10 Players you might not know played for Kolkata Knight Riders
10 Players you might not know played for Kolkata Knight Riders: As an IPL team, Kolkata Knight Riders have been nothing short of sensational. They’re a group that had a lot of initial difficulties (2008-2010). It was one of the darkest times in their history, and it will be remembered as such forever.
Then suddenly, they switched jerseys and their fortunes improved. The analogy is to the rebirth of the phoenix.
From an underdog to two-time IPL champions, their rise to prominence was meteoric. As of right now, the Kolkata Knight Riders are among the most successful teams in IPL annals. Surely the supporters have moved on from those terrible years in the lucrative league. Now, KKR is always considered a title contender.
They have watched many talented players come and go along the way. There were cricketing greats among them, and there were also those youngsters who just couldn’t crack the starting lineup. In light of this, let’s take a look at a few of the 10 players that may have flown under the radar at Kolkata Knight Riders.
10. Mark Boucher
Mark Boucher played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore for the first three years of the Indian Premier League. While playing with RCB, the South African wicketkeeper contributed significantly as a lower-order batter, particularly in the final few overs of games.
He was finally freed from his contract in 2011. Nonetheless, he discovered another franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders. Due to the short length of his time with KKR, few of their supporters would remember him from his only season there. Before being taken out of the starting lineup, he only managed 6 runs in 4 games for KKR. Fans never got to see him play in the IPL again. Soon after, he gave up cricket for good.
9. Ajantha Mendis
When Ajantha Mendis initially entered the international cricket scene, he was remembered as a mysterious bowler who made a great splash. Prior to making his debut for Sri Lanka, Mendis played for KKR in the first season of the Indian Premier League.
Unfortunately, he was only picked to participate in one game. A single wicket from his four overs couldn’t save him from being benched for the next match. His performances on the world stage were enough to win him another year with the squad. He only had three wickets in four games for KKR in 2009. It was obvious that the teams had figured out his bowling strategy. He played with Pune Warriors India in 2013 but was released the following year. Another disappointing season with PWI saw him take only two wickets in three contests.
8. Mohammed Shami
In terms of Indian pace bowlers, Mohammed Shami is among the finest. He has quickly risen to prominence on the global stage. When Shami initially showed up in the IPL in 2012 to play for KKR, he was a relatively unheralded teenager.
In 11 games over the course of two years, he played for KKR but managed to pick up just one wicket. KKR made the right call in deciding to release him due to his poor performance. Due to his achievements on the local circuit, Delhi Capitals signed him to another contract in 2014. (formerly known as Delhi Daredevils).
Even though he played in 12 games, he only managed to take seven wickets in 2014. He played for Delhi Capitals for another four years despite his abysmal on-field performance. Shami is one of the many gifted bowlers who have struggled to succeed on the biggest stages of Twenty20 cricket. Even though his recent performances haven’t shown it, we all know how talented he is.
7. Shane Bond
Buying fast bowling great Shane Bond made KKR a headline. Bond joined the team for a single season in 2010. He had a respectable outing with the ball, picking up nine scalps across eight games at a 24.88 average. He realized he wasn’t as physically capable as he once was, therefore he ended his IPL career.
After that, he became the bowling coach for the 2015 champion Mumbai Indians, where he played a crucial role in the team’s success and eventual championship.
6. Brad Hodge
Brad Hodge played with the Kolkata Knight Riders for the first three seasons of the IPL, beginning in 2008. Hodge only played in three games that first season, but still managed to score 12 runs. Because of the league-wide restriction on players from outside the United States, Hodge spent much of his time on the bench. His greatest year, though, was 2009, when he was a fixture in the starting lineup. He batted 365 times in 12 games, with an average of 40.55.
Because of this, he was able to keep his 2010 roster berth. He was benched after only four games and 99 meager runs. His employment agreement was terminated.
After that, he spent one season (2011) opening the batting for the Kochi Tuskers Kerala. He was instrumental in their successful beginnings. In 14 games he was able to score 285 runs for them.
The next year, with Kochi Tuskers Kerala no longer in existence, he was once again put up for auction. The royal family of Rajasthan, this time, bought him. From 2012 to 2014, he spent three years with this club. He was known as RR’s finisher because of his ability to hit crucial runs in the final few overs of games.
He retired in 2015 and immediately took a coaching position with the same team.
5. Shoaib Akhtar
Batsmen had felt Shoaib Akhtar’s fearsome bowling for years on the international stage, so it was only natural that he would do the same for Kolkata Knight Riders. He had a fantastic first game, finishing with 4 wickets in his four overs. Nonetheless, he was only picked to participate in three games during his sole season with them.
Since 2009, when Pakistani players were banned from the IPL, we never got to see him play again. In short order, he gave up playing any sport at all. After leaving the workforce, he found a comfortable niche as an analyst.
4. Siddarth Kaul
Siddarth Kaul is a valuable asset that KKR overlooked. In 2008, he was a member of the KKR bench but was never given a chance to play. He served for just one season before being discharged.
His theatrics on the domestic scene in 2013 led to a deal with the Delhi Capitals of the Indian Premier League. When given the opportunity to play, though, he only managed to collect 6 wickets in 11 total games throughout his time at DC.
In 2016, he made a comeback to join the Sunrisers Hyderabad team. In the same vein, he didn’t see much action in his debut campaign. Lucky for us, we decided to keep him on for another year in 2017. He finally had his breakthrough year. In only 10 games, he picked up 16 scalps. Kaul’s talent had been the subject of rumors for a long time, and now it was beginning to materialize.
3. Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson used to play for KKR but has since joined Rajasthan Royals. He only stayed with KKR for one season, during which he was never even given a shot at the field. He played the next year for Rajasthan Royals after being released from his contract the year before.
Here, his skills were quickly noticed, and he was included in the starting lineup. He also set a record by becoming the youngest player to ever reach the fifty-run mark in the IPL. Since then, he’s risen to prominence as one of the league’s top wicketkeeper-batsmen. In 2018, he had a career year with 441 runs scored in just 15 games.
2. Ricky Ponting
Everyone knows that Ricky Ponting is a fantastic cricket player and one of the best of all time, yet he has struggled mightily in the IPL. As of the 2008 season, Ponting was a member of the KKR clubhouse staff. He was just in four games but still managed to score 39 runs. Before long, he was no longer a part of the starting lineup and his contract was terminated.
From 2009 until 2012, he remained unsold at the IPL auctions, and it wasn’t until 2013 that he was ultimately purchased by the Mumbai Indians. He was made captain, but that didn’t improve his batting average. In six games, he racked up 52 runs.
Thanks to Ponting’s awful play, his club is currently dead last in the standings. In the middle of the season, he handed over the captaincy to Rohit Sharma and was promptly benched. For MI, this choice was a game-changer that ultimately led to their first IPL championship.
Punter remained with MI for another couple of years, this time in the coaching capacity. He is the head coach for the Delhi Capitals right now.
1. Chris Gayle
Probably one of KKR’s biggest snubs in the IPL was Chris Gayle. From 2008 through 2010, Gayle sported less than stellar form for the team. When given a chance to play in 2009, he failed miserably with the bat after not making the playing XI in 2008.
From 2011 until 2017, he was a member of the Royal Challengers Bangalore team. His formative years were spent here. He was so dominant that he was called “Universe Boss” and was an Orange Cap winner several times. Against Pune Warriors India in 2013, he also had the greatest individual T20 score (175 not out).
Through the years, he has developed into one of the most devastating hitters in the league. In 112 games, he has scored 3,994 runs, with an average of 41.17. In his IPL career, he has amassed a total of six hundred and twenty-four half centuries.