Having had a dismal period for the first three years, KKR had a major rejig of the squad for the 2011 edition. What followed was a highly successful 7-year period, with Gambhir at the helm. During this time, KKR qualified for the play-offs five times, out of which they were crowned champions twice. Having again gone through an overhaul, KKR fans will be hoping that their team is able to replicate their successful period, once again. While KKR have retained a few of their key assets, they have let go of their skipper, Gambhir and have replaced him with Karthik. Having led Tamil Nadu for a long time, Karthik isn’t short of experience as a skipper, but it remains to be seen if he can take KKR to the same heights as Gambhir did during his era. Having said that, Karthik will have the services of Uthappa, Lynn, Russell, Narine and a few more of them, who have been KKR regulars.
Strengths
Though Kolkata Knight Riders do not have a lot of depth in their squad, their starting lineup is an extremely strong one., a side that can demolish anybody on a given day. In Lynn, Russell and Narine, KKR have got some of the best T20 talents.
Areas of concern
Barring the starting XI, the rest of the squad does not look very promising. Though there are a lot of good players in there, most of them lack experience and when put against a tough situation might falter.
KKR had taken a huge gamble with Starc and Lynn, when shelling out a total of almost 20 crores on the duo. Both have very fragile bodies and are very injury prone. Having already lost out on Starc’s services for the tournament, and Lynn just returing back from a shoulder injury, KKR would be in deeper trouble if they are to lose out on Lynn as well.
Kolkata Knight Riders squad – IPL 2018
Probable Starting XI: Robin Uthappa, Chris Lynn, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik, Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Vinay Kumar, Mitchell Johnson, Kuldeep Yadav
Openers
Uthappa and Lynn should open the batting for Kolkata Knight Riders. Both are very aggressive players, but Lynn is at a different level when it comes to hitting. Lynn will go after the bowling right from the start, while Uthappa can do both, play the aggressor or the accumulator, equally well. If KKR can get good starts from this duo, they can expect themselves to set high targets or chase big scores. Nitish Rana should come in at number three. Last year, with MI, he was given the freedom to express himself at that position and that paid rich dividends for them. KKR should employ a similar approach with Nitish. Also, having a few hitters down the order, Nitish can go hard at the bowlers early on.
Middle-order
A lot will depend on Karthik at number 4. With a couple of youngsters before and after him, KKR will look at Karthik to help them cross difficult situations. Shubman Gill, with his penchant for big runs, will be looking to prove himself in such a big stage. Andre Russsell, at number 6, has the ability to deliver knock-out blows to the opposition with bat in hand. KKR will be expecting great things from him, both with bat and ball, this season. Russell, with his hard-hitting abilities, can also be promoted up the order when there is a need to get quick runs
Lower middle-order
Rinku Singh, though unproven at such a big stage, is a decent bet at number 7. He can give those 15-20 runs in real quick time. It is also possible that, Ishank Jaggi might be chosen over him. Then there is Narine at number 7. Chances of Narine opening the innings also remain very high, because as seen in the previous season, he generally scores a lot of runs at the top and that too at a very very high strike rate. So using him down the order might be a waste. Also, with KKR having a seemingly light batting line-up, if Narine gets those 30-40 runs at the start, it will make things easier for the others coming after him.
Bowlers
Having lost Starc for the season, Johnson will be expected to lead the pace attack along with Vinay Kumar. Having not got a lot of wickets in the BBL, it remains to be seen how effective he can be. Vinay Kumar, with his vast experience, is a vital cog in this KKR bowling line-up. Also, both Johnson and Vinay Kumar, can hit a few shots as well, which is a bonus for the team. Then there is Kuldeep Yadav, coming in at 11. He has been exceptional for India with the ball over the last six months. KKR will be banking on him to get them those crucial wickets in the middle overs.
Players to watch out for
KKR will be glad to have retained the services of Chris Lynn. With a T20 strike rate of almost 150, there is hardly another player who hits the ball as hard as Lynn. Opening the batting, KKR’s chances will depend a great deal on the starts Lynn is able to give them. If he is able to keep himself fully fit for the duration of the IPL, KKR would be well on their way.
Making a comeback after a one year ban, Andre Russell has put in some decent performances in a few T20 matches. Over the years, KKR have used Russell more as a finisher. With an astronomical strike rate of 173, for KKR, he has been extremely effective in the end overs. Add to it, his contribution with the ball and in the field, Russell will play a very vital role in KKR’s campaign this time.
In his first 3 years in the IPL, Sunil Narine was KKR’s most influential bowler, in terms of economy as well as wickets. However, with a slight modification in his action, his wicket taking ability was a bit hampered but that didn’t stop him from bowling economically. In addition to his bowling, Narine has started to open the innings for a lot of teams as well, since the past year or so. He has been used by most as an opening pinch-hitter and he has succeeded a lot of times as well.
Kuldeep Yadav, India’s latest spin bowling sensation, had his first full season with KKR in the previous edition. Impressing one and all with his smart variations, Kuldeep had a decent season, post which he started playing more frequently for India. KKR would be expecting a lot from Kuldeep this time.
Expected position in the league table – Bottom half
Kolkata Knight Riders start their IPL campaign with a home game, an 8pm start, against Royal Challengers Bangalore on 8th April. Full schedule of Kolkata Knight Riders