 | ||
| Nickname(s) | Knights | |
|---|---|---|
| League | Indian Premier League | |
| Personnel | ||
| Captain | Ajinkya Rahane | |
| Coach | Chandrakant Pandit | |
| Owner | Shah Rukh Khan (55%) Mehta Group (45%)[1] | |
| Manager | Wayne Bentley | |
| Team information | ||
| City | Kolkata,West Bengal | |
| Colours |  | |
| Founded | 24 January 2008; 17 years ago (2008-01-24) | |
| Home ground | Eden Gardens,Kolkata | |
| Capacity | 68,000 | |
| History | ||
| Indian Premier League wins | 3 (2012,2014,2024) | |
| Official website | kkr.in | |
| ||
| Seasons |
|---|
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are a professionalT20 franchisecricket team representing the city ofKolkata in theIndian Premier League. The franchise is owned byBollywood actorShah Rukh Khan, actressJuhi Chawla, and her spouseJay Mehta. Their home ground is theEden Gardens,Kolkata.[2]
The franchise, which has gained immense popularity due to its association with celebrity owners, qualified for the IPL playoffs for the first time in2011. They became the IPL champions in2012, by defeatingChennai Super Kings in the final. They repeated the feat in2014, defeatingKings XI Punjab.[3] In2024, they won the title for the third time by beatingSunrisers Hyderabad.[4] The Knight Riders hold the record for the longest winning streak by any IPL team (14).[5]
The side's all-time leading run-scorer isGautam Gambhir,[6] while their leading wicket-taker isSunil Narine.[7] The official motto of the team isKorbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo (Perform, Fight, Win) and the official colours are purple and gold.
In 2007, theBoard of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) created the cricket tournamentIndian Premier League, based on theTwenty20 format of the game.[8] Eight teams participated in the inaugural tournament held in April – June 2008. The teams representing the eight different cities of India were put up on auction inMumbai on 20 February 2008. The team representingKolkata was eventually bought by Bollywood superstarShah Rukh Khan's companyRed Chillies Entertainment in partnership with actressJuhi Chawla and her husbandJay Mehta for a price of $75.09 million, equal to approximately ₹2.98 billion at that time.[9]Sourav Ganguly, a native ofWest Bengal and former captain of the Indian national team, was named theIcon player for the team. The name of the team is a reference to the popular 1980s American television seriesKnight Rider.[10]
According toForbes in 2022, Kolkata Knight Riders are the 3rd most valuable team in the IPL behindMI andCSK with a valuation of $1.1 billion.[11]
Initially, when the Kolkata Knight Riders were first introduced in 2008, the logo of the team consisted of a blazing goldenViking helmet against a black background with the name of the team written in gold next to it. However, the black background was changed to purple in the third season. It was in 2012 that the current logo, which has a blazing purpleCorinthian helmet trimmed with gold, with Kolkata Knight Riders written within a shield, was introduced.[12]
The tagline of the team was "All the King's Men" during the first four seasons.[13] However, in the fifth it was replaced by "New Dawn, New Knights". The team's official colours were black and gold during the first two seasons. At the time, Khan said that "golden symbolizes spirit of life and black presents the GoddessKali."[13] It was later changed to purple and gold during the third season and was kept so. The jersey was created byBollywood fashion designerManish Malhotra.[13]
The main theme of the team,Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo Re (we will act, fight, and win!), was scored byVishal–Shekhar duo.[13] AKnight Riders album featuring several singers and music composers, includingUsha Uthup andBappi Lahiri, was also created.[14][15]
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(May 2024) |
The Knight Riders have historically been a successful franchise in the IPL. This success has led them to have many rivalries with other teams.
Both teams play in major markets, with Mumbai Indians based inMumbai and Kolkata Knight Riders based inKolkata. Mumbai Indians is the most successful IPL franchise with five championships. However, until Mumbai's third championship, both teams were tied with two championships each. In the first two seasons of theIPL, Mumbai swept Kolkata in all four games. It wasn't until the2010 IPL season that Kolkata won against Mumbai. Both sides have been captained by Indian cricket legends at one point (Mumbai was captained bySachin Tendulkar and Kolkata was captained bySourav Ganguly). This rivalry has often played out in Mumbai's favour, as they have won 22 games compared to Kolkata's seven wins. They have faced each other twice in the playoffs.[16]
In 2011, both teams played against each other in the Eliminator round, marking their first playoff appearances. This was the first time that the two teams met in the playoffs. Mumbai won the match by four wickets and advanced to the next round, ultimately losing to theRoyal Challengers Bangalore.
