Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are one of the three teams to win the IPL three or more times. They have won the tournament three times, the second most by a team.
KKR won their first two trophies under Gautam Gambhir’s leadership in 2012 and 2014. Their third title came under Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy in 2024.
It was under Gambhir’s tenure KKR entered their first playoffs in 2011. The very next season they won the whole thing to become the fourth team to win the IPL.
Here is the season-wise performances and results of Kolkata Knight Riders in their IPL journey.
| Year | Result | W-L | Top Run-Scorer | Top Wicket-Taker |
| 2026 | Upcoming (Starts Mar 29) | — | — | — |
| 2025 | League Stage (8th) | 6-8 | Ajinkya Rahane (390) | Varun Chakaravarthy (17) |
| 2024 | Champions | 11-3 | Sunil Narine (488) | Varun Chakaravarthy (21) |
| 2023 | League Stage (7th) | 6-8 | Rinku Singh (474) | Varun Chakaravarthy (20) |
| 2022 | League Stage (7th) | 6-8 | Shreyas Iyer (401) | Andre Russell (17) |
| 2021 | Runners-up | 9-8 | Shubman Gill (478) | Varun Chakaravarthy (18) |
| 2020 | League Stage (5th) | 7-7 | Shubman Gill (440) | Varun Chakaravarthy (17) |
| 2019 | League Stage (5th) | 6-8 | Andre Russell (510) | Andre Russell (11) |
| 2018 | Playoffs (3rd) | 9-7 | Dinesh Karthik (498) | Sunil Narine (17) |
| 2017 | Playoffs (3rd) | 9-7 | Gautam Gambhir (498) | Chris Woakes (17) |
| 2016 | Playoffs (4th) | 8-7 | Gautam Gambhir (501) | Andre Russell (15) |
| 2015 | League Stage (5th) | 7-6 | Robin Uthappa (364) | Andre Russell (14) |
| 2014 | Champions | 11-4 | Robin Uthappa (660) | Sunil Narine (21) |
| 2013 | League Stage (7th) | 6-10 | Gautam Gambhir (406) | Sunil Narine (22) |
| 2012 | Champions | 12-5 | Gautam Gambhir (590) | Sunil Narine (24) |
| 2011 | Playoffs (4th) | 8-7 | Jacques Kallis (424) | Iqbal Abdulla (16) |
| 2010 | League Stage (6th) | 7-7 | Sourav Ganguly (493) | Ashok Dinda (9) |
| 2009 | League Stage (8th) | 3-10 | Brad Hodge (365) | Ishant Sharma (11) |
| 2008 | League Stage (6th) | 6-7 | Sourav Ganguly (349) | Umar Gul (12) |
Key Insights
- Total Titles: 3 (2012, 2014, 2024)
- Final Appearances: 4 (2012, 2014, 2021, 2024)
- Final Efficiency: KKR boasts a high conversion rate, winning 75% of the finals they have reached (3 out of 4).
- Consistency: Qualified for the playoffs 8 times in 18 seasons. They are known for mid-season turnarounds, notably in 2014 and 2021.
- Champions League T20: Their best finish was as Runners-up in 2014, losing the final to CSK.
- Wooden Spoons: KKR finished last once in the early years (2009).
Gambhir also happens to be KKR’s most successful captain. He led them to 61 wins out of 108 matches in the IPL. With bat, he became the first KKR captain and second overall to score 500+ runs in a single IPL season.
The Knight Riders have qualified for the playoffs eight times, the fourth most by an IPL team. And they have reached the final four times, which is the third most for a team.
2009 was KKR’s worst IPL season. They lost nine matches on the trot in the season, which are the joint second most by a team.
KKR’s 12 victories in the 2012 season are the joint second most for a team in an IPL edition. Interestingly, they have won 10 or more matches in every season they have lifted the trophy.
