IPL 2020: Team Preview – Kolkata Knight Riders
From a glitzy unit to a solid team capable of winning the biggest prize, Kolkata Knight Riders’ evolution over the years has been an interesting journey. After tying on points with two other teams, KKR failed to make it to the playoffs last season on the basis of their low net run rate. This season with an improved unit at their disposal, Kolkata Knight Riders will fancy their chances of finishing in the top four.
Squad:
Strengths:
In Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, KKR have two giants of T20 cricket. Both can win matches on their own. While Russell is renowned for his power hitting, his four overs with the ball will also be crucial. Narine not only boasts of magical skills with the ball but is also a devastating prospect with the bat. The Caribbean superstar has been a revelation in the IPL since he started opening the innings for the Purple team. These two will be the mainstays for KKR.
Apart from these two, the Knight Riders have a wonderful batting unit to rely upon. Shubman Gill, one of the most exciting talents around, is expected to open the innings this season. At the top, he can showcase his batting skills with more freedom. Dinesh Kartik and Eoin Morgan are two excellent T20 batsmen and their combination will be a treat to watch. England’s upcoming T20 star Tom Banton is another exciting prospect to watch out for. Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh have been consistent performers and should continue in the same vein this year.
Weaknesses
The pace bowling unit will be a cause of concern for KKR going into this season. Their lead strike-bowler Pat Cummins has not played in the IPL since 2017. The likes of Prasidh Krishna, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti are inexperienced. Although the pacers are expected to play a secondary role on the UAE pitches, the speedsters will still need to provide strong support to the spinners.
Optimising their resources will be another factor to improve upon for Kolkata. In the last season, Russell had complained that he was batting too low. KKR have the likes of Gill, Morgan and Karthik in their ranks but placing them in correct batting position will be a key factor in their performance.
Strongest Playing XI
Sunil Narine*, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan*, Dinesh Karthik (C), Andre Russell*, Rinku Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Pat Cummins*, Prasidh Krishna, Sandeep Warrier.
If Narine fails to get going at the top, KKR do have a backup opener in Rahul Tripathi. The likes of Lockie Ferguson and recently-added Ali Khan shall be on standby in case Cummins struggles with his fitness. The young guns, Shivam Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti, will be eager to perform whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Team Fixtures
