Kolkata Knight Riders showed the world what the IPL is capable of producing back in 2008 when Brendon McCullum smashed 158 runs in the very first match of IPL&#8217;s inaugural edition. This knock by McCullum and the match overall had a huge impact on the league and is a reason why the tournament grew in popularity in its initial years. The team is owned by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan who is often seen attending their matches, especially during the earlier seasons.

Local boy <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/picking-sourav-ganguly-as-vice-captain-was-a-tougher-job-coach-said-he-drank-too-much-coke-former-selector-ashok-malhotra/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sourav Ganguly</a> was drafted as the team&#8217;s icon player in the first campaign. A lot of household foreign names such as Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, Ricky Ponting and Shoaib Akhtar were a part of this star-studded team which made them the favourites for the 2008 season. A complete squad revamp and change in ideology was needed for them to win their first title. They have won 2 IPL titles, one each in 2012 and 2014.

The Kolkata-based team is the 3rd most successful team in the IPL and they have never lost an IPL final. Apart from their two IPL crowns, they have also finished as runners up in the CLT20 tournament in 2014. Through the years, they have had a built their team around a strong core of Indian players and filled the gaps with overseas T20 specialists like Chris Lynn, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine.

Here is our take on their all-time greatest XI:

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-352612" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/CT_358250.jpg" alt="Chris Lynn" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-352612" class="wp-caption-text">Chris Lynn. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption>

Chris Lynn didn&#8217;t have the greatest starts in his IPL careers with Deccan Chargers and Sunrisers Hyderabad as he only managed to play 1 game in 3 years for both teams combined. He was snapped up by Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014 and didn&#8217;t take much time to show his quality. &#8220;Lynnsanity&#8221; scored 45 off 31 balls and took a brilliant catch near the boundary to dismiss AB de Villiers which completely turned the game in the final over. This performance earned him the man of the match award.

He was subsequently retained in 2015 but was ruled out of the tournament due to an injury. In 2017, Lynn started showing his true potential. Against <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/gujarat-lions-owner-keshav-bansal-goofs-big-time-praising-chhetri-gets-trolled/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gujarat Lions</a>, he smashed 6 sixes during his 19-ball 50 innings. Lynn smashed another half-century in just 22 balls against Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he and his opening partner Sunil Narine scored 105 runs in the first 6 overs which is the record for most runs scored by a team in the powerplay in IPL history.

Lynn ended the 2017 campaign, scoring almost 300 runs in just 7 innings with an average just short of 50, scoring the runs at an astonishing strike rate of 180.98. In the next 2 campaigns, he hit a combined 896 runs which has taken his aggregate to 1280 runs in just 41 matches. This has earned him the reputation of being one of the most feared openers in IPL. He was bought by Mumbai Indians ahead of the 2020 season for a base price which is a steal in every regard.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-146900" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Gautam-Gambhir-2017-IPL-10.jpg" alt="Gautam Gambhir" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-146900" class="wp-caption-text">Gautam Gambhir of Kolkata Knight Riders. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Sourav Ganguly might be the prince of Kolkata, but it is safe to say that Gautam Gambhir is the prince of Kolkata Knight Riders. The Delhi-born cricketer was the second-highest run-scorer in the first season of the IPL while playing for Delhi Daredevils. He had a few good seasons with the Daredevils and became the first player to cross 1000 runs for the side in 2010. He was one of the most sought after players heading into the 2011 auction and Kolkata Knight Riders made him the highest-earning player in IPL history by buying him.

Gambhir was appointed skipper of the Knight Riders and this started a new era for the side. He enjoyed a successful tenure at KKR from 2011-2017. He never failed to score at least 300 runs in a season. He was renowned for his consistency and formed a formidable partnership with <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/its-okay-not-to-be-okay-robin-uthappa-on-sushant-singh-rajputs-battle-with-depression/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Robin Uthappa</a> at the top of the order. His aggressive captaincy and vocal nature earned him plaudits for converting a struggling side to one of the most successful IPL teams.

