IPL 2025: Kolkata Knight Riders full schedule, swot analysis, match timings

As fans gear up for the IPL 2025 opener between KKR and RCB, Business Standard takes a look how KKR are prepared for the new challenges ahead:

Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are set to begin a new chapter in Indian Premier League's 18th edition (IPL 2025) after they failed to retain their captain despite winning IPL 2024. The Shahrukh Khan-owned team will be also without their mentor Gautam Gambhir and assistant coaches who were instrumental in their glory previous season.

 

With India veteran Ajinkya Rahane at the helm of affairs, it remains to be seen how the IPL 2025 will pan out for the defending champions.

 

As fans gear up for the IPL 2025 opener, Business Standard takes a look how KKR are prepared for the new challenges ahead:

 

 

Challenges for Rahane as a KKR captain

 

Losing a captain immediately after winning a title? That is not just improbable—it borders on careless. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) enter the new season without Shreyas Iyer, the player who led them to victory in 2024. The twist? They used their major auction to rebuild around their championship core, only to begin the next chapter without their skipper. 

 

How crucial will Shreyas’s absence prove to be? Only time will tell. For now, the weight of expectations rests on the other Iyer—Venkatesh, whom KKR retained for a record Rs 23.75 crore. A clear sign that he was next in line for leadership? Not quite.

 

Instead, the captaincy has been handed to Ajinkya Rahane, who recently led Mumbai to a domestic T20 title, finishing high on the run charts with a formidable strike rate of 166. At 36, Rahane is not just leading a team—he is overseeing a transition.

 

A reshaped think tank

 

Success is never easily sustained, and for KKR, the path forward has involved more than just the absence of their captain.

 

Gautam Gambhir, the mentor often credited with the team’s revival, is no longer part of the setup. He did not leave alone—Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate also exited, stripping the franchise of its core strategic unit.

 

Their departures have made way for Ottis Gibson to join as assistant coach and Dwayne Bravo to step in as mentor. While Bravo is undoubtedly an Indian Premier League (IPL) icon, unlike Gambhir, he is not steeped in KKR’s culture. The contrast is evident. Gambhir made his mark by immersing himself in the franchise’s ethos—whether Bravo and Gibson can do the same remains to be seen.

 

The timing of this upheaval could hardly be worse. Yet, amidst the uncertainty, one constant remains: KKR still boast the tournament’s most formidable spin attack and a lower middle order capable of delivering match-winning performances. 

 

Kolkata Knight Riders' full squad for IPL 2025

 

Full Squad:

 

Ajinkya Rahane (c), Venkatesh Iyer (vc), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Quinton de Kock (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Mayank Markande, Anrich Nortje, Vaibhav Arora, Manish Pandey, Luvnith Sisodia (wk), Anukul Roy, Rovman Powell, Moeen Ali, Chetan Sakariya, Spencer Johnson

 

KKR Playing 11 (probables): Sunil Narine, Quinton de Kock (wk), Ajinkya Rahane (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Spencer Johnson, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy

 

Injury and availability woes for KKR

 

KKR’s fast bowling department has taken a hit even before the season begins:

 

Umran Malik is out for the entire season, replaced by Chetan Sakariya, who initially went unsold at the auction and joined as a net bowler before being drafted into the squad.

Anrich Nortje is recovering from injuries that kept him out of SA20 and the Champions Trophy. While KKR sees him as their pace spearhead in Mitchell Starc’s absence, his immediate availability remains uncertain.

 

Venkatesh Iyer: The man under the spotlight 

If one player carries the most weight in IPL 2025, it is Venkatesh Iyer.

 

• He is KKR’s most expensive player by a margin of over Rs 10 crore.
• He is the vice-captain, a tag that comes with expectations.
• He has spent four years with KKR but has yet to truly break through.
• Yes, he has a century to his name, but even in 2023, when he notched that ton, he did not finish among the top 15 run-getters of the season. His bowling as an all-rounder has been even leaner—just three wickets, all from his debut season in 2021.

 

The biggest concern for KKR?   His role in the Impact Player era. Over the past two seasons, he was subbed out in 11 of the 26 instances KKR activated the rule. This time, there is no hiding.

 

The big shoes he must fill are not someone else's—they are the ones KKR have carved out specifically for him.

 

Angkrish Raghuvanshi: A breakout star in the making?

 

In just his second IPL match, Angkrish Raghuvanshi stunned everyone by blasting 54 off 27 balls and helping KKR post what was then the second-highest total in tournament history.

 

At just 20 years old, he has nothing to prove. But with a middle-order spot up for grabs, he has been given the license to go all out. Could this be the season where he truly arrives?

 

Tougher Road Ahead: KKR's Travel-Heavy Schedule

 

Unlike 2024, when KKR enjoyed five consecutive home games in late April and early May, their 2025 itinerary is tiring.

 

• They start their campaign at home but never play more than two games in a row at Eden Gardens.
• Frequent travels mean less rhythm, making it harder to build momentum.
• Their final two league matches are away—in Hyderabad and Bengaluru—so they cannot afford to leave things too late.

  The Eden Gardens X-Factor: Spinners Who Defy the Odds

  Eden Gardens was once a haven for slow, low spin. But in recent years, with flatter pitches and higher run rates, the Impact Player rule has made life tougher for bowlers.

 

Despite this, two KKR spinners continue to thrive:

 

• Varun Chakaravarthy
• Sunil Narine

While others, like Suyash Sharma, struggled and faded away, Narine and Chakaravarthy have held their own. The challenge, however, will only get tougher as IPL 2025 unfolds.

 

KKR full schedule for IPL 2025

 

Kolkata Knight Riders full schedule and live match timings
No	Date	Day	Time (IST)	Opposition	Venue
1	Mar 22	Sat	7:30 PM	Royal Challengers Bengaluru	Kolkata
2	Mar 26	Wed	7:30 PM	Rajasthan Royals	Guwahati
3	Mar 31	Mon	7:30 PM	Mumbai Indians	Mumbai
4	Apr 3	Thu	7:30 PM	Sunrisers Hyderabad	Kolkata
5	Apr 6	Sun	3:30 PM	Lucknow Super Giants	Kolkata
6	Apr 11	Fri	7:30 PM	Chennai Super Kings	Chennai
7	Apr 15	Tue	7:30 PM	Punjab Kings	New Chandigarh
8	Apr 21	Mon	7:30 PM	Gujarat Titans	Kolkata
9	Apr 26	Sat	7:30 PM	Punjab Kings	Kolkata
10	Apr 29	Tue	7:30 PM	Delhi Capitals	Delhi
11	May 4	Sun	7:30 PM	Rajasthan Royals	Kolkata
12	May 7	Wed	7:30 PM	Chennai Super Kings	Kolkata
13	May 10	Sat	3:30 PM	Sunrisers Hyderabad	Hyderabad
14	May 17	Sat	7:30 PM	Royal Challengers Bengaluru	Bengaluru

   

 

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