Defeated in the final last year, Kolkata Knight Riders would aim to finally have their hands on the IPL title this time around. After all, it's been seven years since the Men in Purple and Gold have added any piece of silverware to their trophy cabinet. A miraculous turnaround last season saw them almost getting out of playoffs contention in the first phase to reaching the final when the tournament resumed in UAE and this time, the two-time champions would be wary of the threats and challenges that lie their way when the IPL begins on March 26. IPL 2022: KKR Skipper Shreyas Iyer Joins Team After Completing Quarantine (See Pics)

But they have a new captain this time, in Shreyas Iyer. The right-hander has seen a dramatic rise in stature as one of India's prospective batting mainstays across formats and no wonder, the Knights were ready to shell out a massive Rs 12.25 crores for him in the IPL 2022 Auction. Naming Iyer as captain can be called a wise choice, given the fact that the youngster led Delhi Capitals to the IPL 2020 final in his first full season as skipper. The Knight Riders have assembled a squad packed with potential, youth and experience. It remains to be seen how they choose to line up when they face defending champions Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2022 opener on March 26.

Names like Venkatesh Iyer, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Nitish Rana, Pat Cummins and also Andre Russell would be key players for the franchise. As for Iyer, it can be the start of a new era in his cricketing career and success in the IPL can almost certainly enhance and increase his stature as one of the next big things in Indian cricket. IPL 2022: Andre Russell Shares Message for Fans, Reveals New Hairstyle Upon Joining KKR Camp (Watch Video)

KKR's Schedule for IPL 2022:

Date Match Time (IST) Venue
March 26 Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders 7:30 pm Wankhede Stadium
March 30 Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders 7:30 pm  DY Patil Stadium
April 1 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings 7:30 pm Wankhede Stadium
April 6 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians 7:30 pm MCA Stadium
April 10 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals 3:30 pm  Brabourne Stadium
April 15 Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders 7:30 pm Brabourne Stadium
April 18 Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders  7:30 pm  Brabourne Stadium
April 23  Gujarat Titans vs Kolkata Knight Riders 3:30 pm DY Patil Stadium
April 28 Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders 7:30 pm Wankhede Stadium
May 2 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals 7:30 pm Wankhede Stadium
May 7 Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders  7:30 pm MCA Stadium
May 9 Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders 7:30 pm DY Patil
May 14 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad 7:30 pm MCA Stadium
May 18 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants  7:30 pm  DY Patil

Kolkata Knight Riders Squad for IPL 2022: 

Shreyas Iyer (c), Pat Cummins, Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Nitish Rana, Shivam Mavi, Sheldon Jackson (wk), Ajinkya Rahane, Rinku Singh, Anukul Roy, Baba Indrajith, Rasikh Salam, Sam Billings (wk), Ramesh Kumar, Aaron Finch, Tim Southee, Chamika Karunaratne, Abhijeet Tomar, Pratham Singh, Ashok Sharma, Mohammad Nabi, Umesh Yadav, Aman Khan

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 21, 2022 05:37 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).