The Kolkata Knight Riders are one of the most recognisable franchises in the IPL, with an enriched historical legacy and an ardent fan base. The 2025 season is near, and with the successful 2024 campaign, which earned them their third IPL championship, KKR gears up to defend the title. In its recent performances, the team has been strategising heavily from player acquisition changes in coaching so that the team remains competitive at the league level.
Team Overview
Franchise Background
Founded in 2008, KKR is owned by Bollywood icons Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla, along with her spouse, Jay Mehta. Based in Kolkata, the team plays its home matches at the iconic Eden Gardens, known for its electrifying atmosphere. With a loyal following, KKR has been one of the top-performing franchises in the league.
Recent Achievements
The 2024 season was, however, one of those factors that came in the way as KKR managed to lift their title drought after a decade on the final match day, defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad. At the helm for KKR was a mix of experience and the rise of newcomers, captained by the same influential player across the season in Shreyas Iyer. That win only reinstated its status among T20 powerhouses, creating huge expectations from the present season. Despite being the defending champions KKR is not the predicted winner for the upcoming IPL season.
Squad Dynamics
Retentions and Releases
For IPL 2025, KKR went with a selective retention policy. They retained six key players:
| Player | Role | Salary (INR) |
| Rinku Singh | Batter | 13 crore |
| Sunil Narine | All-rounder | 12 crore |
| Varun Chakravarthy | Bowler | 12 crore |
| Andre Russell | All-rounder | 12 crore |
| Harshit Rana | Bowler | 4 crore |
| Ramandeep Singh | Bowler | 4 crore |
On the other hand, KKR let go of a host of established players, including their title-winning skipper Shreyas Iyer and experienced batters, Manish Pandey and Nitish Rana, in a bid to give the squad a fresh start in the auction.
IPL 2025 Auction Highlights
The KKR entered the limelight in the IPL 2025 auction with a purse of ₹51 crore. They got Venkatesh Iyer for ₹23.75 crore, a record price paid for any all-rounder in the IPL’s history. They further reinforced their batting with Quinton de Kock for ₹3.6 crore and their bowling with South African pacer Anrich Nortje for ₹6.5 crore.
Current Squad Composition
KKR’s squad for IPL 2025 is a perfect blend of experienced players and promising newcomers:
| Player | Role | Nationality |
| Rinku Singh | Batter | India |
| Quinton de Kock | Wicketkeeper | South Africa |
| Ajinkya Rahane | Batter | India |
| Venkatesh Iyer | All-rounder | India |
| Andre Russell | All-rounder | West Indies |
| Sunil Narine | All-rounder | West Indies |
| Varun Chakravarthy | Bowler | India |
| Anrich Nortje | Bowler | South Africa |
| Moeen Ali | All-rounder | England |
| Spencer Johnson | Bowler | Australia |
| Harshit Rana | Bowler | India |
| Ramandeep Singh | All-rounder | India |
| Angkrish Raghuvanshi | Batter | India |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | Wicketkeeper | Afghanistan |
This roster shows depth and versatility across various roles, which is crucial to adapt to different situations in a match.
Leadership and Coaching Staff
With Iyer’s exit, Ajinkya Rahane came in as captain, and naturally, the dynamics changed a lot. He brings a lot of experience and is tactically astute, which will be really important as he leads a team with very high aspirations.
Chandrakant Pandit will be the head coach, as other staff members have left for different opportunities. Under him, KKR will seek to create an atmosphere that provides the right ecosystem for player development and performance improvement.
A notable change in support staff includes Dwayne Bravo stepping in as a mentor. His experience from both playing and coaching will be invaluable in guiding younger players through the rigours of IPL competition.
Strategic Outlook for IPL 2025
As KKR gears up for the season that will start on March 22, 2025, the team will look to build on the success of last year amid challenges thrown up by changes in leadership and composition. The team’s strategy will likely focus on the following:
- Balanced Team Composition: With a mix of explosive batting and versatile bowling options, KKR aims to field a well-rounded team that can tackle various opponents.
- Youth Integration: The lineup includes emerging talents like Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who blend well with the established stars to create dynamism in their playing style during matches.
- Strong Bowling Attack: Retaining key bowlers such as Varun Chakravarthy and adding new talent like Anrich Nortje significantly increase their bowling strength.
Fan Involvement and Community Impact
KKR continues to maintain a strong connection with the fans through various initiatives related to community participation. The franchise promotes cricketing talent at the grassroots level, while ongoing interaction with the fans usually goes through social networking sites and promotional events prior to each season.
This team’s journey in PL 2025 is about winning titles, nurturing local talent, and maintaining its status as one of the favourite franchises among cricket lovers across India.
With Kolkata Knight Riders building up for yet another season full of expectation and competitive spirit, an experience that blends with youth keeps them good enough to challenge again for yet another championship title while being a fan favourite on and off the field.
IPL 2025
As the 2025 IPL season is almost here, we are touching everything about the IPL on the site. You can for instance explore our team guides, including the Gujarat Titans, or find out about the top IPL betting sites available in India.