In 2012, both teams were chasing a playoff spot in the tournament. The game started poorly for KKR as their batting side struggled to score runs. However, KKR picked up the pace and ended the innings with 140/7. Mumbai, initially in a strong position at 60/2 with more than 10 overs left, unexpectedly collapsed, finishing their innings at 108 all out.Sunil Narine was named Man of the Match with 4 wickets, and KKR eliminated MI from the playoffs. KKR won its first championship that season. Knight Riders' ownerShah Rukh Khan was handed a 5-year ban atWankhede Stadium, the home ground of Mumbai Indians. He was accused of walking on the field post-match and abusing the security guards.[17] In 2015, the ban was lifted.[18]
Mumbai and Kolkata faced off in the opening match of the 2015 season. Mumbai batted first and scored 168/3. This charge was led by captainRohit Sharma with his 98 runs. Kolkata captainGautam Gambhir scored 57 runs, leading his side to victory.Suryakumar Yadav's 46 runs were crucial to KKR's chase.
In 2017, Mumbai earned its 100th T20 win against KKR.[19] Later that season, both sides faced each other in the playoffs in the Qualifier 2 round. KKR had a poor batting performance, posting 107 runs and being all out. Mumbai was able to capitalise and won the match.[20] Mumbai went on to the finals to beatRising Pune Supergiant to claim their third championship.
From 2015 to 2018, Mumbai Indians held an eight-game winning streak against the Kolkata Knight Riders. That streak was broken on 29 April 2019, when KKR posted a total of 232 runs and won by 34 runs. KKR'sAndre Russell scored 80 runs, and MI'sHardik Pandya scored 91 runs. KKR holds the record for highest total for an IPL match played atEden Gardens.[21] This victory was KKR's 100th T20 win.[22] Mumbai have won all three games between them since then.
In the 2022 and 2024 seasons, Kolkata beat Mumbai in all the matches between them.
The rivalry between Kolkata Knight Riders andRoyal Challengers Bangalore is one of the oldest in the IPL. The inaugural match of IPL was played between both the teams in which KKR won by 140 runs due to a 158* off just 73 balls byBrendon McCullum.[23]
In theIPL 2009, RCB won in both encounters against Knight Riders. During the second time they faced each other,Ross Taylor played a notable innings, scoring 81* runs off 33 balls, contributing significantly to RCB's victory by six wickets.[24]
In the2012 edition of IPL, KKR was at the lower half of the IPL table and needed to win the crucial match against RCB. KKR won the toss and chose to bat first. SkipperGautam Gambhir led from the front with 93 (51). In reply, RCB lost wickets at regular intervals, as onlyChris Gayle managed to put up a fight with a score of 86 (58).[25] The next time they met, Gambhir again was the thorn in RCB's side as he top scored for KKR at a tough pitch, taking KKR to a competitive total of 165. RCB in reply made 129, asLakshmipathy Balaji ripped through their line-up with a 4/18 in 4 overs.[26]
In the 2015 IPL edition, RCB and KKR took part in a match reduced due to rain. It was reduced to a 10-over match. RCB won the toss and elected to field. For KKR,Andre Russell was the top scorer as he scored 45 off just 17 balls. He took them to a score of 111/4 in just 10 overs.Mitchell Starc took one wicket for 15 runs in 2 overs. In reply, RCB were at 0–48 at 3.4 overs beforeBrad Hogg got Chris Gayle out. After that, RCB stuttered and started to collapse as they were reduced to 3–81 in 7.2 overs. WhenVirat Kohli got out to Andre Russell, the match looked to be over for RCB. However,Mandeep Singh scored 45 off just 18 balls, hitting 3 sixes and 4 fours.[27]
In the 2017 IPL edition, Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore again faced each other twice. In the first match between them, RCB got KKR out for a score of 131 after KKR had made a strong start of 0–48 in 3.3 overs. However, KKR dismissed RCB for 49, the lowest team score in the history of IPL.Nathan Coulter Nile,Colin de Grandhomme andChris Woakes got three wickets each.[27] In the next match,Sunil Narine scored what was then the fastest fifty in IPL (50 off 15 balls – which is now the second-fastest). KKR madethe highest score made in powerplay in any IPL match, and easily chased down the target offered by RCB.[27]
The2019 IPL saw Virat Kohli scoring 84 off 49 andAB de Villiers scoring 63 off 32, taking RCB to a total of 205/3. KKR had a strong start, scoring 28/0 in 1.3 overs, before losing wickets at regular intervals and having their run rate reduced. They were 139/4 in 15.5 overs. However,Dinesh Karthik and Andre Russell brought back the chase under control. Karthik got out after scoring 19 off 15, leaving KKR at 153/5 in 17 overs. Andre Russell, however, took KKR over the line as he scored 48 off 13, hittingMohammed Siraj for 23 runs in one over.[27]
In the next match, RCB struck back as Virat Kohli made his 5th IPL century, scoring 100 runs in 58 balls only.Moeen Ali scored 66 runs in only 28 balls as RCB scored 213 runs. For KKR,Nitish Rana scored 85 off 46 and Andre Russell scored 65 off 25, taking the game down to the wire. However, RCB won the match by 10 runs, with Virat Kohli being Man of the Match.[28]
In 2020, RCB won both the matches played between them.
