2011 Kolkata Knight Riders season
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is a franchise cricket team from Kolkata, India, that plays in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In 2011, they were coached by Dav Whatmore and captained by Gautam Gambhir. Their home ground was Eden Gardens in Kolkata. KKR finished 4th in the IPL and qualified for the Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) for the first time.
To rebuild the team, KKR spent big money. Gambhir was bought for a record $2.4 million and Yusuf Pathan for $2.1 million. They added international stars Shakib Al Hasan, Jacques Kallis, Brett Lee, and Ryan ten Doeschate. Mid-season, Brad Haddin was replaced by Mark Boucher after an injury.
The IPL season started poorly with a two‑run loss to Chennai Super Kings, but KKR then won three in a row against Deccan Chargers and Rajasthan Royals. After two home defeats, they won against Delhi Daredevils, Kings XI Punjab, and Deccan Chargers, and later beat Chennai Super Kings in Kolkata and Pune Warriors India in Navi Mumbai to reach the playoffs. In the eliminator, they lost to Mumbai Indians after a costly last over bowled by Balaji.
In the 2011 auctions, Sourav Ganguly was not picked by any team, prompting protests in Kolkata. The fans' outcry faded as the team’s performance improved and Eden Gardens filled with fans.
KKR finished among the IPL's top four, earning a place in the CLT20 qualifying stage. Gambhir could not lead during the qualifiers due to injury, so Jacques Kallis captained in his absence. Gambhir returned for the IPL group stage, and Eoin Morgan was out for CLT20 due to a shoulder injury, with Mark Boucher playing for Warriors.
In CLT20 qualifying in Hyderabad, KKR were grouped with Somerset and Auckland Aces. They beat Auckland by 2 runs thanks to strong spells from Iqbal Abdulla and Pathan, but lost to Somerset by 11 runs. KKR and Somerset advanced to the main CLT20 tournament based on net run rate.
In the CLT20 main tournament, Group B included Somerset, Southern Redbacks, Warriors, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. KKR lost to Somerset and the Redbacks, but then beat RCB by 9 wickets and Warriors by 22 runs (D/L). Despite finishing with the same points as RCB, their lower net run rate kept them from the semi-finals, and they finished fifth.
Statistically, Jacques Kallis scored the most runs for KKR in the IPL season with 424, while Yusuf Pathan took the most wickets with 13.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 08:31 (CET).