Kolkata Knight Riders Team – IPL Squad, Players & Stats

Kolkata Knight Riders team (KKR) is one of the most popular and successful teams in the IPL, owned by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla and Jay Mehta (Juhi’s husband). Initially, the performance of the KKR cricket team was under the captaincy of Sourav Ganguly, which was not very good, but the fortune of KKR was changed after the arrival of Gautam Gambhir. According to the all-time KKR stats, the franchise has won a total of three IPL titles (2012, 2014, and 2024). While the 2012 and 2014 victories produced legendary KKR squad members like Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, the 2024 victory remains the most impressive. Eden Gardens, Kolkata, is their home ground, and today the team is known for its 'never say die' attitude. The wait for every next KKR match has become an emotional experience for fans.

Kolkata Knight Riders Team: Legacy & Achievements

First victory, 2012: Kolkata Knight Riders team won its first IPL title under the captaincy of Gautam Gambhir and new coach Trevor Bayliss. This was a major landmark after poor performance for the first four years. Manvinder Bisla's brilliant innings of 89 runs helped the team chase down the difficult target of 191 runs set by the Chennai Super Kings in the final.

Historical Comeback, 2014: This year is known for its "never give up" spirit. After losing 5 out of 7 matches at the start of the season, the team won 9 consecutive matches and won the trophy. In the final, Manish Pandey scored 94 runs while chasing a huge target of 200 runs against Kings XI Punjab.

Runner-up, 2022: This year, the Kolkata Knight Riders team produced a remarkable comeback. After a poor performance in the India leg, they won seven out of nine matches in the UAE tour and made it straight to the final. Although they lost the final, this season will be remembered for their fighting spirit, thanks to new players like Venkatesh Iyer.

Champion’s Dominance, 2024: Gautam Gambhir was returned in this year. The team lost just three matches throughout the tournament and bowled out opponents six times. They won their 3rd trophy by defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final and proved that they are true champions. Now everyone's eyes are on the next KKR match.

Kolkata Knight Riders Team & Key Players

The Kolkata Knight Riders team has always been the most exciting in the IPL, winning the hearts of fans with their spirit. Its three-time champions are a testament to its strong legacy. These legendary players emerge as the backbone of the KKR cricket team:

Sourav Ganguly 

He was the first captain and the true identity of the Kolkata Knight Riders team, who initially led the KKR cricket team like "Dada". His highest runs are still memorable in KKR stats. Even today, fans miss his aggressive style while waiting for the next KKR match, as he has been the biggest icon of the KKR squad.

Andre Russell

He is considered KKR's greatest match-winner. He has scored nearly 2600 runs in 11 seasons, and his strike rate of 175 is a testament to his explosive batting. His biggest strength is his ability to hit sixes; he hits a six every 7 balls, which is a remarkable record. Apart from batting, he is also the second-highest wicket-taker in the team, which makes him a complete T20 player.

Sunil Narine

He is the biggest asset of the Kolkata Knight Riders team, whose mystery spin has not been cracked till now. His economy rate has always been less than 8, whether he bowled in the powerplay or in the death overs. He did not limit himself to just bowling. In 2017, he started opening as a pinch-hitter and destroyed bowling units. The 2024 season was his most memorable, where he scored 488 runs and also scored his maiden T20 century.

Gautam Gambhir

He is the captain who taught the Kolkata Knight Riders team how to be a "winner." He is the all-time leading run-scorer with 3,345 runs, and he scored 30 half-centuries. His aggressive leadership and "team first" mentality helped KKR win the IPL trophy twice. He was a selfless player, even shying away from opening the batting or batting in the middle order to allow aggressive batsmen to make their debuts.

Robin Uthappa

He is the anchor of batting around whom the other batsmen played. His consistency was evident in the 2014 champion season, where he scored 40+ scores in 8 consecutive matches. His 17 half-centuries were often the ones that led to team victories. His wicket was a top priority for opposing teams.

