Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is the franchise team representing the 'City of Joy' in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Kolkata-based franchise is jointly owned by Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla (Red Chillies Entertainment), and Jay Mehta, who represents the Mehta Group.

The iconic Eden Gardens serve as the home ground for the Knights in the IPL. The Bollywood superstars-owned franchise has clinched the silverware thrice in 17 years of the competition. In the 2021 edition, against all odds, they ended up as runners-up under the leadership of Eoin Morgan.

In 2012, they won the silverware by beating defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at their home ground, Chepauk. KKR repeated the feat in 2014 to clinch the title for the second time by beating Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in the final at Bangalore. In both successful campaigns, Gautam Gambhir was the skipper of the Kolkata-based franchise. 

Ahead of the 15th edition of IPL, they roped in Shreyas Iyer for INR 12.25 Cr and announced him as the skipper of the team. Leading up to the IPL 2024, KKR signed Gautam Gambhir as their mentor. Shreyas Iyer also returned as the captain after regaining full fitness.

The franchise created history in the IPL 2024 auction, splurging 24.75 crore on Mitchell Starc, who briefly became the costliest buy in the league's history.

KKR's 2024 campaign was characterised by consistent excellence. They recorded only three losses throughout the season, setting a new benchmark for the fewest defeats in a single IPL edition. This dominance culminated in their third IPL title, following previous victories in 2012 and 2014.

Captain Shreyas Iyer, despite earlier back injury concerns, led the team with determination. His leadership was instrumental in navigating the team through the season's ups and downs.  

​Following their triumphant IPL 2024 season, the Kolkata Knight Riders embarked on a strategic overhaul to bolster their squad for the 2025 season.

Ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, KKR made strategic decisions by retaining six key players to balance experience and emerging talent. However, their title-winning captain, Shreyas Iyer, parted ways with KKR ahead of the 2025 season due to a combination of mutual friction, contract hesitations, and the player's desire to test his market value.

Under a reshuffled leadership group featuring head coach Abhishek Nayar and captain Ajinkya Rahane, KKR has failed to qualify for the playoffs in the recent two seasons, 2025 and 2026.