Since 2008, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have had eight different captains
Two-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Kolkata Knight Riders are on a roll this season under the captainship of Shreyas Iyer. Having played nine matches so far, the team has accumulated 12 points with six wins out of nine matches, whereas the team lost three games. Whether Iyer will lead KKR to the coveted trophy cannot be determined at the moment; we can surely look at how KKR’s other captains have performed since the tournament’s inception in 2008.
Great things were expected from our Dada Sourav Ganguly as the prince of Kolkata was chosen the first captain of KKR. Unfortunately, in three seasons from 2008 to 2010, KKR finished in sixth position twice and once even in the eighth position. Ganguly captained 17 matches, losing 14 and winning only 13.
In 2009, McCullum was handed over the captaincy for temporary period. While the former New Zealand player has always been praised for his power hitting in the IPL, his captaincy stint has been forgotten because it was horrendous. In 13 matches, Brendon only secured three wins, losing nine and tying one.
When McCullum set the opening night on fire, scoring 158* in the inaugural game of the IPL
South African star all-rounder Jacques Kallis also donned the captain’s role for a brief period – only two matches. He won one match whereas he lost the other one. Kallis had a scintillating career in the Indian Premier League, but he is best remembered for his 69-run knock off 49 balls in the final match of the IPL 2012 against Chennai Super Kings that helped Kolkata win its first-ever IPL title.
Gambhir is undoubtedly the best KKR captain ever who led the franchise to its only two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014. The Delhi-lad became Kolkata’s favourite boy after he managed the team for six long years and in 122 matches, winning 69 games but losing 51 and tying one. Despite retiring in 2017, Gambhir still remains the highest run scorer for KKR, scoring 3,345 runs in 122 matches with 30 half-centuries and a highest score of 93 and an average of 31.26.
KKR celebrating the 2014 IPL trophy under Gambhir’s leadership
Following Gambhir’s departure, Dinesh Karthik was handed over the captaincy of KKR. He managed the team from 2018 to 2020, overseeing 37 matches, winning 19, losing 17 and drawing one game. The wicket-keeper batsman played 61 matches, scoring 1,143 with an unbeaten high score of 97, along with a strike rate of 28.57. Under Karthik’s leadership, KKR reached the playoffs in 2018.
In 2020, KKR chose Eoin Morgan as the team’s captain who led the team to 11 victories, 12 losses and one tie in 24 matches. Morgan gave KKR its best finish after Gambhir, leading the team to the finale in 2021 against Chennai Super Kings but faced a defeat. In 57 matches, Morgan scored 995 runs for KKR.
In 2022, Shreyas Iyer was announced as the captain of KKR, and he led the team to nine wins and eight losses. Unfortunately, due to an injury in 2023, Rana temporarily took over the captaincy and won only six games out of 14, whereas eight were lost. As of now, Iyer is re-leading the team, but Rana is out with an injury.
