3 reasons why KKR can defend their title in IPL 2025

The 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) is just around the corner, set to kick off on March 22, with defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) taking on Rajat Patidar's Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the season opener. The match will be held at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

KKR clinched their third IPL title in 2024 under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer, adding to their previous victories in 2012 and 2014 when Gautam Gambhir led the team. To date, only two teams—Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians—have successfully defended their IPL titles, and KKR will be looking to join that elite group in 2025.

This season will see a mix of fresh faces and familiar ones in the KKR lineup, with the most significant change being the shift in captaincy. Ajinkya Rahane is set to take the reins for the upcoming season.

Here’s a look at KKR’s full squad for IPL 2025: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Venkatesh Iyer (vc), Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh, Quinton de Kock, Mayank Markande, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Anrich Nortje, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Vaibhav Arora, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Spencer Johnson, Luvnith Sisodia, Moeen Ali, Anukul Roy, and Chetan Sakariya.

As the 2025 season approaches, this article highlights three key reasons why KKR are well-positioned to defend their title.

---

3 reasons why KKR can defend their title in IPL 2025

#1 Retained most of their title-winning core

With the mega auction scheduled before the 2025 season, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) faced the challenging task of retaining the core players who were instrumental in their 2024 title victory.

Ahead of the auction, KKR successfully kept several key players, including Rinku Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana, and Ramandeep Singh. However, Shreyas Iyer and Venkatesh Iyer were notable absentees, which came as a surprise to many.

During the auction, KKR successfully brought back more of their core players, including Venkatesh Iyer, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Vaibhav Arora, Manish Pandey, and Anukul Roy.

Although they missed out on some big names, such as Shreyas Iyer, Phil Salt, and Mitchell Starc, KKR strengthened their squad with valuable replacements. Ajinkya Rahane will take over as captain, while Quinton de Kock adds stability behind the stumps.

Additionally, pacers Spencer Johnson and Anrich Nortje bring fresh energy to the attack. This combination of retaining their title-winning core and adding exciting new talent makes KKR a formidable force heading into the 2025 season.

---

#2 Presence of top-quality, match-winning all-rounders

One of the key strengths of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) lies in their presence of match-winning all-rounders, with two of them being the backbone of the team for over a decade—the West Indian duo of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine.

Although both players have been struggling for form recently, their experience and ability to turn games around are unmatched. Sunil Narine has played 177 matches for KKR, taking 180 wickets while also scoring 1,534 runs, including seven fifties and one century. On the other hand, Andre Russell has featured in 127 IPL games, scoring 2,484 runs, including 11 fifties, and taking 115 wickets.

Additionally, KKR have strengthened their squad by adding two more all-rounders. Rovman Powell, the hard-hitting West Indian, brings 27 IPL matches worth of experience and the ability to change the course of a game.

Moeen Ali, the former England all-rounder, is also a valuable addition. With 67 IPL appearances, he has accumulated 1,162 runs and taken 35 wickets. These new signings further strengthen KKR’s all-rounder pool, making the team well-equipped with players capable of single-handedly winning games for the franchise.

---

#3 A brilliant bowling attack led by in-form Indian players

Two bowlers who played pivotal roles in Kolkata Knight Riders' 2024 title run were Varun Chakaravarthy and Harshit Rana, who claimed 21 and 19 wickets, respectively.

Both Indian bowlers are in fantastic form heading into IPL 2025. Mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy took nine wickets in three matches during the recently concluded 2025 Champions Trophy, helping India secure the title. Overall, he has played 71 IPL matches and taken 83 wickets.

On the other hand, pacer Harshit Rana claimed four wickets in two games during the same competition, further highlighting his strong form. To date, he has featured in 21 IPL games and taken 25 wickets.

In addition to these two, KKR’s bowling lineup also includes the likes of Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande, Spencer Johnson, and Anrich Nortje, making them a formidable threat to any batting lineup.