Kolkata Knight Riders' Official IPL 2024 Kit Fails To Impress Fans

With a new season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) knocking at the door, the excitement among Indian cricket fans is at the highest level. A total of 10 city-based franchise teams will compete in the cash-rich tournament, beginning on Friday, March 22. This is the time of the year when best friends can become rivals, neighbours can get into trash talks as each individual wants to see the coveted trophy in the cabinets of their favourite teams.

Not only the performance but fans also keep track of off-field developments and want to beat the other franchises in every aspect. One such die-hard Kolkata Knight Riders fan was left disappointed after seeing the team’s new jersey for the 2024 IPL. He has criticised the franchise, pointing at the design of the kit, through a post on X (formerly Twitter).

The person shared a picture of Brendon McCullum, who represented KKR in the inaugural edition of the T20 competition. The Kolkata-based franchise appeared in the 2008 IPL with an armour-like jersey featuring a royal, black and gold combination. With time, the colours have been changed, in parallel to the modification of the team’s emblem.

KKR’s very first logo had a blazing Viking helmet against a black background, with the name “Kolkata Knight Riders" written in gold. The Shah Rukh Khan-owned franchise continued with the emblem for four seasons before opting for the current logo. However, ahead of the 2010 IPL, KKR decided to revamp their official jersey, replacing the black shade with purple which has now become iconic for them.

You can look at the transformation of KKR’s jerseys over the years:

KKR have kept the same purple and gold combination in their latest jersey but have opted for a pattern this time. The shade of purple has become lighter while complex golden textures can be seen in the sleeves.

Comparing KKR’s inaugural jersey with the new one, the fan wrote on X, “This the biggest downgrade in the history of sports."

Reacting to the post, a person wrote, “I feel like the majority of the jerseys have been downgraded now. But this is hands down the worst one." Another noted, “Damn that old jersey was so cool."

With former captain Gautam Gambhir returning as a mentor, KKR will look to make a strong statement in this IPL. Their last title came under the leadership of Gambhir back in 2014. In the last season, KKR finished seventh in the standings after managing only six victories in the league stage.