IPL 2021: KKR eyes some big buys with limited resource ahead of mini-auction
Despite being the two-time IPL champions, the recent years for Kolkata Knight Riders has been far from impressive, Despite having several big names in their arsenal, the Kolkata based franchise hasn’t managed to gel as a unit which has resulted in their below-par performances in the last three years. Under the captaincy of Dinesh Karthik, KKR had shown glimpses of their repertoire but hasn’t been able to take it to the next level. Karthik was removed from the captaincy last year and it was handed over to Eoin Morgan. KKR did manage to outclass Rajasthan Royals in their final group game last year but that wasn’t enough to book themselves a spot in the playoffs.
When it comes to the history of IPL, KKR hasn’t had the greatest of times in the first three editions under the captaincy of Sourav Ganguly but the induction of Gautam Gambhir as the skipper totally changed the dynamics of the franchise. The southpaw led KKR to two championship titles but since his departure, the team hasn’t managed to form a solid base which hasn’t really kept them in the best of shapes.
Going into the mini-auctions, KKR will surely look to balance caution with aggression and form a team which might just help them to seal their third IPL title. Barring Shubman Gill, none of the top order players has been consistent and especially after batting first, the franchise hasn’t managed to post big enough total for their bowlers to come into action. They will surely be looking to get some big names in their kitty despite having limited resources.
Strengths
Shubman Gill at the top of the order looks a sorted guy but his strike rate had come under the scrutiny quite often in the last year. However, we are not quite sure what was the approach of team management and whether he was instructed to play the sheet-anchor’s role. We have already seen how aggressive Gill is. For a player of that stature and still not getting his strike rate up is a matter of concern for KKR but given his skill sets and some stellar performances for India in the recent past, KKR will surely be looking forward to seeing him come out all guns blazing in the next edition.
The captaincy department has been handed over to Morgan but KKR hasn’t parted ways with Karthik either. So it’s a win-win scenario for KKR in this regard. With so much international captaincy experience under his belt, Morgan will surely look to lift the team in the upcoming edition with his strategies and planning with Karthik helping him out.
The bowling department also looks more or less sorted with Pat Cummins spearheading the attack. He will be assisted by Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, the two mystery spinners which KKR are very proud of having. It proved to be the breakthrough year for Chakravarthy last season which also earned him a national call-up which was cut short in the end owing to injuries. They might also go with Kuldeep Yadav if they want a wrist spinner in their XI. Guys like Shivam Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti also showed glimpses of their abilities in the last season and will look to be a bit more consistent going into the next edition.
Potential Targets for KKR
Mohammad Azharudden
Mohammed Azharuddeen has been one of the talking points in the Indian domestic set-up ever since he smashed that blazing century in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He is a top natch youngster to have and his ability to smash the ball from word go despite not taking too many undue risks will play a perfect foil if given the opportunity to open with Shubman Gill. It will also allow the young sensation to play his natural game and the issues regarding the strike rate might just drop down a bit. On a personal front, I definitely feel that the KKR team management might go on a bidding war to acquire the services of this 26-year-old.
Dawid Malan
The power-hitting England middle-order batsman has been a sensation in the shorter formats and his ability to strike the ball big and play sensibly in the middle overs might just make the KKR team management go after him. The No 1 ranked T20I batsman, Malan has gone on from strength to strength in the last couple of years and his introduction to KKR might work wonders for them.
In the recently concluded BBL, we have seen some stellar knocks from the blade of the southpaw. Yet to be a part of the IPL, Malan could be in the radar for several teams but in my perspective, KKR might go on a bidding war to acquire his services.
Piyush Chawla
That might sound odd given the fact that he was smashed for plenty while playing for CSK last year but Chawla had been an asset for the two-time champions previously. Maybe the Eden Gardens surface is more conductive for his style of bowling and hence the KKR team management might be tempted to buy him back.
Jason Behrendorff/Mitchell McLenaghan
I have given out two names here because both the bowlers offer similar sort of a balance to any playing XI. With Pat Cummins and Lockie Ferguson already in the KKR set-up, they might look for some variety in the fast bowling department and having a left-arm pacer is always a luxury. While McClenaghan has been a proven customer in the IPL for the Mumbai Indians, Behrendorff hasn’t got enough opportunities in the cash-rich league but one among the two could be on KKR’s radar.
PLAYERS RETAINED: Dinesh Karthik, Andre Russell, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Nitish Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Rinku Singh, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Mavi, Shubman Gill, Sunil Narine, Eoin Morgan (c), Pat Cummins, Rahul Tripathi, Varun Chakravarthy, Harry Gurney, Ali Khan
PLAYERS RELEASED: M Siddharth, Nikhil Naik, Siddhesh Lad, Chris Green, Tom Banton
Auction purse left: 10.75 CR
Slots available: 8 Overseas slots: 2