Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) IPL 2017 Schedule: Two-Time Champions Aim A Record Third Title Sans Andre Russell
Mar 16, 2017 at 5:19 PM
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the two-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions, have come up with their best performances whenever they’ve been written off. Under the captaincy of Gautam Gambhir, the Kolkata-based outfit has become one of powerhouses of India’s premier T20 tournament. The former India opener was roped in by the franchise in 2011 and since then, he has led them to two titles, in addition to playoffs appearances in 2011 and 2016 seasons.
KKR’s success has been built on a combination of strong leadership provided by Gambhir and a core group of players further augmented by some really good buys in the player auctions. Having the luxury of playing with the same set of players for majority of the last six seasons, the franchise has turned itself into perennial title contenders.
They made it to the playoffs last season where they were eliminated by eventual winners Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the first eliminator. KKR would be keen to win a record third title but face an upheaval task in the absence of their star all-rounder Andre Russell. The West Indies international, who has scored over 500 runs at a strike-rate of over 160 and taken 29 wickets over the past couple of seasons, has been banned for a year for violating the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) whereabouts clause.W hile replacing him will undoubtedly be a herculean task, KKR have done a smart business in this year’s player auction which might help them thrive in Russell’s absence.
They’ve signed the highly-rated English all-rounder Chris Woakes, who can prove to be an X-factor for them in the upcoming season while in the form of Rovman Powell, KKR have a player who has shown a lot of promise. They’ve also acquired the services of New Zealand fast-bowler Trent Boult, which is bound to strengthen their already strong bowling line-up.
The team looks well-balanced now and they’ll aim to start their season on a winning note when they take on Gujarat Lions in their season-opener on April 7 in Rajkot. Just like all the other teams, they will play 14 matches with their final game to be played on May 13 against Mumbai Indians.
Here is KKR’s full IPL 2017 schedule:
Date | Match | Venue | Time |
7 April | Gujarat Lions vs Kolkata Knight Riders | SCA Stadium, Rajkot | 2000 IST |
9 April | Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 2000 IST |
13 April | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 2000 IST |
15 April | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 1600 IST |
17 April | Delhi Daredevils vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Ferozshah Kotla Ground, Delhi | 1600 IST |
21 April | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Gujarat Lions | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 2000 IST |
23 April | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 2000 IST |
26 April | Rising Pune Supergiant vs Kolkata Knight Riders | MCA Stadium, Pune | 2000 IST |
28 April | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Daredevils | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 1600 IST |
30 April | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Rajiv Gandhi Intl. Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad | 2000 IST |
3 May | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rising Pune Supergiant | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 2000 IST |
7 May | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders | M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore | 1600 IST |
9 May | Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight Riders | PCA Stadium, Mohali | 2000 IST |
13 May | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 2000 IST |