Kolkata Knight Riders have a huge fan following, but the franchise is finding it hard to keep up their game in the league. In IPL 2020. The team ranked fifth due to some wins in the end matches. However, the performance was not up to the mark, and fans were quite disappointed. Even after handing over the captaincy from Dinesh Karthik to Eoin Morgan, the team did not perform well. It will be a big test for him to revamp the team and make positive changes in their form. However, all is not yet lost for the franchise. Some outstanding players in the KKR 2021 players list are still there to save the day.
Players such as Harbhajan Singh and Shakib Al Hasan were roped in this season to amp up the game of the team. These players will prove to be handy in rebuilding the strength of the team. Eoin Morgan will have some responsibility on his shoulders with such great names. However, the first phase of the 2021 IPL has not yet proved to be glorious for the team. KKR ended up as the second last in terms of ranking. The second phase of the league may prove to be a blessing in disguise for the franchise.
KKR IPL Team 2021 Players List
The KKR squad for this season includes all-rounders, beastly batsmen, and agile bowlers. Here is the full list of the squad
- Eoin Morgan- Captain
- Shivam Mavi
- Sandeep Warrier
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Shakib Al Hasan
- Sunil Narine
- Vaibhav Arora
- Lockie Ferguson
- Ben Cutting
- Tim Seifert
- Karun Nair
- Sheldon Jackson
- Venkatesh Iyer
- Dinesh Karthik
- Harbhajan Singh
- Pat Cummins
- Andre Russell
- Prasidh Krishna
- Shubhman Gill
- Nitish Raina
- Pawan Negi
- Kamlesh Nagarkoti
- Varun Chakravarthy
- Gurkeerat Mann Singh
- Rahul Tripathi
The Batting side includes Andre Russell, Shubhman Gill, Eoin Morgan, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi that can make chasing runs and hitting boundaries look easier. These players can make the team change their ranking in the second phase of the IPL 2021. As for the bowlers, the team has some of the best such as Harbhajan Singh, Shakib Al Hasan, Kuldeep Yadav. Moreover, the trio of Prasidh Krishna, Pat Cummins, and Lockie Ferguson can make any batsman struggle to make runs on the field.
KKR Squad: Retained Players and Bought Players
This time KKR has retained the maximum number of players from the last season by paying a hefty sum of salary to players going beyond a few crores as Eoin Morgan, Dinesh Karthik, Andre Russell, Kamlesh Nagrkoti, Lockie Ferguson, Shivam Mavi, Pat Cummins, etc. However, the team also has roped some of the new players for taking their performance up a notch in the series. The main objective of buying players this time was to improve the ranking of the team and reach the finals. The following players were bought by the franchise this season:
- Shakib Al Hasan- Rs. 3.20 crores
- Sheldon Jackson- Rs. 20 lakhs
- Karun Nair- Rs. 50 lakhs
- Vaibhav Arora- Rs. 20 lakhs
- Harbhajan Singh- Rs. 2 crores
- Ben Cutting- Rs. 75 lakhs
- Venkatesh Iyer- Rs. 20 lakhs
- Pawan Negi- Rs. 50 lakhs
KKR Schedule For The Second Phase Of IPL 2021
The schedule for the remaining matches after the dismissal of IPL 2021 due to COVID-19 for KKR looks as follows:
- KKR vs. RCB – 20th September 2021- Abu Dhabi
- MI vs. KKR- 23rd September 2021- Abu Dhabi
- CSK vs. KKR- 26th September 2021- Abu Dhabi
- KKR vs DC- 28th September 2021- Sharjah
- KKR vs. PBKS- 01st October 2021- Dubai
- KKR vs SRH- 03rd October 2021- Dubai
- KKR vs RR- 07th October 2021- Sharjah
Kolkata Knight Riders have been showcasing dismal performance in the last few seasons of the IPL. Even the first phase of the IPL 2021 was not great for the KKR squad. However, the team is making every possible effort to rebuild their name and goodwill and perform their best on the field. Let’s look at what the KKR full team has in store for their fans in the second phase of the IPL 2021 schedule.
Summary: Last season, Kolkata Knight Riders finished at the fifth position. From being at the top of their game to struggling to make it to the finals, the KKR team has been through it all. Let’s look at KKR 2021 players list, schedule, and much more in this article.