Two-time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have boasted of having some of the biggest names in its squad over the years.
From T20 specialist Andre Russell to former Indian big-hitter Yusuf Pathan, several explosive batsmen have donned the gold and purple jersey in the last decade.
However, among the hustle and bustle of these pinch-hitters, there happened to be one batsman who exuded calm and composure at the top and scored the most runs for them in IPL history; Gautam Gambhir.
MORE: IPL 2023 latest betting odds and bets
Who is KKR's all-time topscorer in IPL?
Gambhir got 3345 runs under his belt for KKR during his seven-year stay in Kolkata from 2011-2017. His move to the Eden Gardens changed the fortunes of the franchise as well, as they went on to win two championships in 2012 and 2014 under his leadership after a run of three ordinary seasons.
Gambhir scored his runs at an average of 31.26 with a strike rate of 124.72 which shows that he has been one of the most dependable batsmen in IPL history.
Always there for the team 💜@GautamGambhir #SunilNarine #AmiKKR pic.twitter.com/2TB6BfTXpn
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) August 2, 2022
The Delhiite's opening partner for KKR from down south, Robin Uthappa, comes second on the list with 2649 runs to show for his efforts. In fact, the wicketkeeper-batsman's average of 31.53 is slightly better than that of his erstwhile skipper.
Uthappa has played many brilliant innings for KKR but his 83 of 51 not out against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at Eden Gardens stands out among the rest. Despite the hosts losing three quick wickets of Gambhir, Manish Pandey, and Yusuf Pathan inside seven overs, the former India international continued to play the big shots and hit 10 fours and a six which helped KKR post a grand total of 195.
He finished that season as the Orange Cap winner and played an instrumental role in winning the championship.
Caribbean superstar Andre Russell is at the third spot with just over 2000 runs beside his name. The team has been heavily reliant on his heroics as a finisher for many years and more often than not he has delivered in crunch situations. Russell scores his runs at a strike rate of more than 175 which is the best in the league's history.
MORE: IPL 2023 stats: Latest batting and bowling figures
The top five is completed with Yusuf Pathan and Nitish Rana respectively. The former has scored 2061 runs for KKR at an average of more than 30 while Rana has the opportunity to go past him in the future as he currently falls short of less than 300 runs than the former India international.
Captain Rana is all set! 🫡 Are you? 🫵
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 6, 2023
🎨: M_EVAN@NitishRana_27 #KKRvRCB #AmiKKR #TATAIPL2023 pic.twitter.com/nSzDlZEEiL
READ: IPL 2023: Who will win the Purple Cap? | IPL 2023: Who will win the Orange Cap?
Who are Kolkata Knight Rider's top 10 run scorers?
| Name | Span | Inns | Runs | HS | Average | SR |
| Gautam Gambhir | 2011-17 | 121 | 3345 | 93 | 31.26 | 124.72 |
| Robin Uthappa | 2014-19 | 89 | 2649 | 87 | 31.53 | 135.84 |
| Andre Russell | 2014-present | 83 | 2071 | 88* | 29.59 | 177.62 |
| Yusuf Pathan | 2011-17 | 103 | 2061 | 72 | 30.30 | 135.94 |
| Nitish Rana | 2018-23 | 71 | 1768 | 87 | 27.62 | 135.68 |
| Jacques Kallis | 2011-14 | 67 | 1603 | 80* | 28.12 | 108.31 |
| Manish Pandey | 2014-17 | 57 | 1442 | 94 | 32.77 | 126.82 |
| Shubman Gill | 2018-21 | 55 | 1417 | 76 | 31.48 | 123.0 |
| Chris Lynn | 2014-19 | 40 | 1274 | 93* | 34.43 | 141.39 |
| Dinesh Karthik | 2018-21 | 58 | 1143 | 97* | 28.57 | 140.41 |
