Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are one of the most profitable Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises of all time. Co-owned by Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla, the franchise struggled to get going in the initial 2-3 years of the tournament. Sourav Ganguly was their first captain and Brendon McCullum lit the very first IPL match against Royal Challengers on fire, with his amazing 158*.
The franchise went for a reboot after the 2010 season and released every player before the 2011 auction and bid hard for Gautam Gambhir, who was named the captain and made some very smart picks. Gambhir’s team went on to win two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014 and became a force to reckon with till 2018 when they parted ways with Gambhir.
The franchise has seen players like Ganguly, Shoaib Akhtar, Chris Gayle, McCullum, Kallis and others playing for them over the years and though it was a difficult task, Team COC has prepared an all-time XI of Kolkata Knight Riders for your consideration.
Check out the Kolkata Knight Riders- All-time IPL XI
GAUTAM GAMBHIR (C)
M: 108 | Runs: 3035| SR: 124.28| HS: 93| 100s: 0| 50s: 27| 6s: 46| 4s: 352 Gautam Gambhir changed the fortunes of the franchise when he was brought in the 2011 auction for USD 2.4 million. He led them to two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014 and under him, KKR became a potent force on the field. He led from the front as well, scoring 3035 runs with 27 half-centuries in the tournament in 108 games.
ROBIN UTHAPPA
M: 86| Runs: 2439| SR: 136.25| HS: 87| 100s: 0| 50s: 16| 6s: 85| 4s: 255 Robin Uthappa might have played for many franchises in the IPL, but he can call KKR his home as he played for them in six seasons. He played 86 games for them scoring 2439 runs at a strike rate of 136.25. He also kept wickets for the franchise for extended periods of time bringing in flexibility. He also won the Orange Cap for most runs in IPL 2014, making 660 runs in the season.
MANISH PANDEY
M: 55| Runs: 1270| SR: 125.12| HS: 94| 100s: 0| 50s: 6| 6s: 38| 4s: 102 Manish Pandey was the Man of the Finals in the 2014 edition when he scored 94 against KXIP to take the team to victory by chasing down 199 runs. He was a core of the middle order for the team for quite some time and scored 1270 runs in 55 matches.
Dinesh Karthik replaced Gautam Gambhir at the helm in the KKR franchise with much fanfare and he led them to the playoffs in IPL 2018, while missed out by a whisker in 2019. He has been good with the bat as the finisher with 751 runs in 30 matches with a best of 97* and has been confirmed as skipper for the 2020 edition as well. His keeping is already as an asset and he will want to win a title and prove his mettle as a leader.
Everyone knows what Andre Russell can do with the bat and he displayed his power brutally in the IPL 2018 and IPL 2019. He scored an astonishing 510 runs at a strike rate of 204.81 with 4 fifties and a best of 80*, hitting 52 sixes in the 2019 season, and has hit a total of 117 sixes for the franchise over time. He is an asset with the bat and can hit speeds of high 140s with the ball as well, given he is fully fit.
Yusuf Pathan was probably the safety net that KKR had for a long time in their batting order. He played 106 matches and made 1893 runs with seven fifties with a best of 72. He could launch a brutal attack down the order in case Russell and co failed, but could also roll his arm over for a few overs of gentle off-spin and break some partnerships.
Bangladesh’s Shakib-Al-Hasan partnered Andre Russell as the foreign all-rounder in the KKR team for quite some time and his ability to shepherd an innings was very good, evident from 498 runs and 43 wickets in 43 games for the franchise from 2011-2017.
Sunil Narine was bought in 2012 and since then has played 110 games despite missing a whole season due to him correcting his action. He has 122 wickets in those games, but the surprise came a few years later when he reinvented himself as an opener and slammed one of the fastest fifties in the tournament. He has 44 sixes to his name with batting to go with a hat-trick and the best bowling performance of 5/19.
Piyush Chawla was bought by KKR in 2014 and went onto play 70 matches for them, picking 66 wickets. His best bowling was 4/32 and his unforgettable moment will always remain him hitting a six off Mitchell Johnson in 2014 IPL final and then hitting a four off Parvinder Awana to ensure his team won the tournament for the second time.
Morne Morkel played for KKR form 2014-2016, playing 29 matches and picking 32 wickets, but it was his ability to get bounce from the old Eden Garden’s pitch that made him valuable to the team than anything else. His miser economy rate of 7.80 also helped other bowlers to pick wickets more easily.
A surprise choice, but the former India fast bowler Lakshmipathy Balaji played for KKR from 2011-2014 and picked 33 wickets in 35 matches with best bowling figures of 4/18. He was excellent with his economy rate and managed to keep runs down to build pressure, also helped young bowlers in the squad with his experience.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)- All-time IPL XI: Gautam Gambhir (C), Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Andre Russell, Yusuf Pathan, Shakib-Al-Hasan, Sunil Narine, Piyush Chawla, Morne Morkel, L Balaji.