5 Worst signings by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL history
The franchise spent a hefty sum at the auction at some of these players but they never excelled for the team.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had a terrible start to the IPL. They finished sixth twice and last once in the first three years. However, a complete overhaul of the team and a change in captaincy changed everything. Results started going their way.
KKR made it to the playoffs for the first time in 2011 and then won the title in 2012 and 2014 under Gautam Gambhir’s leadership. They have also made it to the playoffs in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Hence, they have been a pretty successful team in the IPL’s rich history.
However, some players have excelled like never before while some have struggled. There have been players who have come and gone and haven’t lived up to expectation.
Here we look at five worst signings by KKR in the IPL history
Ricky Ponting
It’s surprising that one of the all-time Australian greats like Ricky Ponting played a mere 10 IPL games. Despite having a decent T20 record, the former Aussie skipper played just two seasons in the IPL. In fact, he was the first player to score a T20I fifty.
However, Ponting was a flop in the IPL. In the first season, he was picked up by Kolkata Knight Riders for a sum of $400,000. He was a tad disappointed as he didn’t attract a lot of bids. The two-time World Cup-winning captain expected a better price and also expressed his disappointment.
Ponting played just four games in the first edition of the IPL. He could score a mere 39 runs at an average of 9.75. In fact, his strike-rate (73.58) wasn’t great as well. The Aussie skipper played just one more edition of the IPL after this one which was in 2013 (for Mumbai Indians).
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