The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are the two-time champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Men in Gold and Purple won the title back in 2012 and 2014 under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir. However, once Gambhir left, the team has tended to strain a wee bit.

Dinesh Karthik is a class act, but hasn’t quite been able to live up to expectations. The IPL auction for the 2020 edition took place on December 19 and KKR went hammer and tongs to pick the likes of Eoin Morgan and Pat Cummins.

The upcoming edition is scheduled to get underway on March 29 and the Knights have plenty of work to do for redemption. They have quite a few players, who have been with the team and get hefty amounts.

In the article, let’s take a look at the salary of the KKR players in IPL 2020: –

Andre Russell- INR 8.50 crores

Andre Russell has been a key component of the Knights for quite a few seasons. But it was in 2019 when he came into his own. At times, the Jamaican Russell even threatened to win KKR matches single-handedly.

Last season, he was both the leading run-scorer and top wicket-taker for the Knights. The veteran also smacked 52 sixes to decimate oppositions. The team will be banking on their big gun even next time.

Dinesh Karthik- INR 7.40 crores

KKR roped in Dinesh Karthik back in 2018 and also made him the skipper, replacing Gautam Gambhir. In his first season, he took the Knights to the Qualifier 2, but 2019 turned out to be tough for him.

He got 97 versus the Rajasthan Royals, but had a few low scores. He was also criticised for his tactics while captaining. Despite his poor show, KKR has retained him as the captain for the upcoming edition of the IPL.

Harry Gurney- INR 75 lakhs

Harry Gurney came into the KKR setup in 2019. The Knights’ bowling was horrendous and even the left-arm speedster was taken to the cleaners. He got seven wickets in eight games at an economy of 8.81.

But he performed much better in the CPL, representing the Barbados Tridents. Hence, KKR didn’t hesitate in giving the England fast bowler another chance. Gurney will now be looking to make amends.

Kamlesh Nagarkoti- INR 3.20 crore

Kamlesh Nagarkoti came into the limelight in the 2018 edition of the U19 World Cup in New Zealand. The speedster clocked in excess of 150 kph on the consistent basis. Therefore, KKR decided to give him a contract.

But to the franchise’s dismay, the pacer hasn’t played a single game for them due to injury. In fact, he hasn’t played a competitive game since February 2018. KKR still retained him and it remains to be seen if he can be fit.

Kuldeep Yadav- INR 5.80 crore

Kuldeep Yadav has been a prime component of the Knights over the last three seasons. Being a chinaman, he brings in the X-factor. But last season turned out to be alike a nightmare for the youngster.

He got four wickets in nine matches before getting sidelined. Being a premier spinner, he wasn’t quite able to live up to expectations. He has been in good form of late and KKR will be hoping for him to deliver next time.

Lockie Ferguson- INR 1.60 crore

Lockie Ferguson got a taste of the IPL in the previous season. And the New Zealand fast bowler didn’t have the best of times by any means. The right-arm pacer was constantly in and out of the team.

In five games, Ferguson could manage only two wickets. To add insult to injury, he had an economy rate of 10.76. But he found his rhythm in the World Cup. KKR understands that he can be an asset and hence, retained him.

Nitish Rana- INR 3.40 crore

Nitish Rana shone for Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 2017 edition. But then he moved to the Knight Riders and has played some match-winning knocks. H has turned out to be a value addition in KKR’s middle-order.

Last season, he was the Knights’ second highest run-scorer after Dre-Russ. In 14 matches, Rana notched 344 runs at a strike-rate of 146.38. He also had three fifties to show for his efforts with a top score of 85*.

Prasidh Krishna- INR 20 lakhs

Back in 2018, Prasidh Krishna came into the KKR lineup as an injury replacement. In his maiden IPL season, the Karnataka pacer grabbed a few eyeballs. Therefore, KKR retained him for 2019 and played him for 11 games.

But Krishna had a torrid time. Last year, the seamer got four wickets at a forgettable average of 94.25. However, the seamer got some momentum back in the domestic circuit and will be looking to improve his numbers in the IPL.

Rinku Singh- INR 80 lakhs

KKR roped in Rinku Singh in the 2018 edition  of the IPL. But the Uttar Pradesh cricketer hasn’t had much to do in the T20 league, mostly warming the bench. In a star-studded lineup, Rinku hasn’t gotten much chances.

Last season, the left-handed batter played five matches, scoring 37 runs. The 22-year-old has shone in first-class and List A cricket. Nevertheless, with a T20 average of 20.62, it’s hard to comprehend on what grounds did KKR retain him.

Sandeep Warrier- INR 20 lakhs

Sandeep Warrier played only a couple of matches for KKR last season. However, the 28-year-old arguably looked their most clinical bowler. In three matches, the fast bowler picked up a couple of wickets.

He was KKR’s most frugal bowler with an economy of 7.08. He is currently a part of India A’s setup for the New Zealand tour. The Knights have retained Warrier, who is expected to play a bit more games next time.

Shivam Mavi- INR 3 crore

Shivam Mavi was another bowler, who came to the fore after the 2018 U19 World Cup. KKR brought his services and the fast bowler made the speed-gun run. However, the Young Turk wasn’t quite effective with the ball.

