IPL 2025: SWOT Analysis of Kolkata Knight Riders

Kolkata Knight Riders won the Indian Premier League 2024 edition but are heading into a new season without Shreyas Iyer. The latter was released ahead of the auction and the franchise would be a little disappointed to not have retained him, especially after witnessing his performance in the, recently concluded, ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Nevertheless, KKR have moved on and have appointed veteran Ajinkya Rahane as their new skipper. Despite the change in leadership, the overall squad continues to look quite solid, featuring plenty of all-rounders. 

KKR were adamant to buy Venkatesh Iyer at the IPL 2025 auction and secured his services at a whopping prize of 23.75 crore. The six retentions, namely Russell, Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, and Ramandeep Singh, are quite a force. They have got some new names this year with the likes of Quinton de Kock, Anrich Nortje, Moeen Ali and Rovman Powell to name a few.  As Kolkata Knight Riders prepare to face RCB in IPL 2025 opener, let’s do a swot analysis of the three-time champions. 

IPL 2025: SWOT Analysis of Kolkata Knight Riders

Strength: Plenty of all-rounders ensure depth in all departments

There is no denying that Kolkata Knight Riders have an array of world-class all-rounders in their squad. Andre Russell and Sunil Narine continue to don the KKR jersey, while the franchise has managed to buy back Venkatesh Iyer as well. The likes of Ramandeep and Moeen Ali further add balance to the line-up. Acquisition of all-rounders has, once again, ensured that Kolkata Knight Riders have huge depth in their batting and bowling, which is a big advantage for them over other teams. 

Opportunities: Ramandeep Singh and Angkrish Raghuvanshi aim to showcase their mettle 

The IPL 2025 will present an opportunity for talented cricketers like Ramandeep Singh and Angrish Raghuvanshi to showcase their mettle on the big stage. Ramandeep Singh has made quite a name for himself and has made his India debut. He would look to build on that and strengthen his case as one of the potent weapons in India’s list of all-rounders. 

Angkrish Raghuvanshi was India’s leading run-getter at the 2022 Under 19 World Cup and got the IPL contract in the same year. In his maiden IPL innings, he smashed 54 runs in just 27 balls, thereby, becoming the youngest player in the tournament’s history to score a fifty in a maiden inning. 

Weakness and threats: Injury-prone Fast Bowlers

To fill the big shoes of Mitchell Starc, Kolkata Knight Riders have roped in another left-arm Australian seamer in Spencer Johnson. Johnson endured a mediocre performance in the ICC Champions Trophy and it remains to be seen if he can deliver goods for KKR this season. For the second overseas pace option, KKR have invested in South African pacer, Anrich Nortje. Looking at his credentials and Eden Gardens’ track, Nortje seems a pretty solid pick. However, the South African is currently nursing a back injury, due to which, he missed the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and SA20 2025. West Indies all-rounder, Andre Russell also has had his tryst with injuries, and the franchise would be worried about his fitness too.