IPL 2025: How KKR collapsed right after their title-winning season

Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders' Indian Premier League campaign was ended by rain on Saturday, May 17, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. KKR, playing their 13th league stage match of the tournament, needed a win to stay alive in the competition, but it was not to be, as the rain refused to stop in Bengaluru.

It felt fitting that even the gods didn’t wish to see this KKR team in action—a side that made some odd decisions throughout the season. The Ajinkya Rahane-led team looked like a shadow of the unit that dominated the competition in 2024.

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KKR's record of 5 wins, 6 losses, and 1 no result from 13 matches stands in stark contrast to their fortunes last season, when they won 9 and lost only 3 games. And that hasn’t come as a major surprise, given how the team was set up this year.

Also Read: KKR crash out of IPL 2025 after group clash vs RCB called off due to rain

The franchise broke up their successful opening combination of Phil Salt and Sunil Narine, who were prolific in 2024. That opening pair consistently set the pace in games, giving the lower order the cushion to occasionally fail without hurting the team.

However, with Salt gone, KKR needed their other top-order batters to step up—something that unfortunately didn’t happen. The team stayed rigid with its batting order, delaying the entry of hitters like Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, and Ramandeep Singh. That lack of flexibility showed in their middling scores this season.

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What didn’t help was the prolonged poor form of Venkatesh Iyer, who has scored just 142 runs in 11 matches so far. Iyer, the most expensive player (?23.75 crore) in KKR's history, insisted that he didn’t feel any pressure from the price tag, but that seemed increasingly unlikely as his performances dwindled.

The exit of Shreyas Iyer

"Shreyas Iyer was not given the credit he deserved after KKR won the IPL 2024," fumed Sunil Gavaskar after the team’s exit from the Indian Premier League.

Gavaskar criticised the narrative built around KKR’s 2024 success, where most of the praise went to Gautam Gambhir. Since leaving the franchise, Iyer has led Punjab Kings to a sensational season in IPL 2025, thriving in an environment of trust and belief under Ricky Ponting. On the other hand, both Gambhir and KKR have struggled in their respective roles.

“He didn't get the credit for the IPL victory last season. All the plaudits were given to someone else. It's the captain who plays a major role in what’s happening in the middle, not someone sitting in the dugout. See, this year he's getting fair credit. No one is giving all the credit to Ricky Ponting,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports after KKR's exit.

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The reality is that before winning the Champions Trophy 2025, Gambhir's position as India coach was under threat. While that pressure has eased for now, the same can’t be said for KKR, whose decision to change leadership and appoint Ajinkya Rahane has completely backfired.

Time for a rejig

After their brilliant run in IPL 2024, KKR were forced to part ways with mentor Gautam Gambhir and batting coach Abhishek Nayar, two long-serving members of the franchise. The abrupt change caught the team off guard, as new relationships had to be built between players and coaches. That disruption directly contributed to poor planning and execution, especially in the batting order.

It may be time for KKR to make a major shift in their line-up. The days of Narine, Russell, and Rahane dominating world cricket are nearing an end, and KKR will have to accept that sooner rather than later. While the franchise has attempted to nurture young talent, perhaps it's now time to pair that approach with bold selections—backing fresh faces instead of relying on aging stars.

As good as Rahane has been, no one in Indian cricket would argue that he ranks among the top 20 batters in domestic T20 cricket today.

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KKR believed their tried-and-tested combinations would work in the rapidly evolving world of T20 cricket. But that plan has clearly fallen flat. The franchise must rethink its strategy. With their presence in multiple T20 leagues around the world, KKR have access to a wide pool of emerging talent.

This season’s successful teams have embraced new ideas. RCB have shown faith in their squad and moved beyond over-reliance on their top three. Gujarat have displayed excellent game awareness, identifying and playing to their strengths. Punjab have backed homegrown players like Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh. Mumbai, meanwhile, made sure they nailed their auction strategy.

KKR would do well to learn from these examples and make bold, necessary changes. If not, they risk slipping back into the same cycle that had kept them from lifting an IPL trophy for over a decade.

Published By: sabyasachi chowdhury Published On: May 18, 2025

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