KKR Team 2025 Players List: Check Complete Kolkata Knight Riders Squad and Overview

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is a professional cricket team based in Kolkata, India. Founded in 2008, the team is co-owned by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan (55%) and the Mehta Group (45%). KKR plays its home matches at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, which can hold up to 68,000 fans.

As of the 2025 season, Ajinkya Rahane leads the team as captain, with Venkatesh Iyer serving as vice-captain. KKR has won the Indian Premier League (IPL) championship three times: in 2012, 2014, and 2024. 

In the 2025 IPL season, KKR will begin their title defence on March 22 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The team's motto is "Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo" (Perform, Fight, Win), and their official colours are purple and gold.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Team Overview 2025

In the 2025 season, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are led by Ajinkya Rahane as their captain, marking a significant change from the previous year when Shreyas Iyer captained the team to their third IPL title in 2024. 

The team has retained key players such as Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine, and Andre Russell while making notable acquisitions like Venkatesh Iyer for a record-breaking Rs 23.75 crore, Quinton de Kock, and Anrich Nortje.

Team History and Achievements

KKR was founded in 2008 and is owned by Red Chillies Entertainment, a company co-founded by Shah Rukh Khan and Jay Mehta. The team's name is inspired by the popular TV series “Knight Rider."

• Early Years (2008-2010): Initially, the team struggled under captains like Sourav Ganguly and Brendon McCullum, finishing poorly in the league.
• First Success (2011-2012): Under Gautam Gambhir's leadership, KKR reached the playoffs for the first time in 2011 and won its first IPL title in 2012, defeating Chennai Super Kings in the final.
• Second Title (2014): KKR won their second IPL title in 2014, again under Gambhir's captaincy.
• Recent Years (2021-2024): The team reached the final in 2021 under Eoin Morgan but lost to Chennai Super Kings. In 2024, they won their third title under Shreyas Iyer's leadership.

Key Players and Roles

• Batsmen: The batting lineup includes Rinku Singh, known for his finishing skills, Venkatesh Iyer as a versatile top-order batsman, and Ajinkya Rahane providing experience.
• Bowlers: The bowling unit is strengthened by Varun Chakravarthy's spin and Anrich Nortje's pace, supported by Sunil Narine and young pacers like Harshit Rana.
• Wicketkeepers: While Litton Das was mentioned as a potential wicketkeeper, the current squad includes Quinton de Kock and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, both capable of keeping wickets.

Strategy for 2025

KKR aims to build a well-rounded team with a mix of experienced players and emerging talents. Their strategy involves bolstering both batting and bowling departments to challenge for the IPL title again in 2025.

KKR 2025 Full Squad: Players List, Coach, Captain and Key Retentions

• Captain: Ajinkya Rahane
• Coach: Chandrakant Pandit
• Owner: Knight Riders Sports Private Limited
• Venue: Eden Gardens

KKR enters the 2025 season with a strong core of retained players and strategic new additions, aiming to build on their success from the previous year.

Retained Players

KKR retained six players for the 2025 season:

• Rinku Singh (Rs 13 crore)
• Varun Chakravarthy (Rs 12 crore)
• Sunil Narine (Rs 12 crore)
• Andre Russell (Rs 12 crore)
• Harshit Rana (Rs 4 crore)
• Ramandeep Singh (Rs 4 crore)

Released Players

Notable players released by KKR include:

• Shreyas Iyer
• Rahmanullah Gurbaz
• Nitish Rana
• Sherfane Rutherford
• Phil Salt
• KS Bharat
• Manish Pandey
• Anukul Roy
• Venkatesh Iyer (initially released but later re-signed)

New Additions

• Venkatesh Iyer: Acquired for a record-breaking Rs 23.75 crore, making him the most expensive all-rounder in IPL history.
• Quinton de Kock: Signed as an explosive opener and wicketkeeper for Rs 3.6 crore.
• Anrich Nortje: South African pacer added to strengthen the bowling unit for Rs 6.5 crore.
• Rahmanullah Gurbaz: Signed for Rs 2 crore.
• Angkrish Raghuvanshi: Acquired for Rs 3 crore.
• Mayank Markande: Spinner signed for Rs 30 lakh.
• Vaibhav Arora: Retained for Rs 1.8 crore.
• Rovman Powell: Signed for Rs 1.5 crore.
• Manish Pandey: Acquired for Rs 75 lakh.
• Spencer Johnson: Signed for Rs 2.8 crore.
• Luvnith Sisodia: Acquired for Rs 30 lakh.
• Ajinkya Rahane: Signed for Rs 1.5 crore.
• Anukul Roy: Acquired for Rs 40 lakh.
• Moeen Ali: Signed for Rs 2 crore.
• Umran Malik: Acquired for Rs 75 lakh

Kolkata Knight Riders Players 2025: Full Squad Details

The full squad for KKR in 2025 includes the retained players, new signings, and other acquisitions made during the auction:

Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2025 Schedule and Fixtures

Here's a tabulated format for KKR's IPL 2025 schedule: