Top IPL Stars Who Played for Both MI and KKR

Well, making a roaring debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and being picked up by even one of the prominent IPL franchises is nothing short of a dream for a wide majority of young cricketers out there. From earning massive match fees to opening up new opportunities in international cricket, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is often popularly hailed as the launching pad for young cricketing talent. While it’s still a far-fetched dream for numerous young cricketers out there to make their IPL debut, a few of them have been fortunate enough to display their successful exploits on the field for the two powerhouses of the Indian Premier League, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Mumbai Indians (MI).

In this article we will take a look at the top five IPL players who have been a part of both Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

Top 5 Players Who Played For Both Mumbai Indians And Kolkata Knight Riders In IPL

• Suryakumar Yadav

Popularly referred to as “SKY”, the Indian international cricketer Suryakumar Yadav, who was part of the national team that clinched the 2023 Asia Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup, is at the first spot in our list of the top five players who have been a part of both IPL powerhouses; Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

Suryakumar Yadav was picked up by the Mumbai Indians (MI) franchise for the Indian Premier League 2012 season at the base price of INR 10 lakh. Although the franchise had massive expectations from SKY, the season turned out to be a blunder for the middle-order batsman as he got to play only a single match in the entire tournament after getting dismissed without scoring any runs.

Later in the Indian Premier League 2014 auction, Suryakumar Yadav was acquired by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise for a whopping $7 million. Interestingly, Suryakumar Yadav scored 164* runs with KKR throughout the tournament and assisted the squad in clinching the IPL 2014 edition.

• Robin Uthappa

At the second spot in our list of the top five IPL players who have been a part of both Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), we have Indian former cricketer Robin Uthappa, who played a crucial role in India’s sensational victory at the 2007 ICC World Twenty20. Additionally, Robin Uthappa also garnered enormous attention after concluding the 2014–15 Ranji Trophy season as the highest run scorer.

Robin Uthappa made his much-awaited Indian Premier League debut for the Mumbai Indians (MI) squad in the inaugural 2008 edition. After being a part of the MI squad for a couple of seasons, Robin Uthappa switched sides and was acquired by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise ahead of the IPL 2014 season. Although the initial few seasons witnessed the rise of Uthappa, the Indian Premier League 2019 season turned out to be a blunder for the batsman – wicket keeper as he was out of form, which eventually ruled him out of the squad.

Robin Uthappa later joined Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL 2020 season and played his career’s last Indian Premier League season with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL 2022 edition.

• Dinesh Karthik

Often hailed as “DK” by cricket aficionados, Dinesh Karthik, who is currently a part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) squad in the ongoing IPL 2025 season, is at the third spot on our list of the top five IPL players who have been a part of both Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

Dinesh Karthik played for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 2012 and 2013 editions, clinching the title with the squad in the 2013 season. However, despite his finest performance throughout his stay with the Mumbai Indians (MI), the squad shockingly did not retain him in the Indian Premier League 2014 edition, which was later addressed as a “wrong move” by the selectors.

Later in 2018, Dinesh Karthik joined the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise in the Indian Premier League 2018 season and served as the skipper for the team until the 2020 edition.

• Manish Pandey

At the fourth spot in our list of the top five players who have been a part of both IPL powerhouses; Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) we have the Indian-international cricketer, Manish Pandey, who was recently acquired by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise for a whopping INR 75 lakhs at the Indian Premier League 2025 mega auction held in Jeddah in November 2024.

Often hailed as one of the most reliable middle-order batsmen of the current Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the ongoing IPL 2025 season, Manish Pandey made his Indian Premier League debut for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the inaugural Indian Premier League 2008 season. Manish Pandey was picked up by the Mumbai Indians (MI) franchise for a base price of US $30,000.

• Nitish Rana

Finally, at the fourth spot in our list of the top five IPL players who have been a part of both Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) we have 31-year-old Indian cricketer Nitish Rana, who majorly rose to fame after representing the Indian national cricket team in One Day International and Twenty20 International cricket in 2021.

Nitish Rana, who is currently a part of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) squad in the ongoing Indian Premier League 2025 season, made his much-decorated IPL debut for the Mumbai Indians (MI) franchise in the Indian Premier League 2016 season and was also a part of the team in the 2017 edition. Interestingly, with a total of 333* runs, Nitish Rana undoubtedly played a crucial role in MI’s sensational victory in the Indian Premier League 2017 season.

However, shockingly, in the very next season, Rana was released by the Mumbai Indians (MI) franchise and was acquired by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise in the Indian Premier League 2018 edition at a staggering INR 3.40 crore.