Amid an underwhelming 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) CEO Venky Mysore has urged fans to keep the faith, drawing inspiration from the team's remarkable comebacks in the 2014 and 2021 seasons. Currently seventh in the standings with just six points from three wins in eight matches, KKR face former captain Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab Kings on 26 April.
They will be faced with former captain Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab Kings on 26 April. Ahead of the match, Mysore, who was in attendance at a KKR CSR event at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club, recalled the franchise’s resilient turnarounds in 2014 and 2021 to reignite hope among supporters.
In both of those seasons, KKR had accumulated only a couple of wins from their first seven matches. Whilst the 2014 campaign resulted in the team’s second title, led by Gautam Gambhir, Eoin Morgan’s 2021 side made it to the finals, before eventually losing to Chennai Super Kings.
Speaking to the media, Mysore said:
There are two incidents that I always share. In 2014, at the halfway point, we had won only two and lost five matches. Do you know what happened in 2014? We set an IPL record and won nine matches in a row. After that, we went to play in the Champions League and won five matches in a row there. We created a record of 14 wins in a row. Then in 2021, we were again at two wins and five losses at the halfway mark. We went to the final in that season. Anything can happen in this format. There are still plenty of matches left. It’s a matter of somebody showing that inspiration to get us across the line.Venky Mysore
Meanwhile, KKR successfully launched their #ShahoshiRani initiative alongside the 8th edition of Knight Golf at The Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC). The initiative pays tribute to women demonstrating exceptional courage in challenging circumstances.
"The #ShahoshiRani initiative exemplifies KKR's values beyond cricket. By celebrating these remarkable women alongside Knight Golf, we're reinforcing our commitment to meaningful social change," said Mysore.