In the2021 IPL, RCB won the 1st match between them by 38 runs in Chennai. However, in the reverse fixtures held in the UAE, KKR bowled RCB all out for 92 runs. In response, KKR chased the target with 9 wickets and with 10 overs to spare. The two teams then met again in the eliminator, which KKR won thanks to the heroics ofSunil Narine with both the bat and the ball, taking crucial wickets of the likes ofVirat Kohli,Glenn Maxwell andAB de Villiers and then going on to smash 3 consecutive sixes offDan Christian helping KKR win by 4 wickets.
In 2022, RCB won the sole match played between them.
In 2023, KKR won both matches played between the teams. In the first match in Kolkata, KKR were struggling at 89/5 in 12 overs, withRahmanullah Gurbaz having scored 57 runs when the 5th wicket fell. However, late heroics fromShardul Thakur andRinku Singh helped KKR to score 204/7. In response, RCB started quickly thanks to the opening partnership of Virat Kohli andFaf du Plessis. However, the KKR's spin duo, Sunil Narine andVarun Chakaravarthy, along with debutantSuyash Sharma, picked 9 wickets combined as RCB collapsed for 123 runs. In the next match in Bangalore, KKR scored 200 runs. Here too, RCB had a quick start thanks to Virat and Faf du Plessis. However, they soon lost momentum and KKR eventually won the match by 21 runs as RCB ended up scoring just 179 runs in response.
In2024 IPL, in the first match that took place in Bangalore, RCB scored 182/6 thanks to Virat Kohli fighting 83 not out of 59 balls. In response KKR chased the target with 3.1 overs to spare. At Kolkata in the reverse fixture, KKR batted first with openerPhil Salt scoring an aggressive 48(14) and a half century from CaptainShreyas Iyer along with a late middle order surge from Andre Russell, Rinku Singh andRamandeep Singh as KKR scored 222/6 in their 20 overs. RCB on the other hand had a good start from Kohli and Du Plessis, however they got out in quick successions. Then,Will Jacks andRajat Patidar each scored half centuries as RCB were cruising towards the target at one point. Then, Andre Russell took the wickets of both the batsmen in the same over and RCB once again started losing wickets in quick succession. In the final over, withKarn Sharma on strike andMitchell Starc bowling the final over, RCB needed 21 runs off the over. Karn Sharma scored 3 sixes in 4 balls as RCB were closer to winning the match. However, in the next ball, Sharma got out as RCB needed 3 runs off 1 ball and there was a run out in the last ball as KKR won the match by 1 run.
The home venue of the Knight Riders isEden Gardens (with the two ends of the crease called the High Court End and the Club House End). Owned by theCricket Association of Bengal, it was the largest cricket stadium in India and had a seating capacity of over 90,000.[29] In 2011, the stadium was renovated to meet the standards set by theInternational Cricket Council for the2011 Cricket World Cup; reducing its capacity to around 68,000. The renovated stadium includes a new clubhouse and players' facilities, upgrading the exterior wall, cladding the existing roof structure with a new metal skin, and general infrastructure improvements.[30] In 2013, two of the team's home matches were hosted by theJSCA International Cricket Stadium inRanchi.
Multinational communications corporationNokia was the official founding sponsor of the Kolkata Knight Riders and remained their principal sponsor until 2014.[31][32][33] In 2015, Chinese mobile phone manufacturerGionee took over as their principal sponsor and signed a three-year deal worth₹540 million (US$6.2 million).[34] In 2018, Nokia returned as the main sponsor of the Knight Riders, signing a two-year deal.[35]Star Plus,Reebok,HDIL,Kit Kat,SB Nation,Doublemint,SAP AG,Asian Paints,Red FM 93.5,Seiko,U.S. Polo Assn.,Uber,Philips,Dish TV,Sansui Electric,Ola Cabs,Exide,SRMB Steel,Lux Cozi,Ibibo,Sprite,Pepsi,Amul Organic,Bira 91,Royal Stag,Pocari Sweat,Sony Music India,Greenply,MoneyGram,Unacademy,Colgate,The Telegraph,Radio One andFever 104 FM have all formerly been either co-sponsors or partners.
