It’s resurrection time for two-time IPL champion Kolkata Knight Riders.
A decade’s journey without a crown has whetted KKR’s appetite like never before. It is evident from the return of the franchise’s only successful captain Gautam Gambhir in a new role as the mentor.
After its last title triumph in 2014, KKR has made it to the playoffs thrice (2016-18) and has finished runner-up once in 2021. Gambhir is expected to inculcate the winner’s attitude into the purple-and-gold brigade and end its title drought.
The return of captain Shreyas Iyer, who missed out on the last season due to an injury, and big-hitter Manish Pandey would strengthen the KKR middle order. Packed with batters with big strike rates, including the cool-headed finisher Rinku Singh, sledgehammer master Andre Russell, his fellow Caribbean southpaw Sherfane Rutherford and experienced Englishman Phil Salt, it is obvious which area of the game KKR is looking to improve upon.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Venketesh Iyer and the flexible Nitish Rana provide solidity to the batting department along with Shreyas.
Game-changer
KKR hopes its costliest purchase, star Australian left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc, will be the game-changer with some support from Sri Lankan Dushmantha Chameera and domestic recruits, including Chetan Sakariya and Harshit Rana.
Once again, the KKR spin department revolves around trusted hands Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy. Afghan off-spinner Mujib-Ur-Rahman, left-arm spinner Anukul Roy and Suyash Sharma, who may continue to chip in with his useful leg-spin as an impact player, are likely to provide adequate support.
All-rounders Russell, Narine, Venkatesh, Ramandeep and Ankul increase the side’s pliability.
Salt and K.S. Bharat, along with Gurbaz ,are the options as wicketkeeper-batters.
Coach Chandrakant Pandit, known for drawing the best out of the players, is proud of the way the team fought under Rana’s captaincy despite constraints and remained in the race for a playoffs berth last season. This time Pandit is more confident because of the side’s balance. In a season of comebacks, KKR would hope to bank on a stronger squad and the combined cricketing wisdom of Gambhir and Pandit to end its long wait.
