The Indian Premier League’s (IPL) underperforming team prior to 2012 was Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Under Sourav Ganguly, the team did not make it to the knockout stages in the first three seasons of the lucrative league. All teams underwent a reorganization in 2011, and Gautam Gambhir was acquired by the Kolkata-based team for an astounding INR 11.04 crore.
In the fourth IPL season, KKR under the new captain looked respectable and made it to the playoffs for the first time in 2011. The Knight Riders won their first trophy in the fifth season by playing a physical brand of cricket. Since KKR’s first championship victory was nearly a decade ago, devoted Kolkata fans will be curious to know what their victorious players are up to these days.
KKR IPL 2012 team players:
20. Jaydev Unadkat:
At the famous Eden Gardens, Jaydev Unadkat was a member of the KKR playing XI against the Punjab Kings (PBKS). However, due to his careless bowling, Captain Gambhir decided to remove him from the playing XI for the rest of the tournament. Against Punjab, he bowled a three-over spell and cost 32 runs at an economy of 10.66.
Currently serving as Saurashtra’s captain, Unadkat led his home team to both the Ranji Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy during the 2022–2023 season. Regarding his role in the IPL, in the next edition, he will be seen in the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) camp.
19. Merchant de Lange:
South African speedster Merchant de Lange played in three games for Kolkata Knight Riders, but he did not make an impression. Before the 2013 IPL auction in Chennai, KKR cut ties with him after his appalling bowling performance. As he represents Gloucestershire in the county championship, the Protea bowler is still competing in the sport.
18. Iqbal Abdulla:
Iqbal Abdulla’s job was to help Sunil Narine bolster the side’s spin department. In nine games, the left-arm spinner claimed four wickets at a 6.54 economy rate. He participated in just one IPL season, with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), in 2017. He played for his native Mumbai team for 14 years before retiring in October of 2023.
17. Laxmi Ratan Shukla:
Laxmi Ratan Shukla scored 75 runs at an average of 12.50 during her 11 games. Up until 2013, the right-handed hitter was connected to Kolkata. The right-handed Bengal batter announced his retirement from cricket in December 2015. He served as a West Bengal Legislative Assembly (MLA) member from 2016 to 2021 while running on the platform of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC).
16. Ryan ten Doeschate:
Ryan ten Doeschate was only ever seen wearing KKR colours during his five years as an IPL player, which ran from 2011 to 2015. In three games, he scored 21 runs to help the Knight Riders win their first championship. He rejoined KKR in 2022 and assumed the role of fielding coach. He also served as Kent’s batting coach for the English county cricket team from 2021 to 2023.
15. Sanju Samson:
Sanju Samson joined the Rajasthan Royals (RR) camp in 2012 when they won the coveted trophy, but he didn’t play in his first IPL match until 2013. He warmed benches the entire season because the Knight Riders had more experienced wicketkeeper batters than him, like Manvinder Bisla and Brendon McCullum.
14. Eoin Morgan:
In the 2012 IPL, Eoin Morgan was a member of the Kolkata Knight Riders. Due to a combination of factors, the left-handed batter was unable to play in Kolkata’s starting lineup for the whole season. The Knight Riders finished the 2021 Indian Premier League as runners-up, with Morgan leading the team this time around after nine years of their first-ever title win.
In February 2023, the renowned player announced his retirement from all competitive cricket formats. Following his retirement from competitive athletics, the former captain of England now provides commentary for Sky Sports, a British television network.
13. Brad Haddin:
Brad Haddin was another illustrious international name who spent the entire season sitting on the dugout benches, along with Morgan. In September 2015, the wicketkeeper-batter declared his retirement from international cricket. He served as Hyderabad’s assistant coach in 2019.
12. Mohammed Shami:
In 2013, Mohammed Shami made his IPL debut wearing the KKR uniform. Also, in 2012, the speedster was also at the KKR camp. In the lucrative league, Shami has been an essential member of the Gujarat Titans (GT) since 2022. In the 2023 Indian Premier League, he also won the Purple Cap. The veteran, together with Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah, strengthens Team India’s pace attack.
11. Manoj Tiwary:
At the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Manoj Tiwary was the batter who drove in the game-winning runs for Kolkata Knight Riders against the Chennai Super Kings. In 16 games, the right-hand hitter scored 260 runs at a strike percentage of 105.69 for KKR. Up until 2018, Tiwary participated in the lucrative league. He finished his career in sports in February 2024, having played his final Ranji match for Bengal against Bihar at Eden Gardens.