In 2020,MPL became their principal sponsor.[36] In 2022, the principal sponsor of the Kolkata Knight Riders was theEsports app WinZO Sports.[37] For the 2023 season, their main sponsor was thefantasy sports app MyFab11.[38] As of 2024, their main shirt sponsors areDream11 andBKT Tyres. They have co-sponsorship deals withJio,Acko General Insurance,JSW Paints,Vikram Solar andManipal Hospitals. They also have partnerships withThums Up,Big Ant Studios andFanCode among others.[39]
Reebok was the official kit supplier for the Knight Riders from 2008 to 2013.[40][41] For 2014 and 2015, U.S. Polo Assn. manufactured kits for the team.[42][43] In 2021, Indian apparel brand Wrogn Active became the official merchandising partner of the Knight Riders.[44]
| Year | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor (chest) | Shirt sponsor (back) | Chest branding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Reebok | Nokia | HDIL | Reebok |
| 2009 | StarPlus | |||
| 2010 | XXX Energy Drink | |||
| 2011 | Matrix | |||
| 2012 | Rose Valley | |||
| 2013 | ||||
| 2014 | U.S. Polo Assn. | Sansui | U.S. Polo Assn. | |
| 2015 | Gionee | |||
| 2016 | — | Lux Cozi | ||
| 2017 | Jio | |||
| 2018 | Nokia | |||
| 2019 | ||||
| 2020 | MPL | |||
| 2021 | Wrogn | Unacademy | ||
| 2022 | WinZO | |||
| 2023 | MyFab11 | BKT | ||
| 2024 | Dream11 | |||
| 2025 | SIX5SIX | RR Kabel |
Sourav Ganguly, the former captain of the Indian cricket team, was the icon player and led the franchise in the 2008 and 2010 seasons.Brendon McCullum led the team in the intervening period. Both the captains were released before the 2011 season. The former team included all-roundersChris Gayle,David Hussey,Mohammad Hafeez,Laxmi Ratan Shukla,Angelo Mathews, batsmanRicky Ponting,Brad Hodge,Salman Butt, and wicket-keeperWriddhiman Saha. The main bowlers wereUmar Gul,Shoaib Akhtar,Ishant Sharma,Ashok Dinda,Ajit Agarkar andMurali Karthik. Australian batsmanBrad Hodge and bowlersAjantha Mendis andCharl Langeveldt were bought outside the IPL auction in late 2008.
At the 2009 auction, the team bought Bangladeshi all-rounderMashrafe Mortaza for $600,000. Due to the unavailability of Pakistani players starting 2009, KKR had to suspend the contract ofUmar Gul, who was a key performer from the 2008 season.[45][46] On 26 April 2009, KKR administration sent back two of its players,Akash Chopra andSanjay Bangar, due to poor performance.[47]Shane Bond was acquired after releasing Ricky Ponting,Morne van Wyk, and the Pakistani playersUmar Gul,Salman Butt,Mohammad Hafeez andShoaib Akhtar before the third season.Moises Henriques was traded toDelhi in return forOwais Shah andManoj Tiwary. Thus, their overseas roster for the 2010 season consisted of Shane Bond, Mashrafe Mortaza, Brendon McCullum, Charl Langeveldt, Ajantha Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Brad Hodge, David Hussey, Owais Shah and Chris Gayle.
2011 heralded the beginning of a new era for KKR. In the 2011 season, KKR drastically revamped their squad. Former captain and icon player Sourav Ganguly was not purchased in the January auction. This led to protest rallies, signature campaigns throughout the country and abroad along with stadium protests by various fan groups, such as "No Dada No KKR",[48] which received both national and international press attention.[49][50][51] The team appointedGautam Gambhir, who was bought for a record-breaking $2.4 million as skipper.[52]Yusuf Pathan was also picked up for $2.1 million.[52] Other international names who were added includeShakib Al Hasan,Brad Haddin,Jacques Kallis,Brett Lee,Ryan ten Doeschate,Eoin Morgan andJames Pattinson. Haddin was replaced byMark Boucher mid-season due to injury.[52]
In the 2012 auction, KKR bought back their former captain, Brendon McCullum. They also acquired West Indian spinnerSunil Narine and South African fast bowlerMarchant de Lange.
The team later added four domestic players to their squad, includingDebabrata Das andIresh Saxena from Bengal, Saurashtra'sChirag Jani, andSanju Samson from Kerala.[53] However, in November 2012, KKR released the latter three from their team along withJaydev Unadkat, a key performer from the previous seasons. In the 2013 auction, the team acquired only two overseas players,Sachithra Senanayake andRyan McLaren.
Before the February 2014 auction, the team had only retained their key performers Gautam Gambhir and Sunil Narine. From the auctions that took place, the team brought back Jacques Kallis and Yusuf Pathan with their right-to-match (RTM) card. Also keeping their place in the squad were Ryan ten Doeschate and Shakib Al Hasan. New international players wereMorne Morkel,Patrick Cummins andChris Lynn. Prominent Indian players bought includedRobin Uthappa,Umesh Yadav,Manish Pandey,Suryakumar Yadav andPiyush Chawla.
