Kolkata Knight Riders
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KKR Official Logo | |
| Short Name | KKR |
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| League | Indian Premier League (IPL) |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Owner(s) | Knight Riders Sports Private Limited |
| City / Region | Kolkata, West Bengal |
| Home Ground | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| Stadium Capacity | 68,000 |
| Team Colors |
Purple & Gold |
| Captain | Ajinkya Rahane |
| Head Coach | Abhishek Nayar |
| IPL Titles | 3 |
| Website | Official website |
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are a Twenty20 cricket team based in Kolkata, West Bengal. They play in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The ownership of KKR includes the famous Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, and Jay Mehta. Their home ground is Eden Gardens.
KKR is among the most popular and successful franchises in the IPL. They won their first IPL championship in 2012, followed by their second victory in 2014. In 2024, KKR won their third IPL title by defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad. KKR is also known for their record-breaking winning streak in IPL, with 14 consecutive wins. The team motto of the side is “Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo.” It means
History
The team was created in 2008 after the IPL was started by the BCCI. It was sold for 75.09 million dollars to Red Chillies Entertainment. The icon player for the team was Sourav Ganguly, who was a former Indian captain. The team, which started off a little slow, reached the play-offs for the first time in 2011 and later went on to become the IPL winners in 2012, 2014, and 2024.
Home Ground
The home venue of Kolkata Knight Riders is Eden Gardens, which is controlled by the Cricket Association of Bengal. The ground has two ends: High Court End and Club House End. The ground was previously the largest cricket stadium in India, with a capacity of over 90,000 people, but this has been lowered to 68,000 after renovation for the 2011 World Cup. The renovations enabled the addition of enhanced player facilities, a clubhouse, and infrastructure.
Team Colors & Logo
The first logo sported a golden helmet on a black background. Later, there came a change in colors to purple and gold. Then, in 2012, there came a logo change that features a purple helmet and shield logo, which is currently used as their logo. The jersey for their team was designed by Manish Malhotra, and their anthem “Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo Re” is very popular, keeping their spirit alive.
Key Personnel
- Owner: Knight Riders Sports Private Limited
- Captain: Ajinkya Rahane
- Head Coach: Abhishek Nayar
- Bowling Coach: Tim Southee
Current Squad
Kolkata Knight Riders Squad 2026
| Player Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Ajinkya Rahane | Batter |
| Rinku Singh | Batter |
| Angkrish Raghuvanshi | Batter |
| Manish Pandey | Batter |
| Cameron Green | Batter |
| Finn Allen | WK-Batter |
| Tejasvi Singh | WK-Batter |
| Rahul Tripathi | Batter |
| Tim Seifert | WK-Batter |
| Rovman Powell | Batter |
| Anukul Roy | All-Rounder |
| Sarthak Ranjan | All-Rounder |
| Daksh Kamra | All-Rounder |
| Rachin Ravindra | All-Rounder |
| Ramandeep Singh | All-Rounder |
| Vaibhav Arora | Bowler |
| Matheesha Pathirana | Bowler |
| Kartik Tyagi | Bowler |
| Prashant Solanki | Bowler |
| Akash Deep | Bowler |
| Harshit Rana | Bowler |
| Umran Malik | Bowler |
| Sunil Narine | Bowler |
| Varun Chakaravarthy | Bowler |
Notable Players
| Player | Role | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Gautam Gambhir | Batter | Former captain, led KKR to IPL titles in 2012 and 2014 |
| Sunil Narine | All-rounder | Leading wicket-taker, key match-winner with ball and bat |
| Andre Russell | All-rounder | Explosive finisher and fast bowler; multiple MVP performances |
| Sourav Ganguly | Batter | Icon player and first captain of the franchise |
| Yusuf Pathan | All-rounder | Match-winning knocks in crucial games |
Achievements & Records
Indian Premier League Championships
| Year | Opponent | Final Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Chennai Super Kings | Won Final |
| 2014 | Kings XI Punjab | Won Final |
| 2024 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Won Final |
Performance & Season Summary
| Year | Matches | Won | Lost | Group Stage | Final Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 6/8 | — |
| 2009 | 14 | 3 | 10 | 8/8 | — |
| 2010 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 6/8 | — |
| 2011 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 4/10 | — |
| 2012 | 18 | 12 | 5 | 1/9 | — |
| 2013 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 7/9 | — |
| 2014 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 1/8 | — |
| 2016 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 4/8 | — |
| 2017 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 3/8 | — |
| 2018 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 3/8 | — |
| 2019 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 5/8 | — |
| 2020 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 5/8 | — |
| 2021 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 2/8 | — |
| 2022 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 7/10 | — |
| 2023 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 7/10 | — |
| 2024 | 16 | 11 | 3 | 1/10 | — |
| 2025 | 14 | 5 | 7 | 8/10 | — |
Fan Base & Popularity
The Kolkata Knight Riders have one of the biggest and most dedicated sets of fans in the Indian Premier League. The team has a massive following in India and in the state of West Bengal, thanks to the team’s success and the presence of many famous people in its ownership. The stadium is famous for the lively ambience it wears during home matches, with fans flooding the stands with purple and gold colors. The KKR is known for the “Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo” slogan.