He scored 590 runs in 2012 as KKR won their first IPL title. He has scored a total of 4217 runs in 154 matches in an illustrious career. He is the 10th leading run-scorer in IPL history. He is also joint 5th on the list of most half-centuries (36) in IPL history. With 491 boundaries, he is also second on the list of most 4s scored, just behind fellow Delhi opener Shikhar Dhawan. His contribution to KKR is invaluable and will be leading this side.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-341512" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Robin-Uthappa.jpg" alt="Robin Uthappa" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-341512" class="wp-caption-text">Robin Uthappa. (Photo: Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANS)</figcaption>

He is another player largely involved in KKR&#8217;s IPL triumph in 2014. Uthappa was the aggressor in his partnership with captain Gambhir. Uthappa joined Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014 after having previously played for Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers and Pune Warriors India. Just like Gambhir, Robbie had a good IPL career before joining KKR. He scored 380 runs in the first season of IPL with <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/3-players-which-mumbai-indians-mi-produced-for-india/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mumbai Indians</a>. He crossed the 400 run mark in both 2012 as well as the 2013 campaign which tempted KKR to go for the Karnataka batsman.

In his first season for KKR, Uthappa scored 660 runs with an average of 44. This included 5 half-centuries and earned him the glorious orange cap. He became only the second Indian batsman after Sachin Tendulkar to win the orange cap. He was one of the most dependable batsmen in IPL as he consistently scored more than 300 runs in each season. He was also versatile with regards to his batting position after the arrival of Chris Lynn.

Uthappa holds the record for the most number of 40+ scores (11) in a single season. He has scored 4411 runs in 177 matches in his IPL career and is the 8th highest run-scorer of all time. Following an average 2019 season, Kolkata Knight Riders felt that they no longer needed the services of Uthappa and decided to release him. Uthappa joined Rajasthan Royals for INR 3 crores which made him the costliest Indian in the auction.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-147677" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Jacques-Kallis.jpg" alt="Jacques Kallis IPL" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-147677" class="wp-caption-text">Jacques Kallis. (Photo by Carl Fourie/Gallo Images/Getty Images)</figcaption>

Perhaps the greatest all-rounder of all time, Jacques Kallis&#8217; stats in all forms of the game is something every young cricketer would die to achieve. Kallis was already 36 when he joined Kolkata Knight Riders but his contribution as a player and later on, as a coach has been noteworthy, to say the least. Kallis joined KKR after a good outing for. In his last year for RCB, he scored 572 runs and took 13 wickets.

KKR&#8217;s search for an overseas all-rounder ended in 2011 when they splashed the cash to acquire the services of Jacques Kallis. Kallis contributed equally with the bat and the ball. He scored 424 runs in the 2011 campaign and took 16 wickets in the 2013 edition. His best performance for KKR came in 2012. His aggregate of 409 runs and 15 wickets provided a great basis for the Gautam Gambhir led side to win the IPL convincingly.

Although KKR won the title again in 2014, Kallis&#8217; form had clearly dipped but just his presence in the dressing room would have been such a big boost for the youngsters. He scored 2427 runs and picked up 65 wickets in his IPL career which lasted 98 matches. This makes him one of the best <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/tom-moody-picks-his-greatest-test-odi-and-t20-all-rounders/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">all-rounders </a>in IPL history. He returned to KKR as the head coach in 2015 and continued the role of head coach until 2019. He is now the batting consultant of South Africa.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-134438" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Manish-Pandey.jpg" alt="Manish Pandey" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-134438" class="wp-caption-text">Manish Pandey. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Manish Pandey was selected for the 2008 edition of the IPL by Mumbai Indians, at the tender age of 19. He failed to garner many fans that year, but the next year he became the first Indian to score a century in the IPL which came for his local side, Royal Challengers Bangalore. He followed a similar career path as Robin Uthappa. He started off at Mumbai Indians and after a few years each at RCB and Pune Warriors India, Pandey also joined KKR in 2014.

Pandey scored 401 runs in his first year at Kolkata Knight Riders. The stage was set during 2014 final when fans and pundits expected orange cap winner Uthappa and man of the tournament <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-is-similar-to-a-world-cup-glenn-maxwell-says-he-would-love-to-participate-in-the-league-this-year/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Glenn Maxwell</a> to steal the show but Pandey, playing in his home ground at Bangalore, played a match-winning inning of 94. He had another great season in 2017 as he amassed a total of 396 runs at an average of 49.50.

He was signed by Sunrrisers Hyderabad in 2018 for whom he had a couple of decent years, but nothing major. Pandey has scored more than 200 runs in 8 seasons during his IPL career. He has scored 2843 runs in 130 matches which includes a century. He is one of the talents produced by the IPL who have gone on to represent India on the international stage. At 30, he still has a few years left to show his true potential.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-330024" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Andre-Russell.jpg" alt="Andre Russell" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-330024" class="wp-caption-text">Andre Russell. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption>

Dre-Russ is widely regarded as one of the best T20 players to have ever played the game. Known for his explosive batting and ability to clear the ropes with ease, Russell can regularly clock 140+ kmph and can be very hard to face. He has proved his credentials over and over again with masterful batting and bowling performances in the past few seasons for KKR. He was originally bought by<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/the-reason-why-delhi-daredevils-didnt-go-for-virat-kohli-in-ipl-2008-u19-draft/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Delhi Daredevils </a>in 2012 but eventually joined Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014 and has played for them ever since.