He got chances in nine games where he picked up five wickets. Mavi was also expensive with an economy of 9.64. The fast bowler missed the last season due to injury and will be keen to make a comeback.

Shubman Gill- INR 1.80 crore

Shubman Gill, the Player of the Tournament in the 2018 U19 World Cup, has stamped his authority even for the Knights. In the first season, he batted in the middle-order and scored 203 runs with a top score of 57*.

In the previous season, the Fazilka-born batted in the top-order. And the move to promote him up the order worked wonders for the Knights. He scored 296 runs in 14 matches with three half-centuries to his credit.

Siddhesh Lad- INR 20 lakhs

Siddhesh Lad was with the Mumbai Indians since 2015. But he made his IPL debut last season, replacing an injured Rohit Sharma. But after a solitary game, the talented batter again had to return to the benches.

The Mumbai team eventually released him off his services. Before the auction, the batsman was traded to the Knights. But with some big names in KKR’s ranks, Lad may not end up playing a lot of matches in the IPL.

Sunil Narine-  INR 12.5 crore

Sunil Narine made his debut in the T20 league way back in 2012. And ever since, the Knights have continued to retain him prior to every auction. The Trinidadian is one of the leading wicket-takers in the tournament.

Moreover, in 2017, his prowess with the bat in hand came to the fore. He was sent to open the batting and he hasn’t disappointed one bit. He may have lost a bit of bite in his bowling, but still remains a handy player.

Pat Cummins- INR 15.50 crore

Pat Cummins has been Australia’s standout performer in the last 12 months or so, irrespective of the format. Hence, KKR didn’t mind shelling out the big bucks for the right-arm pacer. The speedster has played for the franchise before.

Cummins has also plied his trade for the Delhi Daredevils, now Capitals. In 2018, the Mumbai franchise got him, but he missed due to a back injury. The seamer will be looking to put up an impressive show next time around.

Eoin Morgan- INR 5.25 crore

Eoin Morgan, the 2019 World Cup-winning skipper, was one of the first players to go under the hammer in the auction. The Knights didn’t miss out on bagging him and it could pay rich dividends in the main event.

Though he hasn’t been appointed as KKR’s skipper, the southpaw brings forth a fair bit of firepower. Morgan did well in the Abu Dhabi T10 League and also for the Brits in recent times. He is another player who will be returning to KKR.

Varun Chakravarthy- INR 4 crore

Varun Chakravarthy was a part of the Kings XI Punjab last season. There he got a chance in a solitary game before he went back to the benches. Sunil Narine took him apart in the powerplay with some colossal hits.

Punjab then released the spinner and he went into the auction. This time around, the Knights drafted him in. KKR have had some quality spinners in their setup over the years and it’s a chance for Varun to show his calibre.

Tom Banton- INR 1 crore

Tom Banton came into the fore after the T20 Blast in England where he honed his skills for Somerset alongside the very talented Babar Azam. The youngster was then called up in the Three Lions’ national team as well.

Banton has gone on to play the Abu Dhabi T10 league and the Big Bash League as well. For the Brisbane Heat, he once hit spinner Arjun Nair for five sixes in an over. He will be keen to replicate something similar in the IPL.

Rahul Tripathi- INR 60 lakhs

Rahul Tripathi showed his class for the Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017. Hence, in the next year, the Rajasthan Royals picked him up. To his dismay, he shuffled around the batting order and hardly got chances to open.

The Royals stuck with him for a couple of seasons before freeing him off his services. Tripathi will now be playing for the Knight Riders. He can form a pretty formidable opening combination with Shubman Gill.

Chris Green- INR 20 lakhs

Chris Green has tasted quite a bit of success in domestic T20 leagues around the globe. The Australian spin bowler generally rolls his arms over in the powerplay and he has indeed been tough to pounce on.

He has never played the IPL, but can be a handful on the slow and low decks. Earlier in January, Green was suspended for three months owing to a suspect bowling action. He will be keen to turn his fortunes around.

M Siddharth- INR 20 lakhs

M Siddarth is an unknown quantity and hasn’t played a whole lot. The Knights roped him in at the dying stages of the auction. There’s a chance for him to stay on the sidelines most part of the cash rich T20 league.

He has played for the Lyca Kovai Kings in the 2017 edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL). The IPL is expected to be a platform where he can make a name for himself in the opportunities he gets.   

Pravin Tambe- INR 20 lakhs

Pravin Tambe made his IPL debut way back in 2013 and last played in the tournament back in 2016. Recently, at the age of 48, the leg-spin bowler from Mumbai became the oldest player to feature in an IPL auction.

But having already played in the T10 League back in 2018, there are remote chances of him playing in the 2020 IPL. As per the BCCI guidelines, a player can’t take part in overseas leagues unless they are retired.

Nikhil Naik- INR 20 lakhs

Nikhil Naik of Maharashtra came into the Knights in the 2019 edition of the IPL. Prior to that , the 25-year-old had a decent outing for his state team in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, hitting some huge sixes.

But he played only a solitary game in the IPL before being left. It didn’t spring a surprise that KKR let him go ahead of the auction. But the Knights bought him back at his base price itself. His role next time remains to be seen.