KKR IPL team, stats, history, schedule: Have the Kolkata Knight Riders ever won the IPL?

Lachlan Mitchell

KKR IPL team, stats, history, schedule: Have the Kolkata Knight Riders ever won the IPL? image

One of the most glamourous teams in the Indian Premier League, the Kolkata Knight Riders will be looking to claim top spot in the 2023 edition of the competition.

The Knight Riders are one of the founding teams of the IPL and featured in the first ever game of the tournament way back in 2008, a game many fans won't forget in a hurry.

Now England coach and former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum smashed his way to 158 not out of 73 balls, which included 10 fours and 13 sixes, in a 140-run hammering of Royal Challengers Bangalore. 

KKR IPL STATS

Season Match Won Lost NR Win % Tied Pos  
2008 14 6 7 1 43% 0 6  
2009 14 3 10 1 21% 0 8  
2010 14 7 7 0 50% 0 6  
2011 15 8 7 0 53% 0 4  
2012 18 12 5 1 67% 0 Winners   
2013 16 6 10 0 38% 0 7  
2014 16 11 5 0 69% 0 Winners  
2015 14 7 6 1 50% 0 5  
2016 15 8 7 0 53% 0 4  
2017 16 9 7 0 56% 0 4  
2018 16 9 7 0 56% 0 3  
2019 14 6 8 0 43% 0 5  
2020 14 6 7 0 43% 1 6  
2021 17 9 8 0 53% 0 4  
2022 14 6 8 0 43% 0 -  
Total   113 109 4   1 2 X Champions   

The team has also been bolstered by Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan owning half of the esteemed franchise. The purple army call Eden Gardens, Kolkata, home with a raging capacity of 68,000.

Last season was a bit of a let-down for fans of the Knight Riders, who finished seventh with six wins and eight losses. The side know what the pinnacle of IPL tastes like after being crowned champions in 2012 and 2014.

The Knight Riders faced a tough loss to the Chennai Super Kings in the 2021 tournament, where they lost in the final going down by 27 runs. 

Kolkata head into IPL 2023 with a stable core and the addition of three new players Shakib Al Hasan, Mandeep Singh and Litton Das.

Shakib is no stranger to the IPL or the Knight Riders. The left-armer had a stint with the Kolkata-based side from 2011-17 and again in the 2021 season, providing assistance with bat and ball to bolster the KKR middle order. Shakib has taken 63 wickets at an average of 29 in his 71 IPL matches. The Bangladeshi all-rounder can also help boost the run-rate with a strike-rate of 124 at an average just under 20.

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KKR SQUAD 2023

Shreyas Iyer (c) Batter 28 INR 12.25 crores India
Narayan Jagadeeshan Wicketkeeper-batter 27 INR 90 lakhs India
David Wiese All-rounder 37 INR 1 crore Namibia
Kulwant Khejroliya Bowler 31 INR 20 lakhs India
Suyash Sharma Bowler 19 INR 20 lakhs India
Harshit Rana Bowler 21 INR 20 lakhs India
Venkatesh Iyer All-rounder 28 INR 8 crores India
Sunil Narine Bowling all-rounder 34 INR 6 crores West Indies 
Rahmanullah Gurbaz Wicketkeeper-batter 21 INR 50 lakhs Afghanistan 
Nitish Rana Batter 29 INR 8 crores India
Anukul Roy All-rounder 24 INR 20 lakhs India
Andre Russell All-rounder 34 INR 12 crores West Indies 
Rinku Singh Batter 25 INR 55 lakhs India
Tim Southee Bowler 34 INR 1.5 crores New Zealand 
Shardul Thakur Bowler 31 INR 10.75 crores India
Varun Chakravarthy Bowler 31 INR 8 crores India
Umesh Yadav Bowler 35 INR 2 crores India
Vaibhav Arora All-rounder 25 INR 60 lakhs India
Mandeep Singh Batter 31 INR 50 Lakhs India 
Litton Das Wicketkeeper-batter 28 INR 50 Lakhs Bangladesh
Shakib Al Hasan All-rounder 35 INR 1.5 crore Bangladesh

Captain Shreyas Iyer, who played his role with the bat last season averaging just a touch under 31, is doubtful for the first half of the tournament with a back injury meaning Nitish Rana will deputise as skipper.

Veteran Andre Russell will once again don the purple as he continues his globe-trotting T20 charge.

Russell averaged 37.22 last season and was the side's highest run-scorer. He will be looking to take a more forward approach this season especially in the early stages of the season with Iyer missing. 

Another big miss for the Knight Riders is Australia captain Pat Cummins, who has opted to miss the tournament this year to focus on the jam-packed England tour for the Ashes and a World Test Championship. 

Indian quick Umesh Yadav will be hoping to continue his good form this season. Yadav picked up 16 wickets in 2022 and had best figures of 4-23 against the Punjab Kings.

Yadav and New Zealand Test captain Tim Southee will take the reins with the new ball to headline the pace attack.

West Indies international Sunil Narine will also buddy up with new recruit Shakib to enforce the spin frontier. 

The Knight Riders first game will be against the Punjab Kings on April 1 in Mohali before they return home to face the Royal Challengers Bangalore on Thursday April 6.

MORE: Latest IPL 2023 betting and odds

KKR IPL SCHEDULE  

Apr 01 Punjab Kings
Apr 06 Royal Challengers Bangalore
Apr 09 Gujarat Titans
Apr 14 Sunrisers Hyderabad 
Apr 16  Mumbai Indians
Apr 20 Delhi Capitals
Apr 23 Chennai Super Kings
Apr 26 Royal Challengers Bangalore 
Apr 29 Gujarat Titans
May 04 Sunrisers Hyderabad
May 08 Punjab Kings 
May 11 Rajasthan Royals
May 14 Chennai Super Kings
May 20  Lucknow Super Giants

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Lachlan Mitchell

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Lachlan is a keen lover of all things sport from AFL to cricket and everything in-between.

He is also a movie fanatic and thinks Michael Cera doesn’t get the credit he deserves. His sporting Hall of Fame would have to be Michael Jordan, Dustin Martin and Muhammad Ali.