Have the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) improved or regressed since IPL 2024? Well, think about it. They released title-winning skipper Shreyas Iyer and mentor Gautam Gambhir also left for Team India duties. Given the enormous contract he was under, KKR also had to leave out Mitchell Starc. Now, after the IPL 2025, it would be fascinating if someone dubbed them as favourites to defend their title. But ignore them at your own peril. KKR are three-time IPL champions for a reason. Although they don’t have Iyer, the Knights have another Mumbai-born batter, who’s a natural leader. Ajinkya Rahane will lead the side in IPL 2025. But, how will his team look on paper? Let us discuss more of that below.
Sunil Narine’s spot shouldn’t be changed
Sunil Narine was one of the major reasons why KKR lifted the IPL 2024 crown. He was a beast at the top, scoring 488 runs at an incredible strike rate of 180.74. His position shouldn’t be tinkered with and head coach Chandrakant Pandit won’t. If he gets on, Narine will make the match a one-sided affair. His partner last time was Phil Salt – now at RCB. Once again, KKR need to put a keeper up top. There will be a toss-up between Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Quinton De Kock and we feel, for starters, they will give experience some preference.
Rahane’s middle-order features?
An absolute superb middle-order follows for KKR. Ajinkya Rahane’s best position would be at number three. Despite being in the twilight of his career, Rahane has been in tremendous form. At the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), he clubbed 469 runs at 58.63 and 164.56. His form led Mumbai to win the T20 championship. Two more Indian follows with Venkatesh Iyer and Rinku Singh, who have both been regular contributors for the franchise.
The strike power will be added by Andre Russell and Ramandeep Singh. The two can torment any bowling side and on a small Eden Gardens’ ground, they can hammer sixes at will. Last year, both Russell and Ramandeep struck 347 runs at a combined strike rate of above 190. These truly are deadly numbers and Ramandeep now being an international player, would come out with even more confidence.
KKR bowling: Champions Trophy winners to spearhead
Kolkata’s bowling will be the one to watch out for! This time, the bowling unit is much more experienced. Harshit Rana and Varun Chakaravarthy, who both got gold medals for winning the ICC Champions Trophy for India, will be quite dominating. Rana’s hit-the-deck bowling will create havoc, while there seems to be no one who can pick Chakaravarthy. Vaibhav Arora, who was bought back by the franchise, will be a key component as well. He will take the new ball bowling with a possible Starc replacement, Spencer Johnson. KKR also have an option of Anrich Nortje but the Protea pacer is coming on the back of injury struggles.
Another option instead of Arora could be Mayank Markande. The choice will be based on horses for courses. On spin-friendly tracks, Markande’s leg-spin could be of massive use.
KKR Strongest Playing XI ft. Rahane
| S. No | Player | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quinton de Kock✈️ | Keeper |
| 2 | Sunil Narine ✈️ | All-rounder |
| 3 | Ajinkya Rahane (C) | Batter |
| 4 | Venkatesh Iyer | All-rounder |
| 5 | Rinku Singh | Batter |
| 6 | Andre Rusell ✈️ | All-rounder |
| 7 | Ramandeep Singh | All-rounder |
| 8 | Harshit Rana | Pacer |
| 9 | Vaibhav Arora | Pacer |
| 10 | Varun Chakaravarthy | Spinner |
| 11 | Spencer Johnson✈️ | Pacer |
It must be noted that the above playing XI caters to a situation when KKR is bowling first. They will have to add either Angkrish Raghuvanshi or Manish Pandey as an impact sub in the second innings when batting.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) IPL 2025 squad
Rinku Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh, Venkatesh Iyer (Rs. 23.75 crore), Quinton de Kock (Rs. 3.60 crore), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Rs. 2 crore), Anrich Nortje (Rs. 6.50 crore), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (Rs. 3 crore), Vaibhav Arora (Rs. 1.80 crore), Mayank Markande (Rs. 30 lakh), Rovman Powell (Rs. 1.50 crore), Manish Pandey (Rs. 75 lakh), Spencer Johnson (Rs. 2.80 crore), Luvnith Sisodia (Rs. 30 lakh), Ajinkya Rahane (Rs. 1.50 crore), Anukul Roy (Rs. 40 lakh), Moeen Ali (Rs. 2 crore), Umran Malik (Rs. 75 lakh).
