Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) enter the IPL 2025 season as the defending champions under the leadership of Ajinkya Rahane, having clinched their third title in 2024. This achievement marked a triumphant return to the top for a franchise (KKR) that had last tasted success in 2014. The journey to their third title was nothing short of spectacular, with the team showcasing resilience, skill, and strategic brilliance throughout the tournament.
Led by Shreyas Iyer, who captained the side with aplomb, KKR demonstrated a perfect blend of youth and experience, leveraging their home advantage at Eden Gardens to outmanoeuvre opponents. Ajinkya Rahane-led Kolkata Knight Riders, the defending champions will be eager to repeat their heroics from the 2024 season. The three-time champions have gone through massive changes this year and their performance in IPL 2025 will be closely watched.
After Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders are the most successful IPL franchise with three titles. Ahead of the IPL 2025 Mega Auction, the Kolkata-based franchise let go off their skipper Shreyas Iyer. Gautam Gambhir who mentored KKR in 2024 is now the Head Coach of the Indian Cricket Team and the onus of managing the team now falls upon Chandrakant Pandit and former CSK all-rounder Dwayne Bravo.
KKR at the mega auctions at Jeddah
Ajinkya Rahane will lead the Kolkata Knight Riders this time around. Rahane was a part of the KKR setup in 2022 and this is his second stint with the franchise. The defending champions of IPL, will open their campaign against Rajat Patidar’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 22, 2025.
However, in a surprising move, KKR chose not to retain Iyer for the upcoming season, opting instead for a new leadership structure. Ajinkya Rahane, with his wealth of experience and calm demeanour, is expected to take the reins as captain, bringing a fresh perspective to the team’s strategy and dynamics. Despite this change, KKR has retained a core group of players, including Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, while bolstering their lineup with significant signings in the IPL 2025 auction.
The defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were one of the most talked-about franchises during the IPL 2025 auction. Their strategy was clear: reunite their core group of players while making a few headline-grabbing moves.
The highlight of their auction was the blockbuster signing of Venkatesh Iyer for a staggering Rs 23.75 crore, making him the third-most expensive Indian player in IPL history. Alongside reacquiring key players like Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Vaibhav Arora, KKR bolstered their fast-bowling unit with big names such as Umran Malik, South Africa’s Anrich Nortje, and Australia’s Spencer Johnson.
KKR’s auction strategy centered on reacquiring players who played pivotal roles in their successful 2024 campaign. Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Gurbaz, and Arora were all brought back, ensuring continuity and stability within the squad.
However, KKR also sought to add new dimensions to their team with the inclusion of marquee overseas players like Nortje and de Kock. Their focus on retaining trust in proven performers was evident, but the addition of speedsters such as Umran and Johnson signals an intent to make pace bowling a cornerstone of their strategy for the 2025 season.
A season of tactical wrong doings cost KKR position in the Playoffs
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) did not have as good a tournament as they would have liked in the IPL 2025. The defending champions failed to qualify for the playoffs as rain interrupted the match between them and RCB on May 17. However, they were practically out of the race even before the washed-out game. A lot had to do with KKR’s mistakes, be it at the auction table or in the tournament.
Kolkata had a magical run in 2024, where they lost just three games and won nine matches en route to their third title. However, the IPL 2025 campaign has been a poor one for the defending champions.
Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane said underwhelming batting performances by key players like Rinku Singh and Andre Russell, was the main reason for the defending champions’ disappointing eighth-place finish this IPL season. Ajinkya Rahane said while the bowling unit largely met expectations, the failure of three-four main batters derailed their campaign. KKR’s season ended with a crushing 110-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad here on Monday.
Venkatesh Iyer (average 20.28), Andre Russell (18.55), Rinku (29.42), and Ramandeep (9.40), who played key roles in KKR’s 2024 title triumph, failed to replicate their form this season, hurting the team’s prospects. On Sunday, Sunrisers Hyderabad piled a massive 278/3 — the third-highest total in IPL history — on the back of Heinrich Klaasen’s 37-ball century, before bowling out KKR for 168.
However, earlier setbacks such as the loss to Punjab Kings, while chasing just 112, and a narrow four-run defeat to Lucknow Super Giants while chasing 239, proved more damaging for KKR’s campaign. They also had two rain-marred games and ultimately ended up with five wins from 14 matches.
KKR ended the season with 12 points and a net run rate of -0.305. In addition to their losses, two of their matches—against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings—were washed out due to rain, earning them two points.
One of the biggest talking points was KKR’s decision to re-sign Venkatesh Iyer using the Right To Match card after releasing him, at a hefty price of Rs 23.75 crore, making him their third-most expensive player. But Ajinkya Rahane dismissed any suggestions that the price tag may have impacted the player’s performance.
KKR had to let go of some of their key players from the IPL 2024, especially their former skipper, Shreyas Iyer, who has been better than all KKR batters in the 18th edition of the league. Additionally, they lost someone like Phil Salt, who provided a lot of stability at the top and was also the wicketkeeper, an aspect of the game which has come back to bite KKR in the IPL 2025. Few reasons for KKR’S downfall could be highlighted as follows
Change in batting order frequently with not being consistent
In 2024, KKR’s top order had the likes of Phil Salt, Sunil Narine, and Angkrish Raghuvanshi. When Salt went for national duty, Raghuvanshi was bumped up as the opener, and Venkatesh Iyer batted at 3. In the middle order, they had the likes of Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh, and Venkatesh. It is worth noting that Venkatesh’s best performances came at number 3.
