IPL: Rating KKR's performance in each season from 2008-2018
Kolkata Knight Riders are the glamour destination of the Indian Premier League. When a team is headed by Bollywood’s biggest superstar, Shah Rukh Khan, it is a folly to expect otherwise.
Fittingly, the IPL journey of Kolkata Knight Riders over the years has been dramatic. The side floundered in the first few seasons and suffered from hardships. With a fresh mindset, they started rebuilding and unearthed new glories. Kolkata Knight Riders have since added two IPL trophies to their cabinet.
KKR’s IPL journey since 2008 has been full of ups and downs. The team was supported, detested and supported by the same set of passionate people. Representing the metro city of Kolkata, the Knight Riders had to conquer the toughest fans.
After the turmoil that involved John Buchanan, Sourav Ganguly, and Shah Rukh Khan, the team excelled at cricket in the later years. In IPL 2018, the team received heavy backing from its fans and finished at the third place. Let us roll back the years and relive the whole journey.
#1 IPL 2008 - (6th position)
Cricket’s extravaganza began in the year 2008 with franchises buying the teams and players for millions of dollars. Ganguly was appointed as the icon player for the Kolkata Knight Riders. The team included Ricky Ponting, the then latest sensational fast bowler Ishant Sharma, New Zealand’s big-hitter Brendon McCullum and the Pakistani pace pair of Umar Gul and Shoaib Akhtar.
KKR played in the first match of the IPL and began the tournament in the most explosive way possible. McCullum creamed 158* in the first match against Royal Challengers Bangalore and set the ball rolling.
The side won the second match as well but then embarked on a four-match losing streak. Ganguly and Akhtar tried to revive the campaign but they went on to lose three matches in a row.
The Knight Riders ended the first season at the sixth spot with six wins and seven losses. Ganguly topped the run-charts while Gul emerged as the leading wicket-taker.
Rating: 4/10
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