Last Updated on 4 weeks by Charbel Coorey
The Kolkata Knight Riders silenced doubters in IPL 2024, lifting the trophy with a blend of grit and flair that redefined their legacy. As defending champions, KKR stride into IPL 2025 with a fine squad — yet the road to repeat glory is steep. Rival teams have reloaded, and the spotlight burns brighter.
In this analysis, we unpack KKR’s lineup — its strengths, its cracks, and its shot at glory.
KKR IPL 2025 Preview: Knight Riders contenders once again
KKR Possible XII
1. Quinton de Kock (OS, wk), 2. Sunil Narine (OS), 3. Ajinkya Rahane (c), 4. Venkatesh Iyer, 5. Angkrish Raghuvanshi, 6. Rinku Singh, 7. Andre Russell (OS), 8. Ramandeep Singh, 9. Harshit Rana, 10. Anrich Nortje (OS), 11. Varun Chakravarthy, 12. Vaibhav Arora
Ajinkya Rahane clinched the KKR captaincy for IPL 2025 over Venkatesh Iyer, who was released post-2024 but re-signed for ₹23.75 crore and named vice-captain. Though Venkatesh recently said he was ready to take on the captaincy, if offered, CEO Venky Mysore told ESPNcricinfo, “IPL is quite an intense tournament”, citing the toll on younger captains. Venkatesh will learn under Rahane’s mentorship, with Mysore adding, “Knowing Ajinkya, he will take him [Venkatesh] under his wing and mentor him on the captaincy side of things. So, in a way, I expect they will be kind of joined at the hip and working very closely together.”
Batting Analysis: Power with a Spin Catch
KKR’s top order roared last season, amassing 849 Powerplay runs (average 40.43, strike rate 168.45) — second only to SRH — driven by Narine and Phil Salt. Replacing Salt with Quinton de Kock forms a left-hand opening duo, though it risks exposure to off-spinners. Rahane, fresh off topping the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with 469 runs (strike rate 164.56), slots in at No. 3, aiming to echo his IPL 2023 CSK role as a bridge between openers and middle order.
The middle order favours pace, even more so in the absence of Shreyas Iyer, KKR’s highest run-scorer against spin last season (151.76 strike rate). Quality spin in the middle overs may just trouble them a little.
Down the order, KKR pack a ferocious punch — Rinku, Russell, and Ramandeep poised to wreak havoc as finishers. Harshit at No. 9 only deepens that threat.
Bowling Analysis: Spin Strength, Pace Flux
KKR’s bowling, a cornerstone of their 2024 title, retains its spin edge. Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy dominated last season, picking up 38 wickets (next best: 30 wickets by DC and RR) at an economy of 7.68 and an average of 23.18, with unmatched middle-over control.
Together, they hand captain Ajinkya Rahane eight overs of high-quality, all-phase spin. Anrich Nortje’s high-pace, hit-the-deck skills could seamlessly complement this duo, creating a nightmare for batsmen in overs 7-16.
Mitchell Starc’s absence weakens KKR’s Powerplay punch. Last season, they topped this phase with 28 wickets (joint-most) at a strike rate of 18 (best in the league), largely due to Starc and Vaibhav Arora’s new-ball sting. Arora remains a reliable option at one end, but replacing Starc’s impact leaves a gap — KKR still have bowlers to compete, though the edge blunts slightly.
At the death, KKR possess multiple options: Harshit Rana, Andre Russell, Nortje, Chakaravarthy, and Narine bring a mix of pace and spin.
Tactical Flexibility: Shaping the Game
One option reshuffles the batting order, pushing Ajinkya Rahane to open and floating Sunil Narine into the middle overs as a low-value wicket to attack spin — a tactic KKR used in 2020. This maximises Rahane’s pace-hitting strengths inside the Powerplay while maintaining a left-hand, right-hand opening combo with Quinton de Kock. It also helps since the middle order might otherwise struggle a little against spin.
KKR also have very decent backup options, with multiple like-for-like replacements:
- Quinton de Kock 🔄 Rahmanullah Gurbaz
- Sunil Narine 🔄 Moeen Ali
- Angkrish Raghuvanshi 🔄 Manish Pandey
- Andre Russell 🔄 Rovman Powell
- Anrich Nortje 🔄 Spencer Johnson
If de Kock falters, KKR also have Luvnith Sisodia, an exciting domestic keeper-batter who had an excellent Maharaja T20 Trophy run, waiting in the wings — that could free a middle-order slot for Moeen or Powell.
Conclusion: Could go either way for KKR
They’ve got a solid shot at making the playoffs, but will they? And can they go all the way to defend their crown? I’m not sure. Still, for fans dreaming of purple glory, this could be another thrilling ride.
