Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan-owned Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are two-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions but had a disappointing time in IPL 2022 as they failed to make the Playoffs stage. The preparation of IPL 2023 hasn’t started on a positive note as well with regular skipper Shreyas Iyer ruled out of action with a back injury.
KKR announced a new skipper – Nitish Rana – to replace Iyer on Monday (March 27) just days before IPL 2023 gets underway on March 31. KKR’s first match will be against Punjab Kings away from home in Mohali on April 1.
“KKR has been my home since 2018 and it’s an honour to lead them. This captaincy instils my belief of performing at the highest level. It’s a great opportunity for me to showcase my leadership skills and I will be using all my experience to not just bring the best out of me but also from my team. I also wish for a speedy recovery for Shreyas and I am looking forward to the new challenge ahead of me,” Rana said after being appointed skipper.
In Iyer’s absence, KKR will rely on the likes of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine to provide them much needed fireworks with bat and ball both. At the IPL 2023 auction, KKR bought Narayan Jagadeesan and Bangladesh’s Litton Das, who can both double up as wicketkeeper-batter. They also bought all-rounders David Wiese and Shakib al Hasan to bolster their middle-order.
____'_ __ ___ _____! Welcome, Captain! __@NitishRana_27 #AmiKKR #KKR #TATAIPL2023 #Leader #NitishRana #Nitish pic.twitter.com/Z9UAKToYWj
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) March 27, 2023
Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2023 Full Schedule
April 1 - Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Mohali
April 6 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kolkata
April 9 - Gujarat Titans vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Ahmedabad
April 14 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata
April 16 - Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai
April 20 - Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi
April 23 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata
April 26 - Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Bengaluru
April 29 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Gujarat Titans, Kolkata
May 4 - Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Hyderabad
May 8 - Kolkata Knight RIders vs Punjab Kings, Kolkata
May 11 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata
May 14 - Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai
May 20 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants, Kolkata
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) IPL 2023 Full Squad
| Player Name | Country | Age | Role | Auction Price |
| Shreyas Iyer | India | 28 years | Batsman | INR 12.25 Crores(R) |
| Nitish Rana | India | 28 years | Batsman | INR 8 crores(R) |
| Rinku Singh | India | 25 years | Batsman | INR 55 Lakhs(R) |
| Varun Chakravarty | India | 31 years | Bowlers | INR 8 Cr(R) |
| Tim Southee | New Zealand | 34 years | Bowlers | INR 1.5 crores(R) |
| Umesh Yadav | India | 35 years | Bowlers | INR 2 crores(R) |
| Andre Russell | West Indies | 34 years | All-rounder | INR 12 Cr(R) |
| Venkatesh Iyer | India | 27 years | All-rounder | INR 8 Cr(R) |
| Sunil Narine | West Indies | 34 years | All-rounder | INR 6 Cr(R) |
| Anukul Roy | India | 24 years | All-rounder | INR 20 Lakhs(R) |
| Shardul Thakur | India | 31 years | Bowler | Traded from DC |
| Lockie Ferguson | New Zealand | 31 years | Bowler | Traded from GT |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | Afghanistan | 21 years | WK-Batsman | Traded from DC |
| Harshit Rana | India | 21 years | Bowler | INR 20 Lakhs(R) |
| N Jagadeesan | India | 26 years | Batter | INR 90 Lakhs(R) |
| Vaibhav Arora | India | 25 years | Bowler | INR 60 Lakhs(R) |
| Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 35 years | All-rounder | INR 1.5 Crore(R) |
| David Wiese | Namibia | 37 years | All-rounder | INR 1 Crore(R) |
| Mandeep Singh | India | 31 years | Batter | INR 50 Lakhs |
| Litton Das | Bangladesh | 28 years | Wicket-keeper | INR 50 Lakhs |
| Kulwant Khejroliya | India | 30 years | Bowler | INR 20 Lakhs |
| Suyash Sharma | India | 19 years | Bowler | INR 20 Lakhs |