KKR's impressive additions in the 2015 auction were veteran Australian bowlerBrad Hogg and wicket-keeperSheldon Jackson. Before the auction in February 2016, they released Ryan ten Doeschate, who was a part of their team for five consecutive seasons, along with pace bowler Pat Cummins. The Knight Riders were particularly noted for their change in approach from the previous auctions where they had concentrated on spinners. For the 2016 edition, however, they acquired as many as six pacers in the form of all-roundersJohn Hastings,Colin Munro,Jason Holder andRajagopal Sathish as well as bowlersAnkit Rajpoot and Jaydev Unadkat, with the latter being a former player of the squad. They signed one spinnerManan Sharma.[54]
Before the 2017 auctions, they released Morne Morkel, Brad Hogg, Jason Holder, Colin Munro, John Hastings, Jaydev Unadkat, Rajagopal Sathish, Manan Sharma and replacement signingShaun Tait. From the2017 Indian Premier League auction, they signedTrent Boult, English all-rounderChris Woakes, AustralianNathan Coulter-Nile, West IndianDarren Bravo and JamaicanRovman Powell. The domestic players signed wereRishi Dhawan,Ishank Jaggi,Sayan Ghosh andR Sanjay Yadav. At the time,Andre Russell was banned for one year fordoping; he was replaced byColin de Grandhomme for the season. In January 2018, they only retained West Indian cricketers Sunil Narine and Andre Russell. Their two-time title winning captain Gautam Gambhir was released. At the auction, they retained Robin Uthappa, Piyush Chawla and Kuldeep Yadav using RTM (Right-To-Match) card. KKR also bought back opener Chris Lynn and uncapped Indian batsman Ishank Jaggi. Other uncapped batsmen bought wereNitish Rana,Shubman Gill,Cameron Delport,Rinku Singh andApoorv Wankhade. They also bought West Indian uncapped all-rounderJavon Searles, and uncapped Indian all-roundersKamlesh Nagarkoti andShivam Mavi. Other signings were veteran Indian wicket-keeperDinesh Karthik, Australian pace bowlersMitchell Starc andMitchell Johnson, and former Knight Riders playerVinay Kumar.
On 4 March 2018, Dinesh Karthik was appointed as the captain of KKR forIPL 2018 and Robin Uthappa was named vice-captain.[55]Mitchell Starc was ruled out before the season due to injury andTom Curran was announced as his replacement. Ahead of the auction for IPL 2019, eight players were released from the squad including Mitchell Starc and his replacement Tom Curran.
At the auction, their high-profile buys wereCarlos Brathwaite for₹50 million (US$570,000) andNew Zealand pacerLockie Ferguson for₹16 million (US$180,000). Other players bought wereSouth African pacerAnrich Nortje, English duoHarry Gurney andJoe Denly as well as uncapped Indian playersNikhil Naik,Prithvi Raj Yarra andShrikant Mundhe for their base prices of₹2 million (US$23,000) each. BeforeIPL 2020, KKR released 11 players from their squad and also traded inSiddhesh Lad fromMumbai Indians.
At the 2020 IPL Auction, KKR bought pace bowlerPat Cummins for ₹15.5 crores. This was the biggest buy in the auction.[56] KKR also purchasedEoin Morgan, who just came off as captain of theWorld Cup winning England squad. He was bought for ₹5.25 crores.[57] On 16 October 2020, Kolkata Knight Riders skipperDinesh Karthik handed over Kolkata Knight Riders' captaincy toEoin Morgan.[58]
Since 2022 was a mega auction, Kolkata Knight Riders had to release the majority of players, including top order batsman Shubman Gill, skipper Eoin Morgan and vice captain Dinesh Karthik. KKR retained 4 players: Andre Russell for₹12 crore, Sunil Narine for₹6 crore, and Varun Chakravarthy and Venkatesh Iyer for₹8 crore each. With₹48 crore in their purse, KKR boughtShreyas Iyer for₹12.25 crore and re-signed Pat Cummins for₹7.25 crore. KKR also bought back Nitish Rana, Sheldon Jackson, Rinku Singh, Shivam Mavi and Tim Southee. Overseas players included English wicket-keeperSam Billings for₹2 crore, English batsmanAlex Hales for₹1.5 crore, Afghan all-rounderMohammed Nabi for₹1 crore and Sri Lankan all-rounder Chamika Karunaratne for₹50 lakh. KKR also signed top order batsmanAjinkya Rahane, Jharkhand left-handed spin all-rounder Anukul Roy and Jammu and Kashmir pacer Rasikh Salam Dar. They also bought back their former player Umesh Yadav for the base price of₹2 crores, who last played for them in 2017. Alex Hales didn't turn up for the IPL citing personal reasons and KKR signed Australian skipperAaron Finch as his replacement. In the middle of tournament, Rasikh suffered an injury which ruled him out of IPL tournament. Due to this, KKR signed fast bowler Harshit Rana as the replacement.
