IPL 2025 countdown | Knight Riders have the class and balance to do an encore

Defending champion Kolkata Knight Riders rely on core players and strategic planning to retain their IPL crown.

Even after the exit of its title-winning captain Sheyas Iyer and mentor Gautam Gambhir, defending champion Kolkata Knight Riders has stuck to its winning formula, relying on its core group of players while embarking on the challenging quest of retaining its Indian Premier League crown.

The Knight Riders have left no stone unturned in the build-up to the tournament by hiring the right personnel, having a preparatory camp in Mumbai, conducting a trophy tour and performing a puja at its home venue Eden Gardens. By bringing in a seasoned leader such as Ajinkya Rahane and grooming one for forthcoming seasons in vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer, KKR has taken care of its present with an eye on the future.

Coach Chandrakant Pandit, a taskmaster familiar with the franchise’s culture, new mentor Dwayne Bravo, a man with Trinbago Knight Riders’ background, and Rahane, on his return to KKR, should complement each other in pursuit of a fourth title for the purple-and-gold brigade.

The leadership group has created a suitable environment, promoting the ‘team first’ approach, in order to let KKR’s balanced workforce — featuring several all-rounders — execute the team’s plans with freedom.

As openers, Quinton de Kock and Sunil Narine possess the firepower for early onslaughts. Rahmanullah Gurbaz may be an alternative for de Kock.

Rahane, Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi and all-rounders Venkatesh, Andre Russell and Ramandeep Singh provide flexibility to the batting line-up.

South African Anrich Nortje and Australian left-armer Spencer Johnson will be key members in the pace attack along with Harshit Rana, who will be bubbling with confidence after his international success, and Vaibhav Arora.