The start of the world’s biggest domestic cricket tournament is almost upon us and the Kolkata Knight Riders will be hoping to become the first team since the Mumbai Indians to win back to back titles.
After a disappointing campaign in 2023, few would have believed that KKR would be the team to end the 2024 IPL campaign as the winners, but after finishing the season on top of the table, they progressed to the final and proved to be far too strong for the Sunrisers to land the franchises second IPL crown.
This year they are regarded as one of the favourites for the title and it will be fascinating to see how they can handle the pressure as the defending champions.
Ahead of them kicking off the new IPL season against RCB, here is everything you need to know about the 2025 Kolkata Knight Riders.
Who are the Kolkata Knight Riders?
The Kolkata Knight Riders or KKR as they have become known were one of the initial teams that formed the formation of the very first IPL tournament back in 2008.
They rank third in the overall standings when it comes to overall titles with only the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings ranking ahead of them when it comes to the total number of titles won.
KKR are one of the most popular teams in the IPL due to their ownership. Whereas some teams in the IPL are owned by businesses or wealthy businessmen, KKR are owned by Bollywood royalty in the shape of Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla and Jay Mehta.
The star owners are always in attendance and often when the KKR are playing it can be the hottest ticket in town.
Where do KKR play?
KKR play their home games at one of the most iconic cricket stadiums in the game, Eden Gardens and they will be hoping to make home advantage count this season.
Able to host up to 68,000 passionate fans, the final for this year’s IPL will be played at Eden Gardens and KKR will be hoping to win a second consecutive title in front of their adoring fans.
Who will KKR be playing this year?
Each of the teams in this year’s IPL will play fourteen matches in the initial league phase.
With the ten teams in the tournament being placed in two separate groups, KKR are in group A and will play against the Chennai Super Kings, Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals and RCB twice. They will also play the Sunrisers twice and the Delhi Capitals, Lucknow Super Giants, Gujurat Titans and the Mumbai Indians once.
It’s a tricky schedule but they will hope to have enough to qualify in the top four spots and qualify for the playoffs.
Who are the stars of this KKR team?
It’s fair to say that the jury is slightly out on how this KKR team stacks up against the victorious team from last year.
Last year the team heavily relied on the explosive power of Phil Salt, the class of Shreyas Iyer and the bowling abilities of Mitchell Starc, but this season all three will be plying their trades elsewhere and KKR have had to rejig their team.
One star addition was Venkatesh Iyer and they will be hoping that he can star with both the bat and ball, and becoming the new captain of the team is Ajinkya Rahane.
The former India star is no stranger to success in this tournament and he will hope to lead from the front when they take to the field against RCB.
Despite losing a trio of key men, KKR did a fantastic job of maintaining the core of their side and some familiar faces are set to return.
Quinton de Kock is one of the best players in T20 history and he will once again open the batting and keep wicket, if he gets on a roll he could well be one of the best batsmen in this season’s tournament.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz will offer explosive power down the order as will Moeen Ali and Andre Russell.
With the ball spinner Sunil Narine is still one of the very best in the business and he will be backed up by the speed of Umran Malik, Varun Chakravarthy and Spencer Johnson.
There is plenty of depth in this KKR side but whether they have the quality to really compete remains very much up for debate.
What do the bookmakers say, and what is our verdict?
Despite winning the IPL last season it’s fair to say that the bookmakers believe that KKR may have a tough time in repeating success from last season.
Currently viewed as the fourth favourites for victory, KKR trail the Mumbai Indians, RCB and the Chennai Super Kings and they have plenty of work to do if they are to repeat as champions.
Last year, KKR were able to boast one of the most talented teams in the IPL and they had class in the shape of Salt, Iyer and Starc and the loss of these three superstars would be felt by any IPL side.
Whilst KKR have arguably a deeper squad than they did at this time of year, whether they have the stars to propel them to victory can be questioned.
The one thing that KKR have on their side is experience and that experience should come in vital as they firstly try to make the playoffs.
Playing their home games at the iconic setting of Eden Gardens is a huge advantage and they will hope to make their home a fortress. There is of course the added incentive that this year’s final will take place at their home venue.
There is certainly plenty to like about KKR’s chances to repeat their success from last season and if they don’t make the playoffs that has to be viewed as a disappointment, but with plenty of star studded teams hoping to make this their year, it could be that KKR come up just short this time around.
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Tom Gibson
Tom Gibson, 33, possesses a keen interest in cricket combined with expertise in betting. Based in Newcastle, he is well-acquainted with the dynamics of the game and the betting world. With numerous years analyzing cricket matches and odds, Tom offers a unique perspective on the intersection of the sport and betting strategies