IPL 2022: First eleven or bust for Shreyas Iyer's Kolkata Knight Riders

IPL 2022: Kolkata Knight Riders have opted for a new captain and even managed to retain most of the key players from the squad that reached the final last year. However, they seem to have precious few options on the bench.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are one of six teams to have won the Indian Premier League (IPL) title and they came close to adding to their two wins last season. The fact that they managed to keep most of the key players who played a role in their run last season would hence be something that would make the management happy and yet, KKR do have holes in their team.

Shreyas Iyer could be part of a long-term plan for KKR (KKR)

KKR looked down and out in the first half of the IPL in 2021, losing five of their first seven league matches. However, they were a different team in more ways than one when the season resumed later in the year in the UAE. The unheralded Venkatesh Iyer plundered runs at the top of the order while also proving to be a handy medium pacer while Sunil Narine, the veteran West Indies spinner who looked well past his prime in the first half, came roaring back to form. They went from being the wooden spooners to first breaking into the top four and then going all the way to the final.

Strength: Batting

KKR have a conundrum at the top of the order with respect to who will open alongwith Venkatesh Iyer. It is highly unlikely that Venkatesh will play in the middle or lower-middle order, as he does for India, considering the kind of success he had last season for KKR at the top. While Aaron Finch may seem like an obvious choice, one has to remember that KKR will have to play Sam Billings as their wicketkeeper alongwith Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, and one of either Pat Cummins or Tim Southee. This might mean that Ajinkya Rahane could get an extended run at the top of the order. Once you look past that, KKR have a lineup that is more than capable of causing all kinds of destruction on its day. New captain Shreyas Iyer slots in at No.3, followed by the ever-reliable Nitish Rana and Billings, who impressed in the Big Bash League this year. Russell would make up the top six after which runs from Narine, Southee or Cummins would be a bonus.

Weakness: Squad depth

The fact that KKR could be forced to play a foreigner primarily to fill up the wicketkeeper's slot epitomises the fact that they haven't got too many options across the board to back up their first XI. The conundrum at the top of the order comes solely because of the team composition and not because of the form that Finch or Rahane have exhibited in the IPL. This thinness in the squad is most noticeable in the bowling lineup. While Southee will slot in for Cummins with the Australian quick would not be present in the early stages of the tournament, KKR may have no choice but to look at Shivam Mavi and Umesh Yadav as their other two fast bowlers. While Mavi seems to have the trust of the team management, Umesh has hardly played in the IPL in the recent past with varying levels of success.

Opportunity: Building around a new captain

Although KKR raised a few eyebrows by retaining the aging West Indies duo of Russell and Narine, their acquisition of Shreyas Iyer seems to indicate a long term plan. KKR also let go of Eoin Morgan and Dinesh Karthik, both of whom captained the team in the last two seasons. While it was under Morgan that they reached the final last year, the England limited-overs captain could hardly score any runs and it was almost unanimously agreed that he wouldn't have made the playing XI had he not been the captain. It remains to be seen if Iyer would be given the same level of trust and freedom that was handed to the last player around whom they built a squad after naming him as captain. Gautam Gambhir would go on to lead KKR to two titles.

Threats: Backup plan for Andre Russell

This may only be an extension of the fact that KKR have a thin squad but Russell holds a special position in the team. While he may not be as destructive with the bat as he was in his prime, even this version of Russell remains a more than handy No.6 batter and the Jamaican's experience has made him a valuable third seamer. However, the 33-year-old has also been prone to frequent injuries and it remains to be seen how KKR plan to fill the Russell-shaped hole in case it ever opens up over the course of the season.