Kolkata Knight Riders Stats & Records

Gautam Gambhir has been the best opener and most successful captain of the KKR squad. He led the team to three trophy wins. Andre Russell is a powerhouse all-rounder who plays the role of finishing in batting and handling the death overs in bowling for the KKR cricket team. Sunil Narine is the main mystery spinner and pinch-hitting opener, who has helped the Kolkata Knight Riders team win many big matches with his bowling. Robin Uthappa has always strengthened the batting line-up as a wicket-keeper batsman, while Nitish Rana has made important contributions as a middle-order batsman and part-time bowler. Varun Chakaravarthy is the main mystery spinner who bamboozles the opposition with his spin, and Piyush Chawla has taken many crucial wickets for the team in the role of senior leg-spinner. In the list given below, you can see the complete details of KKR players along with KKR stats:

Top Run Scorer for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL History

Below is a list of the players who have scored the most runs for the Kolkata Knight Riders team in IPL history. The contribution of each player has been significant for the KKR squad:

Gautam Gambhir has played 108 innings for the KKR cricket team and scored a total of 3035 runs. His strike rate is 124.28.

Andre Russell has played 111 innings and has 2593 runs to his name. His strike rate is the most dangerous at 174.96.

Robin Uthappa has scored 2439 runs in 86 innings. His strike rate is quite good, which is 136.25.

Nitish Rana has scored 2199 runs in 86 innings, and his strike rate is 136.32.

Top Wicket Taker for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL History

Here is the list of bowlers with the most wickets in the KKR cricket team:

Sunil Narine has taken 192 wickets, with his best figures being 5/19. His career economy rate is quite impressive, at just 6.79.

Andre Russell has taken a total of 122  wickets so far, with his best bowling figures in an innings being 5/15. His economy rate is around 9.47 due to his bowling in the death overs.

Varun Chakaravarthy, a mystery spinner, has taken 99 wickets, with his best figures being 5/20. His economy rate is 7.54, which is quite solid in T20 terms.

Piyush Chawla has taken a total of 66 wickets in his KKR career, with an average of 4 for 32. His bowling economy has averaged approximately 8.21.

The Topmost Rivals of the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL

Every IPL match brings its own unique passion, but the rivalry between the Kolkata Knight Riders team and some of their rivals is truly thrilling. 

KKR vs RCB

KKR vs RCB Head-to-Head stats reveal 36 matches played between KKR and RCB. KKR has had the upper hand, securing 20 victories. Meanwhile, RCB have won just 15 matches and drawn one. KKR's highest batting score is 222, while RCB's is 221. However, RCB have the lowest IPL score (49) in this rivalry. KKR's worst score against RCB is 84, which reflects the exciting and unpredictable matches between these two teams.

KKR vs CSK

KKR vs CSK Head-to-Head records the total number of 32 matches played between CSK and KKR. CSK has won 20 matches, while KKR has achieved 11 victories and one match ended in a no-result. In batting, CSK has made its highest score against KKR, 235, whereas KKR's highest score has been 202, which shows the strong batting line-up of both these teams. But they have also had low-scoring matches, with CSK's lowest score being 55 and KKR's lowest being 61, which makes their rivalry quite unpredictable.

The Iconic Clashes of the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL

Whenever the KKR cricket team takes the field, fans go wild, especially in the memorable matches shown below:

KKR vs RCB, 2008

In the very first match of the IPL, Brendon McCullum stunned the world with a blistering 158. KKR cricket team started the tournament with a bang and defeated RCB by a huge margin of runs.

KKR vs CSK, 2012

KKR won their first IPL title when they defeated the Chennai Super Kings in their home ground (Chennai). As a key player of the KKR squad,  Manvinder Bisla's brilliant innings of 89 runs helped them chase down a difficult target of 191 runs.

KKR vs SRH, 2024

KKR lost only 3 matches throughout the season but equalled RR's record in 2008 for the most impressive performance when Gautam Ghambir returned as a mentor. They defeated SRH one-sidedly in both the qualifier and the final, chasing down the final target of 114 with a record 57 balls to spare. Sunil Narine dominated the tournament with 488 runs and 17 wickets to become the Player of the Tournament, while Varun Chakaravarthy dominated the bowling for the second consecutive year by taking 21 wickets. This has made every fan eager for the next KKR match.

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