The KKR full form for IPL stands for Kolkata Knight Riders. In the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise was valued at $75.09 million. The franchise is jointly owned by Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan, actress Juhi Chawla, and her husband, Jay Mehta. The team has a strong fan following, particularly in East India.
KKR (full form: Kolkata Knight Riders)
Since its inception in 2008, the KKR (full form: Kolkata Knight Riders) franchise has made it to the IPL playoffs six times, winning the tournament twice in 2012 and 2014, and has been one of the most competitive teams in the league over the past decade.
Kolkata Knight Riders often feature several high-profile players, such as Brendon McCullum and Andre Russell, which helps to attract even more fans, making them one of the league’s most popular teams.
Here is an overview of the KKR:
| KKR Full form IPL | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| Owner | Knight Riders Sports Private Ltd |
| Coach | Chandrakant Pandit |
| Venue | Eden Garden |
| Captain | Nitish Rana |
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KKR: Players List 2023
Let’s take a look at the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) retained players list in the table below for the upcoming IPL 2023 auction:
| KKR IPL 2023 players | Role | Nationality |
| Shreyas Iyer | Batter – Captain | Indian |
| Rinku Singh | Batter | Indian |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | Batter | Afghan |
| Nitish Rana | Batter | Indian |
| Anukul Roy | Batting All-rounder | Indian |
| Lockie Ferguson | Bowler | New Zealander |
| Andre Russell | All-rounder | West Indian |
| Venkatesh Iyer | All-rounder | Indian |
| Umesh Yadav | Bowler | Indian |
| Harshit Rana | Bowler | Indian |
| Tim Southee | Bowler | New Zealander |
| Shardul Thakur | Bowler | Indian |
| Sunil Narine | Bowler | West Indian |
| Varun Chakravarthy | Bowler | Indian |
| Narayan Jagadeesan | Batter | Indian |
| Litton Das | Batter | Bangladesh |
| Mandeep Singh | Batter | Indian |
| Aarya Desai | Batter | Indian |
| Johnson Charles | Batter | West Indian |
| Jason Roy | Batter | English |
| David Wiese | All-rounder | South African |
| Shakib Al Hasan | All-rounder | Bangladeshi |
| Kulwant Khejroliya | Bowler | Indian |
| Vaibhav Arora | Bowler | Indian |
| Suyash Sharma | Bowler | Indian |
KKR (full form: Kolkata Knight Riders) Journey
The KKR team debuted in the 2008 season and has been a regular feature in the tournament since then.
KKR kicked off the newborn league with a bang, where Brendon McCullum creamed 158* off just 73 balls in the first match for KKR, giving it a dream start. The side won the second match too, but then they went on a four-match losing streak. The team tried to revive their campaign, but they lost three games in a row, finishing the first season in 6th place with six wins and seven losses.
In 2009, the KKR team was a hot mess. They started strong with a win, but then they lost to Rajasthan Royals in a super over. This sparked a losing streak of nine games. In the end, could only manage three wins in the tournament and finished in last place.
After ending up in last place the previous season, KKR began the 2010 season with two wins. But they were soon returned to reality with three losses in a row. They followed that up with a few more wins and losses, keeping themselves alive in the race for the playoffs. But in the end, four teams had the same number of points (14), and KKR got knocked out because of their negative net run rate.
KKR road to victory
After being the laughingstock of the IPL for the first three seasons, a new-look KKR set out to change the team’s fortunes. And it was for the first time that the team qualified for the playoffs. However, they ended their journey in the eliminator facing defeat against Mumbai Indians, registering only eight wins in 14 matches.
The excellent performance in the IPL in 2011 boosted KKR’s confidence, and they performed even better in 2012. They got off to a bad start, losing two straight games. They got back on track with two wins, then a loss, six straight wins, two losses, and finally, two wins. KKR finished second in the league stage with 10 wins from 16 games, engraving their name on the dazzling IPL trophy.
IPL 2013 season was a total bust for Kolkata Knight Riders. They started strong with a win but then lost six out of their next seven matches. This derailed their season, and, despite winning a few games, later on, they finished seventh in the standings with six wins out of sixteen matches.
