Kolkata Knight Riders, winners of IPL 2012 and 2014 are probably the most well-placed and least worrisome team among all 10 franchises. With already two massive changes – Shreyas Iyer returns as captain and Gautam Gambhir is back as mentor – KKR are heading towards a revamp. At the IPL retention on November 26, KKR released 12 players – more than an entire team – in order to completely rejig their composition. Their core remains the same though, featuring a star-studded batting line up and an incisive spin department.
KKR's biggest concern however is their fast-bowling unit, which is pretty much non-existent to be brutally honest. Letting Shardul Thakur, Lockie Ferguson, David Weise, Umesh Yadav and Tim Southee go has left them with only Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora as the two frontline pacers. Ferguson and Shardul alone amount to ₹20 crore of the total purse of ₹32.7 crore they possess. With 12 slots to fill, four of which are overseas, Gambhir, who is not known to hold back when it comes to spending, is expected to go all guns blazing at the auction table in Dubai on December 19.
Pace the way forward for KKR
With Andre Russell's fitness a huge red flag, KKR cannot rely on him to serve his duties as a fast bowler. Hence, Kolkata and Gambhir will be eyeing new recruits that can sizzle for them. Now, a big catch here could be the type of pitches KKR opt for. If the Eden Gardens persists with the kind of pitch that was used during the World Cup match between India and South Africa, Gambhir and his tactics will thrive. In Sunil Narine, Suyash Prabhudesai, Varun Chakravarthy and Anukul Roy, KKR's spin threat will be unmatched. However, the away games are where pace becomes important for the two-time champions.
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Remember the IPL 2022 mega auction, when Gambhir ensured that Lucknow Super Giants spent their last penny on players? A similar sight is likely to unfold. And for KKR to fill the gaps left by Southee, Ferguson and others, they need to grab hold of a couple of big fishes. Mitchell Starc is not someone they will be too keen on, with as many as five other franchises already interested in his services. But how about Gerald Coetzee, or Harshal Patel - experts on slow decks? Or the left-arm quick Dilshan Madushanka, the second-highest wicket-taker of the 2023 World Cup? Azmatullah Omarzai is another name that may float given his ability with the bat as a pinch hitter. With more than 30 crore in their kitty, expect KKR to go on a splurging spree to assemble a formidable team on paper to start with.
Need for a back-up batter and keeper
{{/usCountry}}Remember the IPL 2022 mega auction, when Gambhir ensured that Lucknow Super Giants spent their last penny on players? A similar sight is likely to unfold. And for KKR to fill the gaps left by Southee, Ferguson and others, they need to grab hold of a couple of big fishes. Mitchell Starc is not someone they will be too keen on, with as many as five other franchises already interested in his services. But how about Gerald Coetzee, or Harshal Patel - experts on slow decks? Or the left-arm quick Dilshan Madushanka, the second-highest wicket-taker of the 2023 World Cup? Azmatullah Omarzai is another name that may float given his ability with the bat as a pinch hitter. With more than 30 crore in their kitty, expect KKR to go on a splurging spree to assemble a formidable team on paper to start with.
Need for a back-up batter and keeper
{{/usCountry}}Releasing N Jagadeesan, KKR will require a back-up wicketkeeper. Giving the responsibility to Rahmanullah Gurbaz for the entire tournament might be too much given the grueling schedule, and Venkatesh Iyer's skills behind the wicket are scratchy. With 4 overseas picks up for grabs, KKR could lean towards acquiring between Josh Inglis, Sam Billings, Ben Duckett or Phillip Salt.
The second back-up KKR will seek is of Jason Roy. The England opener's form and fitness have been a subject of concern, hence, opting for Travis Head or Rachin Ravindra can solve that problem. Afterall, there's plenty of money available.
List of players retained:
Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sunil Narine, Jason Roy. Suyash Sharma, Anukul Roy, Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy