Kolkata Knight Riders have seen their title defense derail in IPL 2025. The defending champions, now led by Ajinkya Rahane, slumped to yet another defeat on Monday, all but ending their playoff hopes. While they remain in contention mathematically, it seems a bridge too far for the KKR squad given their current struggles.
Here at Insidesport.in, we try decoding KKR’s IPL 2025 struggles and the reasons behind the same.
1. Leadership overhaul
Gautam Gambhir heralded Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL 2024 triumph as mentor. As a World Cup winner and two-time IPL champion, Gambhir instilled a fearless approach into the squad. He and Shreyas Iyer built quite the partnership, helping them to a title after a decade-long wait. That success saw Gambhir poached by the BCCI for the Indian Cricket Team gig, with Abhishek Nayar also departing. Iyer was not retained, and Ajinkya Rahane was appointed skipper, with Dwayne Bravo roped in as team mentor. Fair to say after 3 wins in 8 games, the changes haven’t work for KKR.
2. Openers and powerplay failure
Much of KKR’s success was built on their ability to go big and hard in the powerplay with Sunil Narine and Phil Salt. The duo scored consistently at over 12 runs per over, giving KKR a platform to build their innings. With Phil Salt moving to RCB and Sunil Narine not enjoying his best returns, KKR have struggled. So far in IPL 2025, they are the only team without a 50+ opening partnership. Their run-rate in the first six overs is also the second lowest, meaning they are always playing catch-up.
3. Failing middle order
While their top order has failed to get them starts, the middle order has done very little to compensate. Ajinkya Rahane is the only player with respectable numbers to his name, with 3 half-centuries. The likes of Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell and Angkrish Raghuvanshi have failed to deliver consistently. Their defeat to the Punjab Kings, where they failed to chase 111, is a clear summation of their struggles with the bat this season. Earlier, they were also skittled out for 116 by the Mumbai Indians. Their ability to take on spin and score runs have seen them fall behind par scores and run rates, making defeat a far more likelier outcome.
4. Awful auction, retention
Kolkata Knight Riders were among the only two teams to retain 6 players heading into the mega auction. They decided to let go of captain Shreyas Iyer, while continuing to put their trust in veterans Sunil Narine and Andre Russell. Despite their shoestring budget, the defending champions splurged in excess of Rs 24 crore to get Venkatesh Iyer. The all-rounder was appointed vice-captain but has largely been a disappointment. KKR also failed to replace the likes of Phil Salt and Mitchell Starc, leaving them with too many holes in the side. Narine and Russell, though retained, have failed to make a mark in IPL 2025, further making KKR’s decisions questionable.
5. Lack of role clarity
KKR’s struggles seem to portray a lack of role clarity within the side. Angkrish Raghuvanshi batted at No.9 in the KKR vs GT clash, despite being a top-order bat. Ramandeep Singh, a designated finisher, was promoted in the defeat to LSG, while Rinku Singh has hardly had a bat this season again. Quinton de Kock’s role as a powerplay enforcer is also at odds with the Proteas ace striking at 137.50. His replacement, Rahmaullah Gurba,z only lasted 4 balls on his debut.
Kolkata Knight Riders could still win their remaining 6 games and prove their doubters wrong. The three-time champions had mounted a similar comeback in 2021 to reach the final. However, whether the KKR IPL 2025 squad can do the same remains to be seen.
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