After a strong start in the UAE, KKR lost three of its next four matches in the IPL season 2014. But they came back swinging when they returned to India, winning nine matches in a row and finishing second on the points table in the league stage with nine wins from 14 matches. In the end, KKR defeated Kings XI Punjab twice (Qualifier One and Final) to emerge Champions for the second time.
Average performance Spree of KKR
The Knight Riders were doing great in IPL season 2015, with three wins in their first four matches. But then they hit a rough patch and lost their way. This put them in a situation where they needed to win one of their last two games to make it into the playoff. Unfortunately, they lost both games and narrowly missed the playoffs qualification, ending in fifth place with six losses from 14 matches.
The 2016 IPL season was a success for the team, with more wins than losses. They started strong, and thanks to Jamaican superstar Andre Rusell’s all-around skills, the Knight Riders finished in fourth place in the league stage. However, they were knocked out in the eliminator and ended the season with eight wins from 14 matches.
KKR’s performance declined, and they were knocked out in the qualifier, ending with eight wins in 14 matches (IPL 2017).
Losing KKR powerhouse
Dinesh Karthik took over as captain this season after Gambhir left the team and did an exceptional job. Russell came back from his ban and played great, too. KKR qualified for the playoffs comfortably. They beat Rajasthan Royals in the eliminator but then lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad in the semi-final and ended their season with eight wins from 14 matches.
KKR started strong in the IPL season 2019. But then lost six games in a row, putting them in a situation where they needed to win their last league game to make the playoffs. But they lost that too. And on top of all that, their NRR (net run rate) was lower than the other teams, so they missed a playoff spot. By the end of the season, they had only six wins in 14 matches and 12 points total.
KKR latest performance indicators
2020 IPL season, KKR (full form: Kolkata Knight Riders) saw a change in captaincy, with Karthik stepping down and Eoin Morgan taking over. Unfortunately, KKR’s fortunes remained the same; they only won three games in seven matches. They managed to win four more games in the next seven matches but again missed out on the playoffs due to an inferior NRR. In the end, they finished fifth with seven wins in 14 games.
KKR didn’t have the best start to the 2021 IPL season, only winning 2 out of their first 7 games. But they turned things around in the second half after the COVID-19 break and made it to the playoffs and, later on, to the finals. However, they lost to the evergreen CSK and had to settle for fourth place with seven wins out of fourteen matches.
The Kolkata Knight Riders made a solid start to their IPL 2022 campaign. They won three of their four matches and appeared to be a strong contender for the title. However, they lost their way in the middle losing five consecutive games, which thrashed their hopes of playoff qualification, and they finished seventh in the group table with only six wins from 14 matches.
Take a look at the latest 2023 IPL performance of KKR here.
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Select the cricket stat to challenge your opponent. The higher stat wins the round, and the player who earns the maximum points wins. Besides, you can also stand a CHANCE TO WIN 10 lakhs! Click the Download App button on this page and start winning real money.
KKR (full form: Kolkata Knight Riders): Takeaway
- KKR’s full form is Kolkata Knight Rider.
- The KKR team is jointly owned by Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan, actress Juhi Chawla, and her husband, Jay Mehta.
- KKR won the tournament twice in 2012 and 2014.
- KKR has already spent 87.95 million on retaining the 14 players mentioned in this article.
- Eden Gardens is the home ground for the team
- The captain of the IPL 2023 is Nitish Rana.
KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders): FAQs
What is KKR full form?
The KKR full form for IPL is Kolkata Knight Riders.
Who is currently the captain of the KKR team?
Nitish Rana is the current captain of the KKR team.
Who has been appointed as the new head coach of Kolkata Knight Riders?
Chandrakant Pandit has been appointed the KKR team’s new head coach. He replaces Brendon McCullum.
Who is the new fielding coach for the Kolkata Knight Riders?
Ryan Ten Doeschate has been named the KKR team’s fielding coach.
What is the KKR team’s official theme?
Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo Re is the KKR team’s official theme: “we will perform, fight, and win!”
Where is the home ground of Kolkata Knight Riders?
The team’s home is Eden Gardens, one of the world’s largest and most iconic cricket stadiums.