Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are the teams that have won the IPL crown multiple times. Their victory also lies in the captains they had been cunningly choosing.
Since 2008, the franchise originally had captains from different eras and backgrounds. From Sourav Ganguly to Gautam Gambhir, every leader aspired to win the team’s respect. Some were victorious, others were not, but the final target remained the same.
You will find in this article all the different KKR captains who’ve participated in IPL.
List of Kolkata Knight Riders Captains in IPL 2008 To 2026
1. Sourav Ganguly
Could there be anything better than having the ‘Prince of Kolkata’ in your team? Sourav Ganguly was the icon player of KKR back in 2008.
Considering his outstanding performance as India captain, the franchise definitely did not have to think twice about the first skipper.
Though the franchise had high hopes, Ganguly could not perform and the team ended up in sixth place.
That being the case, the franchise made a change in leadership that also saw the removal of Ganguly but he was back in 2010.
The reinstated captaincy did not bring change either as KKR once more finished sixth under Ganguly’s leadership.
Ganguly led KKR in 27 matches during his stint, achieving 13 wins and 14 losses.
2. Brendon McCullum
Brendon McCullum was KKR’s second full-time captain and he got the job in between Ganguly’s time.
However, the leadership change proved to be nothing but a waste of time. KKR went through a rough season finishing last in the points table in 2009.
McCullum’s only season as KKR captain saw him winning three out of 13 games. This also included a string of nine losses!
3. Gautam Gambhir
Slowly but steadily, Kolkata started looking for a robust leader following three disastrous seasons. They then took Gautam Gambhir during the auction of 2011.
It was a union that by all means was divine. The aggressive leadership of Gambhir resulted in a huge positive shift within the next seven years. The groundwork for the team to be the next superpower was thus laid.
The Knight Riders selected the first playoffs in the season 2011. In the end, they could not get past the Eliminator but it was a different attitude that was already marked by this event.
The surrendering of their desire to win the trophy was impossible. So it happened that the Gambhir-led team won the trophy not once but twice. They took the crown in 2012 and 2014.
In Gambhir’s next three seasons, the team made it to the playoffs twice, which he was backing. Even if he could not take them over the edge, it was an indication of their strong desire for more.
Gambhir was KKR’s captain till 2017. During that time, he registered 61 victories out of the 108 matches.
4. Dinesh Karthik
Once the association with Gambhir was over, Dinesh Karthik turned out to be the fourth captain of KKR. He had hardly any captaincy experience in the league. Still, he inherited the legacy left by Gambhir.
Karthik took the lead scoring the runs at the front and led KKR to the playoffs in 2018. But he missed it by a hair in 2019.
KKR were in a good place in 2020, but Karthik’s performance deteriorated. So he gave up the captaincy during the season. Karthik’s reign lasted 37 matches during which he led KKR to 19 victories.
5. Eoin Morgan
Eoin Morgan was on deck to take Karthik’s place. Morgan became the captain in the middle of IPL 2020.
A World Cup-winning captain Morgan was. But his performance in 2020 was such that he only witnessed the team slip out of the playoffs.
The following season was again a case of KKR’s resurgence. Morgan led KKR to their first final after their 2014 victory.
KKR could not beat the challenge of CSK, but Morgan exhibited his captaincy masterclass. KKR, however, did not keep Morgan for the forthcoming season.
Still, Morgan was able to win 12 out of 24 matches to have a 50-50 record as KKR’s captain.
6. Shreyas Iyer
The KKR team was leaderless after Morgan’s exit. They then pursued Shreyas Iyer who had demonstrated his leadership skills.
The team signed him for INR 12.25 crore and put him in the leadership role. Even though the squad had not very good run in 2022, Iyer painted a very bright picture in 2024.
In the meantime, the right-handed batsman was out of the 2023 season due to injury. KKR was looking like an almost invincible team when Iyer returned in 2024.
He was calm and composed throughout the whole campaign and eventually led the franchise to its third title. No one would like to release a title-winning captain, but still KKR did not keep Iyer for the next season.
In total, KKR won 17 games out of 29 while Iyer was the captain.
7. Nitish Rana
With Iyer missing the 2023 season, Nitish Rana had to take the captaincy. The captaincy turned out to be a heavy task for him.
He could not stand the pressure and as a result, KKR got no further than the seventh place with six wins in 2023.
Read Also:- Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL Captains List
8. Ajinkya Rahane
KKR needed a new captain after they released Iyer. They tried to find a suitable candidate in the auction but it was not possible to get a notable player.
Hence they had to select a captain from their current squad. And they chose Ajinkya Rahane.
Rahane brought in plenty of experience with him regarding league captaincy. Besides, he has led Mumbai in domestic cricket too many times to count.
His cool and calculated approach will help KKR maintain their dominance in the league.
