Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has been one of the most successful franchises in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). They have won 3 titles since the inception of the IPL and are known for being an embodiment of the never-say-die attitude.
The Knight Riders are the defending champions of the IPL and would be looking to defend their title with pride, glory and prestige. Under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer and mentorship of Gautam Gambhir, KKR lifted their 3rd title in IPL 2024.
However, KKR were a struggling unit in the first 3 years of the IPL. They finished in the third-last position in IPL 2008 and IPL 2010 and last in IPL 2009. When Gautam Gambhir took over the reigns of KKR from IPL 2011, things started changing in the team.
In this article, we take a look at the complete list of KKR captains ranging from Sourav Ganguly to Brendon McCullum:
1. Sourav Ganguly (IPL 2008 and IPL 2010)
Sourav Ganguly was the first-ever captain of KKR and he led the team for 2 seasons. Even though he couldn’t achieve much success with the side, he was loved and cherished by all the people of Kolkata and West Bengal as he is the pride of the state. Ganguly led KKR in 27 matches and won 13 of them.
2. Brendon McCullum (IPL 2009)
KKR had taken a massive punt in IPL 2009 when it took place in South Africa. They made swashbuckling New Zealand batter Brendon McCullum as the captain. But the punt didn’t pay off and KKR ended up receiving the wooden spoon in that season despite having a star-studded squad.
3. Gautam Gambhir (IPL 2011- IPL 2017)
Gautam Gambhir was the most successful captain of KKR and he led the side to 2 IPL titles as a player. The southpaw helped KKR win the title in IPL 2012 and IPL 2014. Gambhir captained the Kolkata-based side in 122 games and won 69 matches.
4. Jacques Kallis (IPL 2011)
Former South African legendary all-rounder Jacques Kallis captained KKR in 2 games and tasted 1 victory. Kallis was an integral part of KKR and has also served as a coach of KKR in the subsequent years.
5. Dinesh Karthik (IPL 2018- IPL 2020)
Post the Gambhir era began the Dinesh Karthik era in Kolkata Knight Riders. The former wicket-keeper batter of India, Karthik captained KKR in 37 matches and registered 19 victories.
6. Eoin Morgan (IPL 2020- IPL 2021)
Former ICC ODI World Cup-winning captain of England, Eoin Morgan was the skipper of KKR in 24 matches and he registered 11 victories and 12 losses. Morgan was instrumental in KKR jumping from the bottom half of the table to the finals in IPL 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
7. Shreyas Iyer (IPL 2022 and IPL 2024)
Shreyas Iyer is the second captain of KKR to lift an IPL title. The 30-year-old cricketer helped the side win the title in 2024. He was also the captain of KKR in IPL 2022 but the side didn’t qualify for the playoffs.
8. Nitish Rana (IPL 2023)
After Shreyas Iyer was injured and ruled out of IPL 2023 because of a shoulder injury, it was Nitish Rana who took over the reigns of the side. Rana led KKR in 14 games and registered 6 victories.
9. Ajinkya Rahane (IPL 2025- Present)
After snapping Ajinkya Rahane for his base price in the IPL 2025 Mega-Auctions, KKR named him as the captain of the side. He has previously led the Indian cricket team and 2 IPL franchises in the form of Rising Pune Super Giants (RPSG) and Rajasthan Royals (RR).