Their finishing had Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, and Ramandeep Singh. In the IPL 2025, they have had Sunil Narine and Ajinkya Rahane at the top with a constant change in wicketkeepers – Quinton de Kock and Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Raghuvanshi and Venkatesh, who succeeded in the top order, batted mostly in the middle order. The change in batting order did not work well for the three-time champions.
KKR’s constant tinkering with the batting order has only added to their woes. While their top three have largely remained consistent, there has been little clarity or continuity in the rest of the lineup.
A case in point was the match against Gujarat Titans, where Angkrish Raghuvanshi—arguably KKR’s second-best batter this season—was sent in at No. 9, despite previously batting at 4 or 5. Similarly, Ramandeep Singh has had to adapt to multiple roles, batting at five different positions (5, 7, 8, 8, and 9) in just five innings. This musical chairs approach has disrupted the team’s rhythm and affected individual performances.
Unsettled middle order caused KKR a huge way in the tournament
In the middle order, KKR had Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh, and Ramandeep at different points. When the latter failed to perform, he was replaced with Manish Pandey and lower-middle-order batters, at times. Without a doubt, their middle order looked unsettled, especially due to the fact that many of them were batting out of their positions.
A better alternative would have been to open with Raghuvanshi, play Iyer at Number 4, and have an anchor like Manish Pandey at 5, which would have been a better batting lineup. Narine could have been used as a floater, although he performed well at the top, more often than not. Even in the wicketkeeper-batter option, KKR did not have a consistent performer.
Mediocre mega auction cost KKR a lot during IPL 2025
KKR did not have a great mega auction in November 2024 after winning their third title. They did not get someone to lead their side and had to choose Ajinkya Rahane as their skipper, who does not have age on his side though. Apart from some key retained players, KKR did not buy bowlers who could make a difference with their spells, and rather relied on those who did not operate at a good pace.
While they did buy some good pacers like Anrich Nortje and Spencer Johnson, the former got fewer chances while the latter did not get enough backing. They had a settled wicketkeeper-batter like Salt, who was not brought back. Instead, KKR went for Gurbaz and De Kock, both of whom have not performed as well as one would have expected.
Failures of some key players a major setback for KKR in IPL 2025
KKR’s key players like Venkatesh Iyer, wicketkeepers like Gurbaz and De Kock, and the medium pacer Vaibhav Arora have not performed well for them. Iyer was sold for a whopping price of INR 23.75 crore, but he has not lived up to the expectations. While he played key knocks for KKR in the previous edition, Venkatesh has given a poor performance for the defending champions on the whole this season.
Likewise, Arora, who was a key pacer for KKR in 2024, has failed with both new and old balls in 2025. The three-time champions had a solid wicketkeeper-batter like Salt in the last edition. In 2025, both of their wicketkeeper-batters, De Kock and Gurbaz, have had forgettable seasons, barring a few good performances. Their death bowling was generally mediocre.
KKR placed their faith in the trio of Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, and Ramandeep Singh to close out games, but the returns have been disappointing. Of the three, only Rinku has crossed the 100-run mark this season. Russell has managed just 55 runs from eight games, and Ramandeep has scored only 30.
Rinku, who faced just 113 balls across the entire season last year, has found himself in more demanding situations this time around but has failed to deliver. Russell, once a feared finisher, has looked out of sorts, barely able to connect with the ball. Ramandeep, too, has struggled to settle, with fluctuating roles and questionable shot selection doing him no favours.
Underutilization of Andre Russell A major drawback
Andre Russell in the IPL 2024 was quite incredible. Despite the presence of the Impact Player rule, he was given chances and played as a proper all-rounder, contributing both as a batter and a bowler. KKR virtually played with 13 players every match, as Russell was also one of their proper bowlers. In 2025, it has not been the case, as he has not been asked to bowl enough overs.
Russell single-handedly won matches for KKR with just the ball in the IPL 2024. He claimed 19 wickets in 14 innings at an average of just 15.52 and a terrific strike rate of 9.2 in 29.2 overs. He was the fourth-highest wicket-taker and was among the top death bowlers of the season. In 2025, Russell has bowled just 16.1 overs in eight innings, taking same number of wickets at an average of 22.87, in what has been a visible reduction in workload.
KKR’s issues at home have spilled beyond performances. The Eden Gardens pitch has been a point of contention throughout the campaign. Several team members have voiced concerns about the playing surface, and the situation escalated into a public spat between the franchise and the pitch curator.
Tensions peaked when captain Ajinkya Rahane was asked about the pitch and he declined to comment, suggesting that any statement would cause a “bawal” (uproar). It’s clear that the off-field noise around their home ground has become an unwanted distraction for the team. With all these factors the absense of Gautam Gambhir and Shreyas Iyer proved a key point in KKRs downfall in 2025. This needs to be sorted if KKR hopes for redemption during IPL 2026.
KKR ended their campaign in the IPL 2025 with 5 wins and 7 losses in their 14 matches, with a couple of games having no result due to the interruption of rain. If LSG lose their last match of the season badly, KKR could finish the league in the 7th position.
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