Ranking KKR's 3 greatest all-rounders of all time

The 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is just around the corner and two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will be hoping for a turnaround in their fortunes after below-par performances in the last few years.

They last won the tournament way back in 2014 under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir.

Shreyas Iyer was appointed as the skipper ahead of the previous season. He didn’t manage to live up to the expectations either as a captain or a batter. Iyer was recently advised a 10-day rest period following the recurrence of his back injury, but a call on his participation in the 2023 IPL is yet to be taken.

KKR have always been a franchise blessed with excellent all-rounders who have played a pivotal role in shaping their core team.

The Knight Riders have a balanced side for the upcoming edition, with a blend of experience and youth. They have also added a couple of all-round options in the form of David Wiese and Shakib Al Hasan.

Here is a list of the 3 greatest KKR all-rounders of all time based on their overall performance:

# 1 Andre Russell

Looking forward for an amazing Andre Russell's show @Russell12A
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Touted as one of the most fearsome strikers of the ball, there is hardly any doubt about Russell’s all-round credentials.

Despite not being at his best for the last two seasons, the Knight Riders' management is well aware of his prowess and what he brings to the table. Russell continues to be an integral part of the KKR setup.

Bought by the two-time champions ahead of the 2014 season, Russell, along with Sunil Narine, became one of the two lynchpins for the purple brigade. Russell’s ability to win matches from hopeless situations sets him apart.

In 98 IPL matches so far, he has scored 2035 runs at an incredible strike rate of 177.88. He has also hit the most sixes for the Kolkata Knight Riders (172). Besides his power-hitting attributes, Russell has been an integral part of the bowling unit as well.

The 34-year-old has been trusted with difficult overs in the powerplay and in the death and despite leaking runs on occasions, he has always been a wicket-taking option. He is the 2nd highest wicket-taker for KKR, just behind Narine, with 89 wickets in 98 games.

# 2 Sunil Narine

Mamba King all set for his 1️⃣5️⃣0️⃣th T20 match for KKR tonight! Sunil Narine - a small boy from Trinidad to a legend of cricket’s shortest format 🇹🇹✈️🌏

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One of the leading wicket-takers in the history of the IPL, Sunil Narine played a pivotal role in KKR winning the title in 2012 and 2014. He was bought by KKR at the insistence of then-skipper Gautam Gambhir. Narine repaid the faith shown in him and has since been a loyal servant.

Not only has he been the leader of the pack in the bowling department, Narine has also emerged as a powerful striker of the ball and has played some incredible match-winning cameos for the former champions.

Narine also held the record for the fastest half-century (15 balls) in the competition until KL Rahul broke it.

In 148 IPL matches so far, Narine has bagged 152 wickets at an incredible economy rate of 6.63. He has been a benchmark for the rest of the spinners and continues to impress even today.

Besides his bowling numbers, Narine has also scored over 1000 runs for KKR at a strike rate of 162.69.

# 3 Jacques Kallis

Jacques Kallis was part of the KKR set up between 2011-2014.

One of the finest all-rounders of all time, Jacques Kallis was part of the triumphant KKR outfits in 2012 and 2014.

Playing as an opener, Kallis provided solidity at the top of the order and played some important knocks for them during his association with the team from 2011 to 2014.

Having played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore for the first three seasons, Kallis was roped in by the Knight Riders and he emerged as a force to be reckoned with even in the T20 format.

Kallis is the seventh-highest overall run-getter for the former champions (1295 runs in 56 matches) but his strike rate (106.76) is underwhelming.

Besides playing the role of a sheet anchor, Kallis also bagged 42 wickets for the two-time champions.