Kolkata Knight Riders in 2008
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is a franchise cricket team based in Kolkata, India, which plays in the Indian Premier League (IPL). They were one of the eight teams that competed in the 2008 Indian Premier League. They were captained by Sourav Ganguly. Kolkata Knight Riders finished sixth in the IPL and did not qualify for the Champions League T20.
| 2008 season | |||
| Coach | John Buchanan | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Captain | Sourav Ganguly | ||
| Ground(s) | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | ||
| IPL | sixth | ||
| CLT20 | did not qualify | ||
| Most runs | Sourav Ganguly (349)[1] | ||
| Most wickets | Umar Gul (12)[2] | ||
| |||
Background
The Kolkata Knight Riders made a good start to the season by winning their first two matches against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Deccan Chargers. Kolkata Knight Riders' opening batsman Brendon McCullum scored 158 runs in the first match. However, the team began to experience failures and lost the next four matches. The team managed to stage a comeback of sorts by winning the next three matches, helped by strong performances by Sourav Ganguly and Shoaib Akhtar. But their performance dipped again and they lost the next three matches. These included their match against Mumbai Indians, in which they were bowled out for 67 runs, the lowest score by a team in the IPL 2008 season.[3] When their match against Delhi Daredevils was washed out due to rain, they lost any chance of making it to the semifinals.[4] The Knight Riders ended their season on a winning note by defeating Kings XI Punjab on their home ground.
Financially, the Kolkata Knight Riders were easily the most successful franchise in the IPL, achieving a profit of ₹130 million (US$1.8 million) in the opening season itself.[5]
Indian Premier League
Season standings
Kolkata Knight Riders finished sixth in the league stage of IPL 2008.
| Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rajasthan Royals (C) | 14 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 22 | +0.632 |
| Kings XI Punjab | 14 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 20 | +0.509 |
| Chennai Super Kings (R) | 14 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 16 | −0.192 |
| Delhi Daredevils | 14 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 15 | +0.342 |
| Mumbai Indians | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | +0.570 |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 14 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 13 | −0.147 |
| Royal Challengers Bangalore | 14 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 8 | −1.161 |
| Deccan Chargers | 14 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 4 | −0.467 |
- (C) = Eventual champion; (R) = Runner-up.
Match log
| No. | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Match Scorecard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 April |  | Bangalore | Won by 140 runs, MoM-  | Scorecard |
| 2 | 20 April | | Kolkata | Won by 5 wickets, MoM- .svg.png){kind=small} | Scorecard |
| 3 | 26 April | | Chennai | Lost by 9 wickets | Scorecard |
| 4 | 29 April | | Kolkata | Lost by 7 wickets | Scorecard |
| 5 | 1 May | | Jaipur | Lost by 45 runs | Scorecard |
| 6 | 3 May | | Mohali | Lost by 9 runs | Scorecard |
| 7 | 8 May | | Kolkata | Won by 5 runs, MoM- | Scorecard |
| 8 | 11 May | | Hyderabad | Won by 23 runs, MoM- | Scorecard |
| 9 | 13 May | | Kolkata | Won by 23 runs, MoM-  | Scorecard |
| 10 | 16 May | | Mumbai | Lost by 8 wickets | Scorecard |
| 11 | 18 May | | Kolkata | Lost by 3 runs (D/L) | Scorecard |
| 12 | 20 May | | Kolkata | Lost by 6 wickets | Scorecard |
| 13 | 22 May | | Delhi | Match abandoned due to rain | Scorecard |
| 14 | 25 May | | Kolkata | Won by 3 wickets, MoM - | Scorecard |
| Overall Record of 6 – 7 (One match abandoned)
Failed to reach Semifinals, finished 6/8 | |||||
References
- "Indian Premier League, 2008/ Records / Most runs". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
- "Indian Premier League, 2008/ Records / Most runs". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
- "Mumbai Indians v Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL, Mumbai". Cricinfo.com. Retrieved 23 May 2008.
- "All over for Knight Riders in 2008 – Post Kotla washout, even a win in last match won't be enough". The Telegraph. 23 May 2008. Retrieved 23 May 2008.
- "Shah Rukh plans to desert KKR for good". Zee News. 30 April 2009. Retrieved 19 April 2012.