IPL 2016: Kolkata Knight Riders: Match schedule, dates, squad, overview and prediction

Overview

The Kolkata Knight Riders are one of three teams along with the suspended Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians to have won the IPL on two occasions. They will be aiming for a record third title in 2016 when they begin their campaign against the Delhi Daredevils on Sunday (10 April) at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

The Gautham Gambhir-led team have retained their core during the player auction, but their main boost will be Sunil Narine's clearance to bowl from the ICC. The West Indian off-spinner missed out on the Caribbeans' triumphant campaign at the T20 World Cup, but will come in full force for his IPL franchise. He is likely to miss the first game, but will be back for the rest of the campaign. If he is in form, you can expect the Knight Riders to go a fair distance in the tournament.

Coach: Jacques Kallis

Key players: Gautham Gambhir, Sunil Narine, Colin Munro, Manish Pandey, Andre Russell,

Fixtures

IPL History: Kolkata Knight riders are two-time winners of the IPL in 2012 & 2014.

Squad: Gautam Gambhir (c), Kuldeep Yadav, Manish Pandey, Piyush Chawla, Robin Uthappa (wk), Sheldon Jackson (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Yusuf Pathan, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Brad Hogg, Chris Lynn, Morne Morkel, Shakib Al Hasan. Jaydev Unadkat, Ankit Singh Rajpoot, John Hastings, Jason Holder, Colin Munro, Rajgopal Sathish, Manan Ajay Sharma.

Prediction: TheKolkata Knight Riders will be one of the favourites to enter the play-off stage of the competition owing to their winning pedigree in the league, which has seen them lift two trophies in 2012 and 2014.