Kolkata Knight Riders IPL team
The Kolkata Knight Riders are one of the original eight teams of the IPL (Indian Premier League), which began in 2008. Unlike other teams such as Sunrisers Hyderabad (formerly Deccan Chargers) and Delhi Capitals (formerly Delhi Daredevils), this team has not undergone significant changes in either rebranding or ownership.
IPL Kolkata Overall Team Record
The Kolkata team has played in all 14 editions of the IPL; they never faced any ban like the Chennai and Rajasthan teams. They won the IPL title twice—in 2012 and 2014—and leaped from the bottom to reach the IPL final in 2021, which they eventually lost to Chennai Super Kings.
Kolkata Knight Riders have a mixed IPL record. Between 2008-2021, Kolkata has played 207 matches. Out of which, it has won 106 and lost 97; 4 matches were washed out due to rain. Unfortunately, Kolkata does not have an excellent record in tied games. They have lost 3 out of 4 such matches. They have an overall win rate of 52.21% in the IPL.
In the IPL, Kolkata has a great winning record against teams such as Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Kolkata Knight Riders Owners
The Kolkata Knight Riders owners are Red Chillies Entertainment (Shah Rukh Khan) and the Mehta Group (Juhi Chawla and Jay Mehta).
KKR Team Players 2021
Fantasy combinations in IPL in 2022
Kolkata Knight Riders Retained Players for 2022
Kolkata has retained Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, and Varun Chakravarthy for the forthcoming edition of the IPL.
Kolkata Knight Riders Home Ground
Kolkata’s home ground is the iconic Eden Gardens stadium, one of the most renowned in the world. It has a seating capacity of 68,000 people.
Kolkata Knight Riders Captains and Coaches
Kolkata Knight Riders team was captained by Sourav Ganguly in 2008 and 2010, with Brendon Mccullum being at the helm in 2009. Between 2011-2017, their captain was Gautam Gambhir. Dinesh Karthik led them between 2018-2020, and Eoin Morgan took over the reins in 2021.
Their current head coach is Brendon McCullum, who won a title in 2012. Their bowling coach is Kyle Mills, who Pravin Tambe assists. James Foster, a former international player for England, is their current fielding coach.
Kolkata Knight Riders 2022 Schedule for IPL
The schedule for IPL 2022 has not yet been announced. It will be revealed in the first quarter of 2022. Before the IPL schedule is declared, there will be a grand auction for the players, held on February 12 and 13 at Bengaluru.
Kolkata Knight Riders' last year's performance
KKR had a poor start to their 2021 IPL, managing only two wins from their first 7 games. Captain Eoin Morgan and all-rounder Andre Russell were mostly out of form. Due to COVID-19, the tournament was temporarily cancelled and shifted to the UAE region in October. The break proved to be useful, with Kolkata Knight Riders changing their strategies to manage 5 out of 7 wins in the second half of the tournament.
The inclusion of certain Kolkata Knight Riders Players had a massive impact. The addition of Venkatesh Iyer, a hard-hitting batsman at the top of the order, proved to be a game-changer. His partnerships with Shubman Gill, India’s test opener, and Rahul Tripathi for the first 2 wickets ensured that Kolkata piled on plenty of runs at the start. Nitish Rana also added some valuable runs in the middle order. The team also changed tactics while bowling, using Rahul Chakravarthy, a mystery spinner with an orthodox action in the powerplay overs.
With Sunil Narine’s return to form, the team made it into the top four. They beat the Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals to reach the final. Two teams ranked above them in the qualifiers. However, they fell short, losing to evergreen Chennai Super Kings, who managed a fourth IPL title win.
Top 5 Fantasy Players from KKR for IPL 2021 as per Dream11 Fantasy Points.
- Shubman Gill
- Sunil Narine
- Venkatesh Iyer
- Varun Chakravarthy
- Rahul Tripathi
Kolkata Knight Riders Players
There have been plenty of changes in the Kolkata Knight Riders, thanks to auctions for new players and changes to the team setup. Here are some of the key players in the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2021:
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Sunil Narine
Sunil Narine is widely regarded as Kolkata Knight Riders’ best bowler of all time. He has taken 143 wickets for the former IPL champions at a bowling average of 25.06. He can also be a handy batsman, having played as an opener several times in the past. In the 558 balls he has faced for Kolkata Knight Riders, he scored 902 runs at an excellent strike rate of 161.64. With over ten years in the IPL, he has maintained an economy rate of only 6.78, which shows his remarkable consistency. He also holds the top spot for most 4-wicket hauls, managing 7 of them, with Andre Russell at a distant second spot with two such hauls.
Sunil played a crucial role in both of Kolkata’s title-winning years of 2012 and 2014, scalping 24 and 21 wickets at an average of just 13.50 and 19.38, respectively. He is one of the few bowlers to take 20+ wickets in three consecutive seasons of the IPL.
In the 2021 IPL season, Sunil made a comeback, grabbing 16 wickets from 14 games at an average of 22.56, with an economy rate of only 6.44. His performance with the ball inspired his team to the finals. He was also missed by the West Indies team, as his omission from the squad caused the defending champions to be knocked out in the group stages.
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Andre Russell
Andre Russell has been Kolkata’s most dangerous and consistent all-rounder in IPL history. Despite being a lower-middle-order batsman, he has piled on 1,622 runs in 64 innings. He has an astonishing strike rate of 180.82 with 139 sixes, making him one of the most feared hitters in the modern game. He has also grabbed 67 wickets in 66 innings with a bowling average of 23.85 and a career strike rate of 15.9 deliveries.
Andre was slightly inconsistent by his high standards during the 2021 IPL season. Nevertheless, he was a valuable addition to the team.
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Venkatesh Iyer
Venkatesh Iyer is a commerce graduate who began to pursue an MBA to play cricket for a longer time. The Kolkata Knight Riders picked him for the 2021 IPL. He made his debut on September 20, 2021, against Royal Challengers Bangalore and just three days later scored his first fifty, which came against the Mumbai Indians.
In the first eliminator, Venkatesh's quickfire 29 against Bangalore, followed by his excellent 51 against Delhi Capitals in the second eliminator, played a massive part in Kolkata reaching the finals. In the final against Chennai, Kolkata had to chase a steep target of 193. Venkatesh Iyer and his strike partner Shubman Gill piled on 91 runs to give their team a chance, though they unfortunately lost. However, Venkatesh was rewarded for his efforts and was asked to be a net bowler for India's T20 World Cup squad. Later, he made his international debut against New Zealand in November 2021.
Indian T20 Fantasy Premier League
