International career
Krishnappa Gowtham started playing at a young age. He trained under Indian spinner Erapalli Prasanna in a Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) camp. In the under-15 Zonal Tournament, he finished as the second-highest wicket-taker. His professional journey moved forward when he played his first Ranji Trophy match for Karnataka in November 2012 against Bengal. He took two wickets in the second innings. In the 2016–17 Ranji Trophy season, he played a key role in wins against Delhi and Assam. He took five wickets in each match and recorded his best bowling figures of seven wickets for 108 runs.
- January 2021 – Selected as a net bowler for India's Test squad against England.
- June 2021 – Picked for India's ODI and T20I squads for the Sri Lanka series.
- 23 July 2021 – Played his first ODI against Sri Lanka. Took his first international wicket (Minod Bhanuka).
- 2024 – As per sportskeeda.com, has played only one international match.
Leagues Participation
Krishnappa Gowtham has played in several cricket leagues, including the Karnataka Premier League (KPL) and the Indian Premier League (IPL). He has had strong performances in both leagues, though his time in the IPL has been a mix of highs and challenges. In 2025, he was not picked in the IPL auction.
Karnataka Premier League
In 2019, Gowtham made a big impact in the Karnataka Premier League while playing for Bellary Tuskers. He scored 134 runs from 56 balls and took 8 wickets for 15 runs against Shivamogga Lions. However, the KPL does not have full Twenty20 status.
|
Year
|
Team
|
Notes
|
|
2019
|
Bellary Tuskers
|
Scored 134 runs from 56 balls and took 8 wickets for 15 runs against Shivamogga Lions.
|
Indian Premier League
The Indian Premier League was an important part of Gowtham’s career. Rajasthan Royals bought him for 6.2 crores in 2018. He helped the team qualify for the playoffs with his finishing skills, but inconsistent performances in 2019 led to his release. He later played for Kings XI Punjab, Chennai Super Kings, and Lucknow Super Giants. In recent years, he has played fewer matches. In 2025, he was not chosen in the IPL auction.
|
Year
|
Team
|
Notes
|
|
2018
|
Rajasthan Royals
|
Bought for 6.2 crores. Played an important role in the team’s playoffs run.
|
|
2019
|
Rajasthan Royals
|
Released after inconsistent performances.
|
|
2020
|
Kings XI Punjab
|
Traded before the season. Part of the spin attack with Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Ravi Bishnoi.
|
|
2021
|
Chennai Super Kings
|
Bought for 9.25 crores, became the most expensive uncapped player.
|
|
2022
|
Lucknow Super Giants
|
Bought for 90 lakhs.
|
|
2023
|
Lucknow Super Giants
|
Retained for 90 lakhs. Played in limited matches.
|
|
2024
|
Lucknow Super Giants
|
Retained again. Played fewer games.
|
|
2025
|
—
|
Not selected in the auction.
|
Gowtham has played in 36 IPL matches. He scored 247 runs, with a top score of 33. He hit 15 fours, 17 sixes, and took 21 wickets. Before the 2025 auction, he said he did not want to play for Punjab Kings due to past negative experiences.
Domestic career
Krishnappa Gowtham started playing cricket at a young age. He played in the under-15 zonal tournament in Bangalore and became the second-highest wicket-taker. On 16 October 2011, he played his first T20 match in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy against Chennai. He bowled only one over, gave away 12 runs, and didn't take any wickets. Karnataka won the match by 40 runs.
He made his debut in first-class cricket on 17 November 2012 in the Ranji Trophy against Uttar Pradesh. He took the wickets of Suresh Raina and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the second innings. Gowtham was selected for the 2012 Ranji Trophy team. In the 2016-17 season, he performed well, taking two five-wicket hauls against Delhi and Assam, helping his team win both matches. His 18 wickets in just three matches earned him a spot in the India A team.
In 2017, he had to take a break due to illness. Afterward, he played in the Karnataka Premier League and was replaced by Karan Sharma in the India A squad for the New Zealand series. Gowtham made his List A debut in the Vijay Hazare Trophy on 25 February 2017 against Jharkhand. He impressed with 4 wickets, helping Karnataka win by 5 runs.
In October 2018, Gowtham joined India B for the 2018–19 Deodhar Trophy. In a match against India C, he took 3 wickets for 40 runs in 10 overs, helping India B win by 30 points. He also contributed in the final of the 2019 Deodhar Trophy, helping India B defeat India C with his 35 runs, including three sixes and three fours.
In October 2019, Gowtham was part of India B again for the 2019–20 Deodhar Trophy. In the final, he teamed up with Vijay Shankar to set a target of 283-7.
Records and achievements
Krishnappa Gowtham has set several important records and earned key achievements in his cricket career.
- Under-15 Zonal Tournament, Bangalore: Finished as the second-highest wicket-taker
- 2016–17 Ranji Trophy: Took two consecutive five-wicket hauls against Delhi and Assam
- Karnataka Premier League, 2019: Scored 134 runs off 56 balls and took 8 wickets for 15 runs in a match between Bellary Tuskers and Shivamogga Lions
- Indian Premier League, February 2021: Became the most expensive uncapped player in IPL history
- India's Squad, January 2021: Named in India's squad for the series against England
Personal life
Krishnappa Gowtham leads a private life outside his cricket career. Some aspects of his personal life, including details about his family, finances, and public interactions, are known.
Family
Krishnappa’s father, M. Krishnappa, represented Karnataka in kabaddi. There is no information available about his mother or siblings.
Finance
As of 2024, Gowtham’s net worth is around 38 crores. Most of his income comes from contracts in domestic cricket. He was retained by Lucknow Super Giants for 90 lakhs INR in the 2024 IPL auction.
Cars and House
Gowtham lives in a luxurious home in Bangalore. He drives a Range Rover, though his full car collection remains unknown.
Scandals
Before the 2025 IPL auction, Gowtham criticized Punjab Kings for how they treated him. He stated that if the team chose him again, he would not give his best due to his past experience.
In 2024, he talked about a disagreement between Lucknow Super Giants’ owner Sanjeev Goenka and captain KL Rahul. Gowtham explained that Goenka criticized Rahul after a poor match, but Rahul remained calm and explained the team’s performance.
Fans
In 2021, fans on sportskeeda.com criticized Gowtham for his role in a loss by Chennai Super Kings. He has 230k followers on Instagram.