His career strike rates of 177.29 and 19.50 in batting and bowling respectively is substantial proof of his famed abilities as an impactful all-rounder. In 2015, Russell came to the fore for KKR by picking up 14 wickets and scoring 326 runs. He has contributed with the ball by taking 10+ wickets in each season from 2015 to 2019, except in 2017 because he was banned for doping.

In 2019, Russell was simply phenomenal with the willow. The Caribbean all-rounder scored 510 runs with an average of 56.66 at a blistering rate of 204.81. He also contributed by picking up 11 wickets. He was the player of the tournament not only in 2019 but also in 2015. In both the seasons in which Russell won the player of the tournament award, KKR failed to even reach the playoffs which just goes to show to what extent he was carrying the side.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-207809" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Yusuf-Pathan.jpg" alt="Yusuf Pathan" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-207809" class="wp-caption-text">Yusuf Pathan. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

The fact that Yusuf Pathan is coming in at number 7 in this team, just gives you a hint of how stacked this team is in the batting department. The hard-hitting batsman was a part of the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/diversity-is-integral-to-rajasthan-royals-franchise-deletes-a-disturbing-tweet-and-blocks-user-for-racially-abusing-one-of-the-rr-players/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rajasthan Royals</a> side which won the first season of the IPL. He was prolific with both the bat and the ball as Shane Warne&#8217;s men defeated Chennai Super Kings in the showcase final. Pathan was adjudged man of the match for his efforts in the final as he scored 56 runs and picked up 3 wickets for just 22 runs.

Pathan joined KKR in 2011 for a fee of 2.1 million dollars. He showed his all-round capabilities by picking up 13 wickets in 2011, which was his highest in a single season. He scored 1893 runs for Kolkata Knight Riders in 103 matches and is their 3rd highest run-scorer behind Gambhir and Uthappa. Although he didn&#8217;t contribute much with the ball since the 2011 campaign, he was always an extra bowling option and his quickfire cameos were enough to justify his place in the team.

In 2013, Yusuf became the first batsman to be given out for obstructing the field. He scored a half-century off just 15 balls in 2014, which is the second quickest in IPL history. Having won the IPL title earlier with Rajasthan Royals, senior Pathan laid hands on the prestigious silverware on two more occasions during his stint at Kolkata Knight Riders.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-247291" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sunil-Narine.jpg" alt="Sunil Narine" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-247291" class="wp-caption-text">Kolkata Knight Riders&#8217; Sunil Narine in action. (Photo by Surjeet Yadav/IANS)</figcaption>

Although Sunil Narine is more than capable of opening the batting, he has to be accommodated in the lower middle order in the all-time KKR line up as his main role in this team is to pick up wickets. With the advent of T20 cricket, a new term of &#8220;mystery spinner&#8221; was coined and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/i-would-love-to-be-a-part-of-any-team-owned-by-kkr-sunil-narine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sunil Narine </a>is the best example of it. Narine looks to outwit batsmen with his constant innovation as an off-break bowler and is also more than useful pinch-hitter.

Narine has been a mainstay in KKR&#8217;s bowling line up ever since joining them in 2012. He produced 3 immensely productive seasons from 2012-2014 by bagging 24, 22 and 21 wickets. Since then, he has suffered a downturn in form as he was called for a suspect action which forced him to modify his action. Although he no longer picks up 20+ wickets in a season, he still earns 10-15 scalps with ease. Batsmen still find it extremely hard to score a lot of runs off the 4 overs allotted to Narine. His economy rate in the IPL is only 6.67.

