Here are all the players who have captained Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL till date, before Shreyas Iyer.
On Wednesday, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) officially appointed Shreyas Iyer as their new skipper ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season. Iyer, who has previously led Delhi Capitals (DC) with much success, was let go by the Delhi franchise, and KKR splashed INR 12.25 crores in the IPL 2022 mega auction to secure his services.
Iyer however, will have some big shoes to fill, as he replaces Eoin Morgan as the KKR skipper. In this article, we will take a look at all the players who have captained KKR in the past:
1. Sourav Ganguly
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Sourav Ganguly was the first captain of Kolkata Knight Riders in the inaugural edition of the IPL. A local hero, Ganguly led a star-studded KKR side all the way to the IPL's semifinal where they were beaten by eventual champions Rajasthan Royals. Sourav Ganguly was again appointed captain for IPL's third season, but KKR failed to qualify for the semifinals.
2. Brendon McCullum
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New Zealand's legendary batsman Brendon McCullum replaced Ganguly as skipper of KKR for the second edition of IPL in 2009, and he did so with aplomb, helping the franchise from Kolkata finish at the top of league standings however, they were once again beaten in the semifinal were eventual champions Deccan Chargers.
3. Gautam Gambhir
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Gautam Gambhir took over the reins as skipper in 2011, and the decision would prove to be an iconic one for the franchise. With his astute acumen as a leader, combined with his batting prowess, Gambhir delivered two titles to the Shah Rukh Khan owned franchise in 2012 and 2014. He continued to lead the franchise till 2017, and was replaced by Dinesh Karthik as the skipper.
4. Dinesh Karthik
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Dinesh Karthik overtook the skipper's duties from Gautam Gambhir but couldn't help deliver the title to KKR. In his first season in charge, the team finished third, and qualified for the playoffs, they even won the eliminator against Rajasthan Royals but were defeated by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the second qualifier. KKR couldn't qualify for the playoffs in 2019, thereby bringing an end to Karthik's captaincy tenure.
5. Eoin Morgan
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England skipper Eoin Morgan took over as captain of KKR in 2020 after Karthik however, for the second successive year, KKR failed to reach the playoffs, despite having equal points with the team in 4th place but had to bow out due to an inferior run rate. Last season, they fared much better, and reached the final under Morgan's captaincy, but were defeated by Chennai Super Kings in the summit clash.
6. Shreyas Iyer
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KKR fans will be hoping that Shreyas Iyer will help end their title drought, and finally win them the much-awaited third IPL crown in the upcoming season.
