Kolkata Knight Riders won the IPL twice. They were crowned champions in 2012 and 2014. They did not enjoy the same success in 2015 though. They finished the tournament fifth and just missed the last playoff spot. IPL 2016 starts on April 9, 2016. Mumbai Indians and Pune Supergiants set the ball rolling.
Kolkata Knight Riders will play the first match against Delhi Daredevils on April 10, 2016, in Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Kolkata will definitely be looking to start the tournament with a win. Not to forget, Kolkata Knight Riders currently hold the record for the longest winning streak in IPL with a massive tally of fourteen wins.
Also read: Best IPL Team till date based on stats, title victories
Kolkata will play all their home games in Eden Gardens. Regarding the stadium, it is the largest stadium in the country and is the second largest stadium in the world. With a capacity of 66,000, the atmosphere here will be surreal.
Also read: Kings XI Punjab IPL 2016: Schedule, Team Squad, and Venue Details
Here is Kolkata Knight Rider’s schedule for IPL 2016.
Date | Draw | Venue |
|---|---|---|
April 10, 2016 | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Daredevils | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
April 13, 2016 | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
April 16, 2016 | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad |
April 19, 2016 | Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali |
April 24, 2016 | Pune Supergiants vs Kolkata Knight Riders | MCA International Stadium, Pune |
April 28, 2016 | Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
April 30, 2016 | Delhi Daredevils vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi |
May 2, 2016 | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
May 4, 2016 | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
May 8, 2016 | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Gujarat Lions | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
May 14, 2016 | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Pune Supergiants | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
May 16, 2016 | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
May 19, 2016 | Gujarat Lions vs Kolkata Knight Riders | TBC, TBC |
May 22, 2016 | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
TBC – To be confirmed.
Kolkata Knight Riders have retained most of their players for IPL 2016. In the auction that was held on February 6, 2016, Knight Riders opted for a cautious approach. They made a few smart buys such as Colin Munro of New Zealand and John Hastings of Australia.
Also read: How to book IPL 2016 Tickets online
Let us take a much closer look at the Kolkata Knight Rider’s squad for IPL 2016.
Kolkata Knight Riders Squad for IPL 2016 | |
|---|---|
Name | Role |
Gautam Gambhir (Captain) | Batsman |
Chris Lynn* | Batsman |
Manish Pandey | Batsman |
Colin Munro* | Batsman |
Suryakumar Yadav | Batsman |
Yusuf Pathan | All-rounder |
John Hastings* | All-rounder |
Andre Russell* | All-rounder |
Kuldeep Yadav | All-rounder |
Jason Holder* | All-rounder |
Shakib Al Hasan* | All-rounder |
Manan Sharma | All-rounder |
Brad Hogg* | All-rounder |
Rajagopal Sathish | All-rounder |
Robin Uthappa | Wicketkeeper Batsman |
Sheldon Jackson | Wicketkeeper Batsman |
Piyush Chawla | Bowling All-rounder |
Morne Morkel* | Bowler |
Sunil Narine* | Bowler |
Ankit Rajpoot | Bowler |
Umesh Yadav | Bowler |
Jaydev Unadkat | Bowler |
* indicates overseas player.
Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa will probably open the innings for the Knight Riders. Gambhir, Yusuf Pathan, and Robin Uthappa are players who can change matches within moments.
Also read: Sunrisers Hyderabad's IPL 2016: Schedule, squad and venue details
Kolkata Knight Riders have a strong middle order in the form of Yusuf Pathan, Andre Russel, John Hastings, and Shakib Al Hasan. These players are not flexible, but also give the middle order a lot of stability. If any one of them get going, an easy 170 is on the cards.
In the bowling department, they have some quicks such as Umesh Yadav, Morne Morkel, and the re-acquired Jaidev Unadkat. In the spin department, they have the wizardry of Sunil Narine and Piyush Chawla. Overall, their bowling department is can be termed as stellar.
We will even have to watch out the new buy, Colin Munro. With so many quality overseas players in their squad, selecting Kolkata’s starting eleven will not be easy. We will have to wait and see as to how they will approach IPL 2016.
Also read: Delhi Daredevils IPL 2016: Schedule, Team Squad, and Venue Details
Kolkata Knight Riders enter IPL 2016 with a very strong team. They will definitely be looking to get the cup for a sensational third time.
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