Narine has re-invented himself as a very handy batsman in the past few years. He scored 357 runs in 2017, along with taking 17 wickets which earned him his second player of the tournament award, having previously won it in 2012. Narine has taken 122 wickets in the IPL which is not only the 3rd most for an overseas bowler in the IPL, it is also 56 more than any other KKR bowler. He was their first choice player to be retained in the 2018 auction, along with Russell.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-254608" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Piyush-Chawla.jpg" alt="Piyush Chawla" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-254608" class="wp-caption-text">Kolkata Knight Riders Piyush Chawla celebrates fall of Rahul Tripathi&#8217;s wicket. (Photo by Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANS)</figcaption>

Old warhorse and crafty leg-spinner Piyush Chawla has been a regular feature for Kolkata Knight riders for a long time now. His subtle control with the ball and intelligent use of the conditions make him a vital component of the KKR attack. He picked up his 150th career wicket in the IPL last season, making him only the 4th bowler to do so in IPL history, only behind Lasith Malinga and fellow Indian spinners Amit Mishra and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/pure-mohalle-ka-lga-diya-kya-harbhajan-singh-in-utter-disbelief-after-receiving-electricity-bill-of-inr-33900/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Harbhajan Singh</a>.

The world cup winner played in the IPL for the Kings XI Punjab from 2008 to 2013. He had a very good time at Punjab. After IPL 4 he had taken 57 in 55 matches and only 5 players had a better record at the time. Just like many players in this team, Chawal joined KKR in 2014 and had a positive impact on their road to the final. Chawla etched his name in the record books when he scored the winning runs in the 2014 version.

Chawla has never been the best player on the field, but he has always contributed to the team. He has always managed to pick up more than 10 wickets in a season, apart from the 2017 campaign as he only played 6 games. In the 2020 IPL auction, he was signed by Chennai Super Kings which means he will be going from one spin-heavy team to another.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-255310" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Kuldeep-Yadav-2.jpg" alt="Kuldeep Yadav" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-255310" class="wp-caption-text">Kuldeep Yadav of Kolkata Knight Riders celebrates. (Photo by Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANS)</figcaption>

Kuldeep is a left arm-chinaman bowler who is one-half of Indian&#8217;s spin-twin duo which also consists of Yuzvendra Chahal. He hasn&#8217;t been a long term member of the team like some other names on this list, but his performances for both KKR and India in such a short space of time speaks volumes of the talent he possesses. Kuldeep will be looking to bounce back in this year&#8217;s IPL after having a bad outing last year.

His exploits across all formats of the game while on national duties is impressive, to say the least, and he has proven his worth with 108 wickets at a strike rate of 15.9 in T20 matches too. Due to his uniqueness as a chinaman bowler, he often concedes a lot of runs but his tally of wickets make up for the extra runs conceded. He took 12 and 17 wickets in the 2017 and 2018 seasons respectively.

Overall Kuldeep Yadav has picked up 39 wickets in 40 matches for Kolkata Knight Riders. Following the departure of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/when-ms-dhoni-came-to-csk-camp-he-didnt-look-rusty-at-all-piyush-chawla/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Piyush Chawla</a> and Sunil Narine&#8217;s decreasing ability to pick up wickets, Kuldeep has to carry the mantle of the side&#8217;s bowling over the next few seasons and I have no doubt in him doing exactly what is expected of him.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-132622" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Umesh-Yadav.jpg" alt="Umesh Yadav" width="600" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-132622" class="wp-caption-text">Umesh Yadav. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Umesh Yadav completes the XI and is the only pure pace bowler in the team. He started off his IPL career with Delhi Daredevils and after spending 5 years at the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/feroz-shah-kotla-stadium-to-be-renamed-as-arun-jaitley-cricket-stadium/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Feroz Shah Kotla</a>, He swapped the dark blue and red jersey for the purple and gold jersey of KKR in 2014. Yadav had four very good seasons with the Knight Riders. He picked up 48 wickets in 47 games during that period.

Although his two best individual campaigns came for RCB (20 wickets) and DD (19 wickets), his consistency with Kolkata Knight Riders was something that no other Indian fast bowler has displayed while playing for the Shah Rukh Khan owned side. Umesh is an extremely tough built guy with supreme fitness which has earned the nickname of &#8220;Strongman&#8221; in the Indian dressing room.

He is the 4th highest wicket-taking KKR bowler and is also the 2nd highest wicket-taking Indian fast bowler in the IPL. Overall, his 119 wickets in the IPL has seen him enter the top 10 of all-time wickets taken in IPL history. He can clock speeds in the high 140s and swing it at the same time. He already has more than 100 ODI wickets and a cumulative of 200+ wickets for India across all formats.

The Kolkata-based team is the 3rd most successful team in the IPL and they have never lost an IPL final.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-time best XI in IPL history

The Kolkata Knight Riders is the 3rd most successful team in the IPL and they have never lost an IPL final since the tournament's inception.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-time best XI in IPL history

The Kolkata-based team is the 3rd most successful team in the IPL and they have never lost an IPL final.

2. Gautam Gambhir