Kolkata Knight Riders KKR
Kolkata Knight Riders have split their IPL captaincy into ten eras since 2008. The longest ran seven seasons, under Gautam Gambhir. Win rate, playoff runs, titles and every other captain who led inside them.
Captains of Kolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata Knight Riders have turned to eight captains in the IPL since 2008. Gautam Gambhir led the side to two IPL titles, with Dinesh Karthik, Shreyas Iyer and five others also captaining at other times.
Each era is assigned to the season’s primary captain — whoever led most of that year’s matches. Other captains are named in each era below.
All Kolkata Knight Riders captains by matches led
Captain ↕ | Matches ↕ | W–L | Win % ↕ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gautam Gambhir | 110 | 61–47 | |
| Dinesh Karthik | 37 | 19–18 | |
| Shreyas Iyer | 30 | 17–11 | |
| Sourav Ganguly | 28 | 13–14 | |
| Eoin Morgan | 24 | 12–12 | |
| Nitish Rana | 14 | 6–8 | |
| Ajinkya Rahane | 14 | 5–7 | |
| Brendon McCullum | 14 | 3–10 |
KKR's all-time 51.7% win rate
Led matches without ever being a season's primary captain. Win rate excludes abandoned and no-result matches; Super Over wins count.
KKR captaincy only — follow a name for that captain's full IPL record.
KKR notched five wins in 2025 and went home before the playoffs under Ajinkya Rahane.
Shreyas Iyer led KKR to the 2024 title, SRH the beaten finalists, the club's first in ten years.
KKR recorded six victories in 2023 and finished outside the top four under Nitish Rana.
In 2022, KKR won six of 14 matches under Iyer and fell short of the knockouts.
Morgan led KKR to one final, in 2021, losing to CSK. KKR notched nine wins.
Dinesh Karthik won as many as he lost throughout three seasons in charge of KKR, with one playoff appearance.
KKR played 44 matches in this era — Karthik captained 37, Morgan seven in 2020.
Gautam Gambhir took KKR to their first two IPL titles, in 2012 and 2014.
KKR drew level in 2010 under Ganguly — seven wins, seven defeats — and missed the playoffs.
Three wins from 14 matches left KKR outside the playoffs in 2009 under McCullum.
In 2008, KKR won six of 14 matches under Ganguly and missed the playoffs.
Season-by-season captaincy record for Kolkata Knight Riders
Every season, with the captain of each match. Open a season to see the order they led in.
| Match | Opponent | Captain | Result | Venue | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 May | SRH | Rahane | Lost | Away | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17 May | RCB | Rahane | Abandoned | Away | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 07 May | CSK | Rahane | Lost | Home | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 04 May | RR | Rahane | Won | Home | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 29 Apr | DC | Rahane | Won | Away | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26 Apr | PBKS | Rahane | No result | Home | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 21 Apr | GT | Rahane | Lost | Home | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 Apr | PBKS | Rahane | Lost | Away | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 Apr | CSK | Rahane | Won | Away | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 08 Apr | LSG | Rahane | Lost | Home | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03 Apr | SRH | Rahane | Won | Home | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 31 Mar | MI | Rahane | Lost | Away | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26 Mar | RR | Rahane | Won | Away | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 22 Mar | RCB | Rahane | Lost | Home | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A season with more than one captain — the era above is credited to whoever led most of it.
Away includes neutral venues.