Since the Indian Premier League (IPL) began in 2008, one club that has established itself is the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The Kolkata Knight Riders, co-owned by Shah Rukh Khan, have always been well-known because of their Bollywood affiliation. After a difficult start to the competition, KKR gradually improved and won the IPL twice, in 2012 and 2014, under the wise leadership of Gautam Gambhir.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) introduced flair and glamour to the IPL from the very first year. Brendon McCullum lit up the tournament with an incredible 158 in the opening match against Royal Challengers Bangalore, giving them a great start. However, things took a completely different turn for the brand based in Kolkata.
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ToggleStruggle in the initial seasons
In 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011, the Kolkata Knight Riders Cup on the points table was placed sixth, last, and fourth in the IPL, respectively. Despite having all the big-name players on their side, they were never able to assemble a strong team. Brendon McCullum succeeded Sourav Ganguly as captain on several occasions. The team also endured a great deal of off-field controversy.
Rise as a formidable force
In 2011, the Kolkata team decided to completely restructure its roster. They gave Gautam Gambhir control of the team, failed to select Ganguly in the auctions, which caused a lot of controversy, and brought in Sunil Narine, an unidentified person. These choices paid off right away, as KKR won the 2012 Indian Premier League.
For the first time in four years, the Kolkata Knight Riders made it to the playoffs and were beginning to resemble a team that belonged on stage. Then, in 2012, Kolkata overcame all odds to win the IPL title by defeating the Chennai Super Kings in the final. Kolkata experienced another little setback in 2013, finishing seventh, but they bounced back and won the IPL again in 2014.
Read about – KKR Full Form in IPL
The only team with several IPL titles after Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians is the Kolkata Knight Riders. Here, we examine the three seasons in which the Kolkata Knight Riders emerged victorious:
2024 Indian Premier League
Kolkata Knight Riders winners; Sunrisers Hyderabad runners-up.
The 2024 Indian Premier League season for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) was outstanding. They advanced to the final and played some incredible cricket. They faced Sunrisers Hyderabad, the 2016 champions, in the championship match. With outstanding performance, KKR won the game easily. This was their third IPL championship, leading to a lot of profit even for the IPL Match Betting experts.
2012 Indian Premier League
Chennai Super Kings were the runners-up, and Kolkata Knight Riders were the winners.
The Kolkata Knight Riders were at their most dominant in the fifth IPL season. They dominated and had a squad unlike any other, with a fantastic blend of youth and experience. The Delhi Daredevils (now the Delhi Capitals) and Rajasthan Royals dealt the Kolkata Knight Riders two straight defeats to begin the season. Nevertheless, they recovered well, losing just one of their subsequent ten games. After KKR took control of Eden Gardens, they started boxing their way out of their weight and defeating one team after another. Just behind the Delhi Daredevils, the Kolkata Knight Riders placed second in the group stage standings.
They advanced to the IPL final by defeating Delhi by 18 runs in Qualifier 1 thanks to another outstanding performance. Few had given Kolkata much of a chance when they faced the Chennai Super Kings in the final, especially after the men in yellow scored an impressive 190/3 batting first. However, Jacques Kallis and Manvinder Bisla had different plans. To help the Kolkata Knight Riders advance, the pair scored 136 runs off of just 82 balls for the second wicket. Shakib Al Hasan and Manoj Tiwary maintained composure to assist the team in chasing down the target with two balls remaining, even though the situation was still delicate. Although there wasn’t much between the two teams, the Kolkata Knight Riders’ perseverance showed.
The inclusion of Sunil Narine, who was unknown on the international scene, was what helped them. With 24 wickets in 15 appearances, he finished the competition as the second-highest wicket-taker. What was notable was his economy rate of 5.47. Narine’s play earned him Player of the Series. With 590 runs in 17 innings, Gautam Gambhir was the competition’s second-highest run scorer.
Also, check – KKR IPL 2025 Players List
2014 Indian Premier League
Kolkata Knight Riders champions; Kings XI Punjab came in second.
The Kolkata Knight Riders had a poor IPL season in 2013, but in 2014, things took a turn for the better. For Kolkata, the stars appeared to be in alignment. They won the IPL trophy in 2014, and their season was very similar to their 2012 one. The squad from Kolkata defeated Mumbai to begin the 2014 season and maintained their poise throughout the competition. The surface of Eden Gardens greatly aided them, and they had a lot of slower bowlers in their arsenal.
Kolkata finished second on the points standings after the league stage. Then, at Eden Gardens, they faced Kings XI Punjab in Qualifier 1. Here, Umesh Yadav and Robin Uthappa were the main attractions. With a commanding 28-run victory, KKR’s live score improve,d and it secured their second trip to the IPL final.
Since the M Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium hosted the final, there would be plenty of runs. As expected, Punjab scored 199/4 when they batted first, with Wriddhiman Saha hitting 115* off 55 balls. Otherwise, the objective would have been intimidating, but Kolkata came out firing, creating excitement among T20 betting pundits.
With a spectacular 94 from 50 balls, Manish Pandey stole the show as Kolkata won the IPL trophy for the second time. Once again, Gautam Gambhir’s captaincy was spot on. While Narine was the standout player for KKR with the ball, taking 21 wickets, Robin Uthappa was the season’s top run scorer and was awarded the orange cap. This website also gives you all the updates of the upcoming IPL season.
Conclusion
It took KKR 10 years to finally win the IPL again when they did so in 2024. However, in the process, they became the third most successful franchise in IPL history after Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings who’ve won 5 titles apiece, being a true Baap of the IPL.
KKR in the IPL Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1.How many titles has KKR won in the IPL?
3, in 2012, 2014 and 2024. They also finished runners-up in 2021.
2.Has KKR ever won the Champions League tournament?
No, the Champions League trophy has eluded the KKR franchise, with their best performance in the tournament being the runners-up finish in 2014.
3.Who captained KKR to their first IPL title in 2012?
Gautam Gambhir.
Noel Varghese is a qualified content writer with 3 years of expertise. He brings a lot of flair because of his extraordinary writing skills. His passion for sports is visible in each of his articles as they offer readers valuable insights and in-depth analysis.
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