Page Loader
Squad analysis IPL 2018: Kolkata Knight Riders

Squad analysis IPL 2018: Kolkata Knight Riders

Mar 13, 2018
08:16 pm

What's the story

Kolkata Knight Riders will be banking heavily on their West Indian pair Andre Russell and Sunil Narine. KKR's thin squad has plenty of issues surrounding it and Kolkata's players need inspiration from somewhere. Initial expensive purchases in the auction did not help them, as they look like an unbalanced side at least on paper. In this article we analyse the squad of KKR.

Apester Post

Trivia: Interesting facts about KKR

Big worry

The Knights lack depth in batting

KKR are sweating since their star batsman Chris Lynn is nursing a dislocated shoulder. They need him to be available to avoid a major setback. India U-19 World Cup star Shubman Gill will be expected to open the innings with Lynn. In the middle-order, Robin Uthappa, Dinesh Karthik and Nitish Rana form the impetus. The bench strength lacks solid quality.

Information

Uthappa key to provide stability to KKR's batting

Robin Uthappa's form is vital for the side, given his likely position would be one down. He has to score bulk of the runs, given KKR no longer enjoy the services of Manish Pandey. KKR would need Uthappa to fire in all encounters.

All-round display

All-rounders not at all threatening

KKR haven't gone big on all-rounders and Andre Russell is their prime force. He had missed last season because of his suspension and this year, he could not test his abilities in the Pakistan Super League due to a fresh injury. Proteas specialist Cameron Delport is a viable option, but is likely to miss most games given the foreign quota rule.

Information

Russell needs swift recovery to stage a show

With Russell out of the PSL due a calf injury, his preparations have been hit hard ahead of IPL 2018. KKR will be monitoring the player's progress with close attention. A match-winner, the West Indian stalwart has 31 wickets and 574 runs in the IPL.

Top quality

Knights have the best bowling line-up in IPL 2018

Mitchell Starc is a world class figure and with his former colleague Mitchell Johnson also present, the pace attack has quality. The presence of Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi is promising given the young duo's deadly pace trend in the U-19 WC. Vinay Kumar brings vital experience. The spin attack is world class with Sunil Narine, Kuldeep Yadav and Piyush Chawla on offer.

Information

Kuldeep's wrist spin a major attribute

Kuldeep Yadav has been a revelation in the limited over format for over a year now. With his quality wrist spin, he has hit batsmen hard and has shown remarkable temperament. His wicket taking skills will be beneficial for the Knights.

Personal

What's our take on Kolkata Knight Riders?

A lot will be riding on newly appointed skipper Dinesh Karthik. The way he handles the foreign talent will determine KKR's fortunes. With their already thin batting, major injuries have dampened their chances. In our opinion, KKR are unlikely to make it to the play-offs.