The Kolkata Knight Riders have been a successful and formidable side ever since their victory in the 2014 IPL under the captaincy of Gautam Gambhir. The team’s strength has come from their all-rounders, who have been integral to their success. Ahead of the upcoming season, the Knights have added additional talents like David Wiese and Shakib Al Hasan. Here are the top 3 in history based on overall performance:
Andre Russell
Russell is one of the most feared hitters of a cricket ball, leaving hardly any doubt over his overall credentials. With 98 IPL matches played, he has scored an astounding 2035 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 177.88, the highest number of sixes for the Kolkata Knight Riders (172). In addition to his power-hitting abilities, Russell has also been an integral part of the bowling unit. He is often trusted with bowling in the powerplay and death overs, and, despite giving away some runs, he has always been a wicket-taking option. He is second only to Narine with 89 wickets from 98 games for Kolkata Knight Riders.
Sunil Narine
Narine is one of the greatest wicket-takers of all time in the Indian Premier League and has earned his place as a loyal servant of KKR ever since Gautam Gambhir acquired him. In his 148 IPL matches, Narine has taken 152 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 6.63, establishing himself as a benchmark for spinners. He has also contributed more than 1000 runs to the Knight Riders with a strike rate of 162.69.
Jacques Kallis
Jacques Kallis is renowned as one of the best all-rounders of all time. Initially playing for the RCB for three seasons, he switched to the Knight Riders and succeeded in excelling in the T20 format. He was part of the victorious Knight Riders teams in 2012 and 2014. Kallis has scored 1295 runs in 56 games for the former champions, having a strike rate of 106.76. Besides being an effective run-getter, he also managed to take 42 wickets for the two-time champions.
