IPL 2025: Strongest Kolkata Knight Riders playing 11

Kolkata Knight Riders added the third Indian Premier League trophy to their bag after winning last year’s edition under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer. Heading into a new season, they aim to clinch the fourth title and ascertain their supremacy alongside Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. 

Heading into the Mega-Auction, KKR did a pretty good job of retaining as many as six players, which included seasoned campaigners like Andre Russell (12 crore) and Sunil Narine (12 crore). They also retained the likes of Harshit Rana (4 crore), Rinku Singh (13 crore), Ramandeep Singh (4 crore)  , and Varun Chakravarthy (12 crore).

Unfortunately, their skipper from last season, Shreyas Iyer is no longer part of the franchise. However, they would be delighted to have retained the core. They had a purse of INR 51 crore at the Mega Auction but that didn’t stop them from going heavily for Venkatesh Iyer, who they acquired for a whopping amount of INR 23.75 crore. The fans would be pretty happy with the fact that KKR did everything they could to get most of their players back in the side. Opener, Rahmanullah Gurbaz is back in the side too. Additionally, KKR has added another overseas option at the top in the form of Quinton de Kock. 

They couldn’t acquire Nitish Rana but managed to get their former players back, namely Rahane and Manish Pandey. As far as the bowling is concerned, Mitchell Starc has now been replaced by Anrich Nortje, who could be equally deadly at the Eden Gardens. Furthermore, retaining the likes of Vaibhav Arora and Angriksh Raghuvanshi only highlights KKR’s trust in their youngsters. 

In this article,we have compiled KKR’s strongest playing XI ahead of the upcoming 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League: 

1. Sunil Narine

The promotion of Sunil Narine to the top, once again, proved pivotal to Kolkata Knight Riders’ success, last year. He consistently provided aggressive starts at the top, which helped KKR lift their third IPL title. Sunil Narine's form with the bat, since, has dipped quite a bit but KKR must back him to continue opening in the upcoming season. 

2. Quinton De Kock

Kolkata has two overseas candidates for the opening slot and Quinton de Kock is likely to get the preference. The southpaw is a phenomenal striker of the ball and can wreak havoc at Eden Gardens. De Kock boast of an outstanding record in IPL and it will be interesting to see how he fares with the bat with a new franchise in KKR. 

3. Ajinkya Rahane 

At number three, KKR have different options but they are likely to start with the experience of Ajinkya Rahane. The 36-year-old has shown great form in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with two fifty-plus scores to his name. In the last few years, Rahane has shown that he has the game needed in the shortest form, though, his last IPL season with CSK was a forgettable one. 

4. Venkatesh Iyer (c)

Kolkata Knight Riders engaged in a bidding war with RCB to snap up the services of Venkatesh Iyer. They were desperate to have him and, eventually, got him at INR 23.75 crore. Venkatesh Iyer’s utility in T20 cricket isn’t something to question and this year, one could see him leading the side as well.  

5. Rinku Singh 

At number five is our very own Rinku Singh. Kolkata Knight Riders procured his services for INR 13 crore. Rinku Singh hasn’t done anything special with the bat, of late. However, this could be an ideal opportunity for him to make it a season to remember. 

6. Andre Russell 

Despite mediocre returns, Kolkata Knight Riders have continued to back Andre Russell. There aren’t a lot of players around the world that match his potential. His finishing skills coupled with death over bowling make him a valuable asset in the shortest format. His performance in the upcoming season could decide his future in the Indian Premier League. 

7. Ramandeep Singh 

Kolkata Knight Riders would be happy to retain someone like Ramandeep Singh for INR 4 crore. He is, undoubtedly, one of the best fielders in Indian cricket right now. Striking at over 200, he smashed 125 runs in 14 games, last season. KKR should look to make full use of his all-round skills this season. 

8. Harshit Rana 

Harshit Rana’s confidence would have skyrocketed, since making his debut for India in the recent Perth Test. Rana will form a crucial part of the pace bowling line-up of KKR. Plus, his ability to hit big shots adds further depth in batting. Rana picked up 19 wickets in 12 matches for KKR, last season at 20.16. 

9. Vaibhav Arora 

The 26-year-old is one of the better swing bowlers in Indian cricket right now. He has made quite a name for himself in the Indian Premier League with his incredible swing bowling and accuracy. He had a decent outing last year for KKR, picking 11 wickets in 11 matches. 

10. Anrich Nortje 

Kolkata Knight Riders have acquired a like-to-like replacement for Mitchell Starc in South African pacer, Anrich Nortje. He can bowl fast and the extra bounce at Eden Gardens is certainly going to help him pick more wickets. Nortje hasn’t had a great time in the last couple of seasons and it remains to be seen if he can make a roaring comeback. 

11. Varun Chakravarthy 

The spinner from Tamil Nadu played the biggest role with the ball for KKR in helping them lift the trophy. Chakravarthy finished the season as the second-highest wicket-taker, claiming 21 wickets in 14 games at an average of 19.14. He has, recently, made his comeback in the Indian team and has been making heads turn with his stellar bowling exploits.