3 former KKR players who would have been the perfect fit for them in IPL 2023
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are the third most successful team in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) after Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK). They have won two titles (2012 and 2014) under the captaincy of Gautam Gambhir.
However, Kolkata had a sub-par campaign last year, finishing seventh with only six wins under their belt. They struggled with their batting last year and tried to fine-tune their squad at the IPL 2023 mini-auction last month. KKR have signed senior batters Mandeep Singh and Tamil Nadu's Narayan Jagadeeshan, who has been in red-hot form of late.
The Kolkata-based outfit also signed David Weise as Andre Russell's backup and Shakib Al Hasan to strengthen their squad. Although the squad looks good on paper, there are some obvious weaknesses in the same.
Here is a look at the three players who would be a great fit in their prime in this KKR setup.
#1 Robin Uthappa
Uthappa KKR blood 💜 https://t.co/cBZ8jMsalV
Robin Uthappa is one of the most underrated Indian batters in the IPL. The former player has represented MI, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), now-defunct Pune Warriors India, KKR, Rajasthan Royals (RR), and CSK. In 205 matches, he has scored 4952 runs at an average of 28 and a strike rate of 130.
Uthappa's prime years as a batter came for the Knight Riders. He scored 2439 runs at an average of 30 and a strike rate of 136 for the franchise. He also won the 'Orange Cap' for the highest runs scored in a season in the 2014 edition when he scored 660 runs at a strike rate of 138.
An in-form Uthappa would certainly walk in as an opener in this KKR playing XI. He can also keep wickets, making him a multi-dimensional option for the Kolkata-based franchise.
#2 Yusuf Pathan
Former Indian all-rounder Yusuf Pathan would have been a hot commodity at the auction today if he was in his prime. He was an explosive batter who was also handy with his off-spin. Along with KKR, he also represented RR and SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the tournament.
An IPL legend, Yusuf has 3204 runs under his belt at an average of 29 and a strike rate of 143 in a career spanning 174 matches. For KKR, he amassed 1893 runs at an average of 32 and a strike rate of 138 and took 21 wickets at an economy rate of just 7.26 runs per over.
Yusuf would have been a useful choice in the current playing XI instead of an overseas all-rounder like Shakib or Wiese. This would allow the Knight Riders to play another overseas batter or bowler depending upon the team's requirements.
#3 Morne Morkel
List of some overseas pacers who were signed by KKR in IPL :
Brett Lee
Shane Bond
Shoaib Akhtar
Mitchell Starc
Pat Cummins
Mitchell Johnson
Morne Morkel
Umar Gul
Shaun Tait
Anrich Nortje
Lockie Ferguson
Trent Boult
Chris Woakes
Nathan Coulter Nile
Unreal
Former South African pacer Morne Morkel was one of the most underrated bowlers of his generation. He has an impressive record across formats and has performed well in the IPL too.
In 70 IPL matches for KKR, Delhi Capitals (DC), and RR, the tall fast bowler has picked up 77 wickets at an average of 27 and an economy rate of 7.69 runs per over.
Former KKR captain Gautam Gambhir was highly interested in signing the South African pacer for his franchise. Gambhir rated him as the toughest bowler he has faced in his career and ensured that the franchise went for him after he was released by Delhi.
Morkel played for the Knight Riders in 29 matches from 2014 to 2016. He took 32 wickets at an average of 27 and an economy rate of 7.8.
He would easily walk into the current playing XI ahead of someone like Tim Southee given his ability to run down a batting order with his sheer pace.