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Wikipedia - Kolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are a professional franchise cricket team representing the city of Kolkata in the Indian Premier League. The franchise is owned by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, actress Juhi Chawla, and her spouse Jay Mehta. Their home ground is the Eden Gardens stadium in Kolkata.
The franchise, which has gained immense popularity due to its association with celebrity owners, qualified for the IPL playoffs for the first time in 2011. They became the IPL champions in 2012, by defeating Chennai Super Kings in the final. They repeated the feat in 2014, defeating Kings XI Punjab. In 2024, they won the title for the third time by beating Sunrisers Hyderabad. The Knight Riders hold the record for the longest winning streak by any IPL team (14).
The side's all-time leading run-scorer is Gautam Gambhir, while their leading wicket-taker is Sunil Narine. The official motto of the team is Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo (we will perform, fight, and win!) and the official colours are purple and gold.
History
In 2007, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) created the cricket tournament Indian Premier League, based on the Twenty20 format of the game. Eight teams participated in the inaugural tournament held in April – June 2008. The teams representing the eight different cities of India were put up on auction in Mumbai on 20 February 2008. The team representing Kolkata was eventually bought by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's company Red Chillies Entertainment in partnership with actress Juhi Chawla and her husband Jay Mehta for a price of $75.09 million, equal to approximately ₹2.98 billion at that time. Sourav Ganguly, former captain of the Indian national team, a native of West Bengal and former President of BCCI, was named the Icon player for the team. The name of the team is a reference to the popular 1980s American television series Knight Rider.
The team's colors are purple and gold, and they play their home matches at the iconic Eden Gardens stadium in Kolkata. The Kolkata Knight Riders have a passionate fan base known as the "Knight Riders Army" who support the team with unwavering loyalty.
Over the years, the Kolkata Knight Riders have had some of the biggest names in cricket representing them, including players like Sourav Ganguly, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, and Shubman Gill. They have won the IPL title twice, in 2012 and 2014, under the captaincy of Gautam Gambhir.
Known for their aggressive and fearless style of play, the Kolkata Knight Riders are always a formidable force in the IPL and are known for their ability to turn matches around with their explosive batting and disciplined bowling. With a strong team spirit and a winning mentality, the Kolkata Knight Riders continue to be a force to be reckoned with in the world of cricket.