Last updated: 3 March 2025[59]
| Player[α] | From | To | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | NR | Win% | Best Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Sourav Ganguly | 2008 | 2010 | 27 | 13 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 44.44 | 6/8 (2008, 2010) |
 Brendon McCullum | 2009 | 2009 | 13 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 23.07 | 8/8 (2009) |
| Gautam Gambhir | 2011 | 2017 | 122 | 69 | 59 | 1 | 1 | 56.55 | Winner (2012, 2014) |
 Jacques Kallis | 2011 | 2011 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 50 | Stand-In |
| Dinesh Karthik | 2018 | 2020 | 37 | 19 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 51.35 | 3rd (2018) |
 Eoin Morgan | 2020 | 2021 | 24 | 11 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 45.83 | Runner-up (2021) |
| Shreyas Iyer | 2022 | 2024 | 30 | 17 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 56.70 | Winner (2024) |
| Nitish Rana | 2023 | 2023 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 42.85 | 7/10 (2023) |
| Ajinkya Rahane | 2025 | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | TBA |
| No. | Name | Nationality | Birth date and age | Batting style | Bowling style | Year signed | Salary | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batters | ||||||||
| 35 | Rinku Singh | India | (1997-10-12)12 October 1997 (age 27) | Left-handed | Right-armoff break | 2018 | ₹13 crore (US$1.5 million) | |
| 18 | Angkrish Raghuvanshi | India | (2004-06-05)5 June 2004 (age 20) | Right-handed | Right-armoff break | 2024 | ₹3 crore (US$340,000) | |
| 27 | Ajinkya Rahane | India | (1988-06-06)6 June 1988 (age 36) | Right-handed | Right-armmedium | 2025 | ₹1.5 crore (US$170,000) | Captain |
| 37 | Manish Pandey | India | (1989-09-10)10 September 1989 (age 35) | Right-handed | Right-armmedium | 2024 | ₹75 lakh (US$86,000) | |
| Wicket-keepers | ||||||||
| — | Luvnith Sisodia | India | (2000-01-15)15 January 2000 (age 25) | Left-handed | — | 2025 | ₹30 lakh (US$34,000) | |
| 21 | Rahmanullah Gurbaz |  Afghanistan | (2001-11-28)28 November 2001 (age 23) | Right-handed | Right-armmedium fast | 2023 | ₹2 crore (US$230,000) | Overseas |
| — | Quinton de Kock | South Africa | (1992-12-17)17 December 1992 (age 32) | Left-handed | — | 2025 | ₹3.6 crore (US$410,000) | Overseas |
| All-rounders | ||||||||
| 12 | Andre Russell |  West Indies | (1988-04-29)29 April 1988 (age 36) | Right-handed | Right-armfast-medium | 2014 | ₹12 crore (US$1.4 million) | Overseas |
| 19 | Ramandeep Singh | India | (1997-04-13)13 April 1997 (age 27) | Right-handed | Right-armmedium | 2024 | ₹4 crore (US$460,000) | |
| 25 | Venkatesh Iyer | India | (1994-12-25)25 December 1994 (age 30) | Left-handed | Right-armmedium pace | 2021 | ₹23.75 crore (US$2.7 million) | Vice-captain |
| 6 | Anukul Roy | India | (1998-11-30)30 November 1998 (age 26) | Left-handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | 2022 | ₹40 lakh (US$46,000) | |
| 18 | Moeen Ali | England | (1987-06-18)18 June 1987 (age 37) | Left-handed | Right-armoff break | 2025 | ₹2 crore (US$230,000) | Overseas |
| 52 | Rovman Powell | West Indies | (1993-07-23)23 July 1993 (age 31) | Right-handed | Right-armmedium | 2025 | ₹1.5 crore (US$170,000) | Overseas |
| Fast bowlers | ||||||||
| 20 | Anrich Nortje | South Africa | (1993-11-16)16 November 1993 (age 31) | Right-handed | Right-armfast | 2025 | ₹6.5 crore (US$740,000) | Overseas |
| 14 | Vaibhav Arora | India | (1997-12-14)14 December 1997 (age 27) | Right-handed | Right-armfast medium | 2021 | ₹1.8 crore (US$210,000) | |
| 22 | Harshit Rana | India | (2001-12-22)22 December 2001 (age 23) | Right-handed | Right-armfast medium | 2022 | ₹4 crore (US$460,000) | |
| — | Chetan Sakariya | India | (1998-02-28)28 February 1998 (age 27) | Left-handed | Left-armfast | 2025 | ₹75 lakh (US$86,000) | |
| 45 | Spencer Johnson |  Australia | (1995-12-16)16 December 1995 (age 29) | Left-handed | Left-armfast | 2025 | ₹2.8 crore (US$320,000) | Overseas |
| Spin bowlers | ||||||||
| 11 | Mayank Markande | India | (1997-11-11)11 November 1997 (age 27) | Right-handed | Right-armleg break | 2025 | ₹30 lakh (US$34,000) | |
| 29 | Varun Chakravarthy | India | (1991-08-29)29 August 1991 (age 33) | Right-handed | Right-armleg break | 2020 | ₹12 crore (US$1.4 million) | |
| 74 | Sunil Narine | West Indies | (1988-05-26)26 May 1988 (age 36) | Left-handed | Right-armoff break | 2012 | ₹12 crore (US$1.4 million) | Overseas |