He was elected as the West Bengali Shibpur constituency’s MLA in 2021, and he also took on the role of minister of state for youth and sports affairs.
10. Manvinder Bisla:
With an impressive 89 runs off just 48 deliveries as an opener, Manvinder Bisla led Kolkata to a five-wicket victory in the match against CSK at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. After going unsold in the Bengaluru auction in 2015, Bisla has stopped playing in the Indian Premier League.
9. Brendon McCullum:
Brendon McCullum played in 12 KKR games, scoring 289 runs at an average of 24.08 in those contests. He ended his playing career as a cricket player in February 2019. In 2020, the former stumper-batter from New Zealand was appointed as the KKR coach. He was a three-season member of the team, and the Knight Riders finished the 2021 IPL season as runners-up. He has been serving as the England Test team’s coach since 2022.
8. Yusuf Pathan:
Yusuf Pathan contributed three wickets and 194 runs to KKR’s championship triumph. The all-rounder was a part of Kolkata until 2017 and was crucial to the team’s 2014 second-title victory. Yusuf called it quits on all formats of the game in February 2021, bringing his 20-year cricket career to an end. Pathan joined the TMC in March 2024 and ran for parliament from the Berhampore seat.
7. Brett Lee:
In KKR colours, Brett Lee was visible from 2011 to 2013. He led Kolkata’s pace attack in 2012, taking seven wickets at an economy rate of 7.86 in ten games. In July 2012, the pacemaker announced the end of his international career. The former Australian player gave up all forms of competition in January 2015. These days, he provides commentary for the sport.
6. Shakib Al Hasan:
Shakib Al Hasan’s all-around brilliance helped KKR achieve success. In eight games, the Bangladeshi mainstay amassed 91 runs and 12 wickets. The standout batter from Bangladesh is still playing in all three international cricket formats. The experienced player led Bangladesh during the 2023 World Cup, which was hosted in India. Following his victory in Bangladesh’s general elections of 2024, Shakib was also granted a seat in the country’s parliament.
5. Laksmipathy Balaji:
Lakshmipathy Balaji performed his duties for Kolkata effectively. In eight matches, he claimed 11 wickets at a cost-effective economy of 5.40. The speedster’s hamstring injury prevented him from playing in the decisive match against CSK. The pacer stepped away from all sports in July 2017. He was the bowling coach for the Super Kings from 2018 until 2022.
4. Rajat Bhatia:
One could argue that Rajat Bhatia was the unsung hero of Knight Riders’ championship triumph. The medium pacer made 17 appearances and claimed 13 wickets at a lowly 7.31 economy rate. He played for Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Rising Pune Supergiant after being released from the 2012 champion team.
He was a member of KKR until 2013. The Delhi-born cricketer gave up on all forms of the game in 2020. Bhatia provides commentary and shares his thoughts on the game after retiring.
3. Jacques Kallis:
For Kolkata, Jacques Kallis appeared to be productive in every area of the game. In 17 matches, he amassed 490 runs at bat and took 15 wickets at an economy rate of 7.46 as a bowler. The all-rounder gave up on sports altogether in July 2014. From 2015 until 2019, Kallis led the Knight Riders as head coach following his playing retirement.
2. Sunil Narine:
Sunil Narine was a key player in KKR’s victory. The right-arm off-break bowler finished as the competition’s second-highest wicket-taker with 24 wickets at an economy of 5.47 in 15 games. He is the team’s most seasoned player and is still connected to the Knight Riders. Although the veteran hasn’t played cricket for a country since 2019, he still plays in league matches.
1. Gautam Gambhir:
Leading from the front, Gautam Gambhir gave KKR their first-ever trophy. After finishing the competition with 590 runs in 17 matches at a remarkable strike rate of 143.55, he was the second-highest run-scorer.
In 2014, Kolkata added another trophy to its collection under the leadership of the Southpaw. He and Knight Riders parted ways after the 2017 season. He declared his retirement from all sports in November 2018. In the 2024 Indian Premier League, the former opener for India will mentor KKR again. The 2011 World Cup winner is also under contract as a commentator with Star Sports.
So, this was all about the KKR IPL 2012 winning players. Also read, After debut, batter Sarfaraz Khan gets 1.5 Insta followers
