New Delhi: The Kolkata Knight Riders, the third most successful team in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) after Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings with three titles, will aim to go all the way again under the leadership of new captain, seasoned Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane.
The defending champions have retained a core group of players from their triumphant campaign. However, significant changes have occurred in the coaching staff and leadership, with Rahane taking over as captain, replacing Shreyas Iyer, who has joined Punjab Kings.
The change in KKR’s coaching staff was necessitated by key figures including coach Gautam Gambhir and his assistants Ryan ten Doeschate and Abhishek Nayar, moving to the Indian team setup.
The new-look coaching staff comprises Chandrakant Pandit as head coach, West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Bravo as mentor, former Indian bowling coach Bharat Arun as bowling coach, and Carl Crowe as spin bowling coach.
KKR will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL’s curtain-raiser clash on 22 March.
Strong suits
KKR’s biggest strength is their core players from the 2024 winning campaign, including Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, and the West Indian duo of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, all of whom will be eager to replicate their title-winning success.
Apart from the West Indian duo, they boast a plethora of all-rounders, including former England captain Moeen Ali, Venkatesh Iyer, Anukul Roy, and Ramandeep Singh, who add depth and balance to the team in all aspects.
The mystery spin duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy will continue to pose a threat to batters in the middle overs. In the 2024 season, they collectively claimed 36 wickets, with Chakravarthy emerging as the second-highest wicket-taker with 21 scalps. Narine, on the other hand, picked up 15 crucial wickets and created history by becoming the first player in IPL history to take 15 wickets and score 500-plus runs in a single season.
KKR appear to be a well-rounded team, with a solid top order thanks to the retention of Afghan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz and the addition of seasoned South African wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock. The middle order is equally formidable, featuring the explosive Andre Russell, who is aptly supported by fellow West Indian Rovman Powell, a valuable backup option.
The team also showcases exciting young Indian talents, including Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora and Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who will look to build on their impressive performances. On paper, KKR seems to have assembled a formidable squad, with suitable replacements for key players, indicating a well-thought-out team strategy.
Vulnerabilities
Despite KKR’s strong squad, they face a significant challenge in adapting to life without Shreyas Iyer. With a new captain in Ajinkya Rahane and changes to the support staff, the team may need time to settle into their new dynamics posing speculations about how the transition will pan out for the Knights.
Another challenge also remains in KKR’s inexperienced pace attack. While South African pacer Anrich Nortje brings some firepower, the rest of the pace bowling unit lacks depth and experience. With Umran Malik injured, KKR will rely on relatively untested options like Chetan Sakariya and Australian left-arm pace bowler Spencer Johnson, which could be a vulnerability, especially in high-pressure situations.
However, Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora, despite their inexperience, showed promise last season and will need to step up and replicate their impressive performances to strengthen KKR’s pace attack.
Kolkata Knight Riders Squad IPL 2025:
Ajinkya Rahane (C), Rinku Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Anrich Nortje, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Spencer Johnson, Luvnith Sisodia, Anukul Roy, Moeen Ali, Chetan Sakariya.
Probable XII
Sunil Narine
Quinton de Kock
Ajinkya Rahane (C)
Angkrish Raghuvanshi
Venkatesh Iyer
Rinku Singh
Andre Russell
Ramandeep Singh
Harshit Rana
Spencer Johnson/Anrich Nortje
Varun Chakravarthy
Impact Player: Vaibhav Arora
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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