| Season | League standing | Final standing |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 6th out of 8 | League stage |
| 2009 | 8th out of 8 | League stage |
| 2010 | 6th out of 8 | League stage |
| 2011 | 4th out of 10 | Playoffs |
| 2012 | 2nd out of 9 | Champions |
| 2013 | 7th out of 9 | League stage |
| 2014 | 2nd out of 8 | Champions |
| 2015 | 5th out of 8 | League stage |
| 2016 | 4th out of 8 | Playoffs |
| 2017 | 3rd out of 8 | Playoffs |
| 2018 | 3rd out of 8 | Playoffs |
| 2019 | 5th out of 8 | League stage |
| 2020 | 5th out of 8 | League stage |
| 2021 | 4th out of 8 | Runners-up |
| 2022 | 7th out of 10 | League stage |
| 2023 | 7th out of 10 | League stage |
| 2024 | 1st out of 10 | Champions |
| Season | League standing | Final standing |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 5th out of 10 | League stage |
| 2012 | 6th out of 10 | League stage |
| 2013 | DNQ | |
| 2014 | 2nd out of 10 | Runners-up |
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| CEO and Managing Director | Venky Mysore |
| Team manager | Wayne Bentley |
| Head coach | Chandrakant Pandit |
| Assistant coach | Ottis Gibson |
| Mentor | Dwayne Bravo |
| Spin bowling coach | Carl Crowe |
| Bowling coach | Bharat Arun |
| Head of scouting | Biju George |
| Analyst | Nathan Leamon |
| Strength and conditioning coach | Chris Donaldson |
| Physiotherapist | Prasanth Panchada |
Updated as of 26 May 2024
| Year | Played | Wins | Losses | Tied | NR | Win % | Final standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 46.16 | 6/8 |
| 2009 | 14 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 23.07 | 8/8 |
| 2010 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 | 6/8 |
| 2011 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 53.33 | 4/10 |
| 2012 | 18 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 70.58 | 1/9 |
| 2013 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 37.50 | 7/9 |
| 2014 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 68.75 | 1/8 |
| 2015 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 53.84 | 5/8 |
| 2016 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 53.33 | 4/8 |
| 2017 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 56.25 | 3/8 |
| 2018 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 56.25 | 3/8 |
| 2019 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 42.86 | 5/8 |
| 2020 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 | 5/8 |
| 2021 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 52.94 | 2/8 |
| 2022 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 42.85 | 7/10 |
| 2023 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 42.85 | 7/10 |
| 2024 | 16 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 78.57 | 1/10 |
| Total | 257 | 131 | 120 | 0 | 6 | 52.19 |
Source: ESPNcricinfo[60]
Updated as of 26 May 2024[61]
| Opposition | Span | Mat | Won | Lost | Tied | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chennai Super Kings | 2008–2015; 2018–present | 29 | 10 | 19 | 0 | 34.48 |
| Delhi Capitals | 2008–present | 33 | 18 | 15 | 0 | 54.54 |
| Mumbai Indians | 2008–present | 34 | 11 | 23 | 0 | 32.35 |
| Punjab Kings | 2008–present | 33 | 21 | 12 | 0 | 63.63 |
| Rajasthan Royals | 2008–2015; 2018–present | 28 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Royal Challengers Bangalore | 2008–present | 34 | 20 | 14 | 0 | 58.82 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 2013–present | 28 | 19 | 9 | 0 | 67.85 |
| Gujarat Titans | 2022–present | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Lucknow Super Giants | 2022–present | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 40.00 |
| Deccan Chargers | 2008–2012 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 77.78 |
| Kochi Tuskers Kerala | 2011 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Pune Warriors India | 2011–2013 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 80.00 |
| Gujarat Lions | 2016–2017 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 25.00 |
| Rising Pune Supergiant | 2016–2017 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 75.00 |
Legend:
| Year | Matches | Wins | Losses | No result | % win | % Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 50.00 | 5/10 (13) |
| 2012 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 33.33 | 6/10 (14) |
| 2014 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 83.33 | 2/10 (14) |
| Total | 16 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 60.00 |
