History of Kolkata Knight Riders
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is a professional franchise cricket team representing the city of Kolkata in the Indian Premier League. The team was founded on 24 January 2008, marking a pivotal moment in Indian sports.
The franchise is owned by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, actress Juhi Chawla, and her spouse Jay Mehta. Their home ground is the iconic Eden Gardens stadium in Kolkata.
KKR gained immense popularity due to its association with celebrity owners. They qualified for the IPL playoffs for the first time in 2011. They became the IPL champions in 2012, defeating Chennai Super Kings in the final. They repeated the feat in 2014, defeating Kings XI Punjab. The Knight Riders hold the record for the longest winning streak by any Indian team in T20s (14).
10 Interesting Fun Facts About KKR
- Shah Rukh Khan, Jay Mehta, and Juhi Chawla jointly own the Knight Riders team.
- The team’s official theme song is “Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo Re”, created by the Vishal-Shekhar duo.
- The Viking Golden helmet is a symbol of their focus and commitment.
- The Kolkata Knight Rider jersey was designed by Manish Malhotra.
- Hoog Lee, a Royal Bengal Tiger who likes Burgers, is the mascot of the team.
- The team’s all-time leading run-scorer is Gautam Gambhir.
- Their leading wicket-taker is Sunil Narine.
- The official colors of the team are purple and gold.
- KKR holds the record for the most consecutive wins in a season and overall. They won 9 matches on the trot in 2014 and extended it to 10 at the start of the 2015 season.
- KKR’s opening batsman Brendon McCullum scored 158 runs in the first IPL T-20 match, which is the record for the highest runs ever scored by a batsman in a T-20 match.
The Kolkata Knight Riders have a rich history and a strong fan base. Their journey in the IPL has been filled with ups and downs, but they have always managed to bounce back and give their fans something to cheer about. Here’s to many more years of exciting cricket from KKR!
KKR’s IPL Performance (as of March 28, 2024):
| Season | Position (out of # Teams) | Matches Played | Wins | Losses | Playoffs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 6th | 17 | 9 | 8 | Did not qualify | |
| 2009 | 4th | 14 | 7 | 7 | Lost to Deccan Chargers in Qualifier 1 | |
| 2010 | 8th | 14 | 5 | 9 | Did not qualify | |
| 2011 | Champions | 14 | 9 | 5 | Winners | Defeated Chennai Super Kings in the final |
| 2012 | Champions | 17 | 11 | 6 | Winners | Defeated Chennai Super Kings in the final |
| 2013 | 5th | 16 | 9 | 7 | Lost to Rajasthan Royals in Eliminator | |
| 2014 | Champions | 17 | 11 | 6 | Winners | Defeated Kings XI Punjab in the final |
| 2015 | 5th | 14 | 7 | 7 | Lost to Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 1 | |
| 2016 | 4th | 14 | 8 | 6 | Lost to Gujarat Lions in Qualifier 2 | |
| 2017 | 9th | 14 | 4 | 10 | Did not qualify | |
| 2018 | 3rd | 14 | 10 | 4 | Lost to Chennai Super Kings in Qualifier 1 | |
| 2019 | 5th | 14 | 6 | 8 | Did not qualify | |
| 2020 | 5th | 14 | 7 | 7 | Lost to Delhi Capitals in Qualifier 1 | |
| 2021 | 7th | 14 | 6 | 8 | Did not qualify | |
| 2022 | Playoffs (data not available yet) | Current season | ||||
| 2023 | (data not available yet) |
Notes:
- This table includes KKR’s performance since their inception in 2008.
- Playoff information reflects their final placement within the playoffs (e.g., Eliminator, Qualifier 1, etc.).
