Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have established themselves as one of the most successful franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL), clinching three championship titles. Over the years, the team has been guided by a series of iconic captains who have played pivotal roles in shaping their journey.
With Ajinkya Rahane stepping into the captaincy role for the IPL 2025 season, fans are eagerly anticipating how he will lead the team in their quest to defend their title.
Here’s a complete list of all the captains who have led KKR in the IPL:
Sourav Ganguly (2008-2010)
- Matches: 27
- Won: 13
- Lost: 14
- Win percentage: 48.14
Ganguly, KKR’s first captain, led the team in the inaugural season and again in 2010. Despite his aggressive leadership, the team struggled in the early years.
Brendon McCullum (2009)
- Matches: 13
- Won: 3
- Lost: 9
- Tied: 1
- Win percentage: 23.07
McCullum captained in 2009 but endured a challenging season, with KKR finishing at the bottom of the table.
Jacques Kallis (2011)
- Matches: 2
- Won: 1
- Lost: 1
- Win percentage: 50.00
Kallis briefly led the team for two matches before Gautam Gambhir took over.
Gautam Gambhir (2011-2017)
- Matches: 122
- Won: 69
- Lost: 51
- Tied: 1
- No Result: 1
- Win percentage: 56.55
Gambhir remains KKR’s most successful captain, having guided the team to two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014.
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Dinesh Karthik (2018-2020)
- Matches: 37
- Won: 19
- Lost: 17
- Tied: 1
- Win percentage: 51.35
Karthik captained the team for three seasons before stepping down midway through the 2020 season.
Eoin Morgan (2020-2021)
- Matches: 24
- Won: 11
- Lost: 12
- Tied: 1
- Win percentage: 45.83
Morgan took over from Karthik and led KKR to the 2021 final.
Shreyas Iyer (2022-2024)
- Matches: 29
- Won: 17
- Lost: 11
- No Result: 1
- Win percentage: 58.62
Iyer captained KKR to their third IPL title in 2024 but was released by the franchise ahead of the 2025 season.
Nitish Rana (2023)
- Matches: 14
- Won: 6
- Lost: 8
- Win percentage: 42.85
Rana stepped in as captain during the 2023 season in Shreyas Iyer’s absence.
Ajinkya Rahane (2025)
Rahane has been named as KKR’s captain for the IPL 2025 season, succeeding Shreyas Iyer. He will be supported by Venkatesh Iyer as vice-captain.