| Opposition | Span | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | No result | % win |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Warriors | 2011 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Dolphins | 2014 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Hobart Hurricanes | 2014 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Lahore Lions | 2014 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Nashua Titans | 2012 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Perth Scorchers | 2012–2014 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 100.00 |
| Royal Challengers Bangalore | 2011 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Auckland Aces | 2011–2012 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Chennai Super Kings | 2014 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Delhi Capitals | 2012 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Somerset Sabres | 2011 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| South Australia Redbacks | 2011 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Year | Player | Runs | Orange Cap Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Sourav Ganguly | 349 | 13 |
| 2009 | Brad Hodge | 365 | 6 |
| 2010 | Sourav Ganguly | 493 | 4 |
| 2011 | Jacques Kallis | 424 | 10 |
| 2012 | Gautam Gambhir | 590 | 2 |
| 2013 | 406 | 17 | |
| 2014 | Robin Uthappa | 630 | 1 |
| 2015 | 364 | 16 | |
| 2016 | Gautam Gambhir | 501 | 4 |
| 2017 | 498 | 2 | |
| 2018 | Dinesh Karthik | 498 | 9 |
| 2019 | Andre Russell | 510 | 5 |
| 2020 | Shubman Gill | 440 | 12 |
| 2021 | 478 | 8 | |
| 2022 | Shreyas Iyer | 401 | 16 |
| 2023 | Rinku Singh | 474 | 9 |
| 2024 | Sunil Narine | 488 | 9 |
| Year | Player | Wickets | Purple Cap Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Umar Gul | 12 | 17 |
| 2009 | Ishant Sharma | 11 | 18 |
| 2010 | Murali Karthik | 9 | 25 |
| 2011 | Iqbal Abdulla | 16 | 7 |
| 2012 | Sunil Narine | 24 | 2 |
| 2013 | 22 | 6 | |
| 2014 | 21 | 2 | |
| 2015 | Andre Russell | 14 | 14 |
| 2016 | 15 | 10 | |
| 2017 | Chris Woakes | 17 | 6 |
| 2018 | Sunil Narine | 17 | 8 |
| 2019 | Andre Russell | 11 | 23 |
| 2020 | Varun Chakravarthy | 17 | 9 |
| 2021 | 18 | 8 | |
| 2022 | Andre Russell | 17 | 13 |
| 2023 | Varun Chakravarthy | 20 | 8 |
| 2024 | 21 | 2 |
| Knight Riders Group | |
|---|---|
| Current Teams | |
Kolkata Knight Riders (2008-present) X 3 (2012,2014,2024)Trinbago Knight Riders (2015-present) X 4 (2015,2017,2018,2020)Trinbago Knight Riders Women (2022-present) X 1 (2022)Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (2023-present) Los Angeles Knight Riders (2023-present) | |
| Defunct Teams | |
| Cape Town Knight Riders (2017) |
Kolkata Knight Riders is part of the Knight Riders Group (KRG), a global brand in cricket, with franchises in theCaribbean Premier League andWomen's Caribbean Premier League (Trinbago Knight Riders), in theInternational League T20 (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders) of UAE, and theMajor League Cricket (Los Angeles Knight Riders). In June 2015, the team's ownership group bought a stake inCaribbean Premier League's Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel,[62] and renamed it theTrinbago Knight Riders in 2016.[63] The team invested in the American T20 leagueMajor League Cricket in December 2020.[64]
KRG had also acquired a franchise inCricket South Africa's T20 Global League, but the league was eventually scrapped and replaced with Mzansi Super League as the board was unable to secure a broadcasting deal.[65] In 2021, the Knight Riders Group CEO, Venky Mysore, had announced their intentions to invest inECB's new competition format,The Hundred. However, the plan failed to materialise.[66] OtherIndian Premier League franchises have followed KRG's path and have franchises in T20 leagues outside India, or have shown interest for the same. In 2022, KRG announced the construction of a 10,000-seater stadium in Los Angeles, in partnership withMajor League Cricket, for their franchise (Los Angeles Knight Riders).[67]
A reality show by the nameKnights and Angels aired onNDTV Imagine in 2009 to pick cheerleaders for the Knight Riders for the2009 edition of theIndian Premier League.[68][69]
In 2014, a documentary titledLiving With KKR aired on theDiscovery Channel. It covered the journey of the team from its disappointing first three seasons to its redemption as IPL champions in 2012.[70]
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| Personnel changes | |||
| Finals | |||
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| Legal issues | |||
| Related topics | |||
