a strong showing in IPL 2018 thanks to the explosive batting of Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, and Andre Russell. Narine and Russell were top performers in the tournament, while Lynn provided crucial firepower at the top. Dinesh Karthik stepped up as the leading run-scorer for the team with an impressive 498 runs. Notably, they battled back from a setback in the qualifiers against SRH.
IPL 2017 – 3rd Place
Kolkata Knight Riders got of to a strong start winning their first seven of nine games. They eventually secured a playoff spot with eight wins in their 14 matches. That season saw Gautam Gambhir’s final 400-run campaign, while both Umesh Yadav and Chris Woakes emerged as the team’s leading wicket-takers with 17 scalps each. However, their journey ended in Qualifier 2 with a defeat against the Mumbai Indians.
IPL 2016 – 4th Place
Andre Russell continued his stellar performance for KKR, racking up three Player of the Match awards. He wasn’t the only one shining, as Yusuf Pathan also contributed significantly, earning two Player of the Match awards himself. Despite qualifying at number 4 and reaching the Eliminator stage, KKR ultimately fell short, losing to SRH.
IPL 2015 – 5th Place
Andre Russell cemented his place as a regular player for KKR in the 2015 IPL season, amassing a staggering 350 runs throughout the tournament. Morne Morkel and Umesh Yadav delivered consistent performances, while Kolkata Knight Riders were expected to win at least one of their final two matches to secure their qualification. However, they suffered defeats in both their final matches against Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals.
IPL 2014 – Champions (2nd title)
2014 proved equally challenging for KKR. Despite a disastrous start, losing five of their first seven matches, they staged a remarkable comeback, winning nine consecutive games to comfortably qualify for the playoffs at the second spot. The Gambhir-Uthappa partnership was a real highlight of the season, while Yusuf Pathan’s finishing prowess shone throughout. The final pitted them against Kings XI Punjab, who rode on Wriddhiman Saha’s brilliant century to set a tricky target of 200 runs. Manish Pandey’s superb 94 and Piyush Chawla’s crucial winning strokes steered KKR to victory. The cherry on top was Robin Uthappa bagging the Orange Cap for the tournament.
IPL 2013: 7th Place
Defending champions had a forgettable season in 2013. Sunil Narine had a good performance for the team. Gautam Gambhir had many runs. The overall performance of the squad was not appropriate. There were 19 league games of which they only won six. Kallis had few good matches but was not very consistent throughout the league. The overall performance of 2013 was bad.
IPL 2012: Champions (1st title)
KKR won their first IPL trophy in 2012 under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir and coach Trevor Bayliss. Their stellar performance included a remarkable streak of six consecutive victories, earning them the best result in the tournament. Despite finishing second in the league standings, their overall performance was commendable. In the thrilling final against the Chennai Super Kings, KKR faced a challenging target of 191 runs. However, thanks to crucial contributions of 50 runs from Jacques Kallis and 89 runs from Manvinder Bisla, they successfully chased down the target and emerged victorious.
IPL 2011 – 4th Place
They wanted to change fortunes this year. After winning the World Cup Gautam Gambhir was appointed as a leader for the team. Many new players were taken by KKR. They had a very promising performance. They played knockouts for the first time. Players like Iqbal Abdullah, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Yusuf Pathan, and Manoj Tiwary were very good players for Kolkata.
IPL 2010 – 6th Place
Despite two disappointing seasons, Sourav Ganguly remained at the helm as captain. However, while he shone individually with 493 runs, the rest of the squad underperformed significantly. Early losses plagued the team’s first half, leading to a final tally of 14 points, tied with the teams in third, fourth, and fifth place. Unfortunately, a poor net run rate ultimately denied KKR a playoff berth for the first time.
IPL 2009 – 8th Place
2009 proved disastrous for the Kolkata Knight Riders, as they were on a eight-match losing streak. Their overall performance was dismal, with only two wins in the entire season. Sourav Ganguly faced criticism for his captaincy, and the team also saw Brendon McCullum take the reins for some matches. Ultimately, the season was a resounding disappointment for KKR.
IPL 2008 – 6th Place
The inaugural match of the IPL was truly memorable. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had the honor of playing the very first game, where Brandon McCullum thrilled the audience with a swashbuckling 158 not out in the opening innings. However, despite this strong start, KKR’s campaign ended on a disappointing note. Their performance in the latter half of the tournament faltered, culminating in three consecutive losses that knocked them out of contention.
| Season | Performance |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 7th Place |
| 2022 | 7th Place |
| 2021 | 2nd Place |
| 2020 | 5th Place |
| 2019 | 5th Place |
| 2018 | 3rd Place |
| 2017 | 3rd Place |
| 2016 | 4th Place |
| 2015 | 5th Place |
| 2014 | Champions |
| 2013 | 7th Place |
| 2012 | Champions |
| 2011 | 4th Place |
| 2010 | 6th Place |
| 2009 | 8th Place |
| 2008 | 6th Place |
Top 5 Run-Scorers for KKR
KKR has had some of the best batsman in IPL with five players exceeding 2000 runs. Gautam Gambhir leads the pack with a whopping 3035 runs, followed by Robin Uthappa’s 2439. The destructive Andre Russell clocks in at 2204, making him a crucial finisher. Nitish Rana adds consistency with 2157, while Yusuf Pathan’s power hitting contributes 1893 runs. This impressive quintet has anchored KKR’s batting throughout the years.
- Gautam Gambhir: 3035 runs in 108 matches
- Robin Uthappa: 2439 runs in 86 matches
- Andre Russell: 2204 runs in 105 matches
- Nitish Rana: 2157 runs in 88 matches
- Yusuf Pathan: 1893 runs in 106 matches
Top 5 Wicket-Takers for KKR
Sunil Narine reigns supreme with 163 scalps, followed by the power-hitting all-rounder Andre Russell’s 95 dismissals. Spinners Piyush Chawla (66 wickets) and Varun Chakravarthy (61 wickets) provide variety, while Umesh Yadav’s pace adds firepower with 65 wickets.
- Sunil Narine: 163 wickets in 162 matches
- Andre Russell: 95 wickets in 105 matches
- Piyush Chawla: 66 wickets in 70 matches
- Umesh Yadav: 65 wickets in 67 matches
- Varun Chakravarthy: 61 wickets in 55 matches
