3 players that KKR could target in the IPL-12 auction

Although there are still about four months left for the first ball of the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League to be bowled, the excitement button has been already switched on as all the franchises have released the lists of players that they don't want to retain for the next season.

Some big names to be excluded have been Gautam Gambhir (DD), Yuvraj Singh (KXIP), Brendon McCullum (RCB), Wriddhiman Saha (SRH), Mustafizur Rahman (MI) and Jaydev Unadkat (RR).

Kolkata Knight Riders have also released their list of retained players via social media, and some notable names that don't feature in it are Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc and Tom Curran. Indian uncapped players Ishank Jaggi and Apoorv Wankhade have also been released alongside the experienced Vinay Kumar.

Here is a list of three players that the two-time IPL winners might target in the upcoming IPL auctions to create a team which would be a strong contender for the IPL-12 trophy.

#1 Hashim Amla

With there being no guarantee of the availability of the Aussie players for the entire IPL season, the Knight Riders surely would want a backup for their big-hitting opener Chris Lynn. And Hashim Amla might just be the perfect option for the franchise.

The Proteas batsman was surprisingly ignored in the 2018 auctions by all the franchises but his T20I stats easily prove that that was a blunder. Having played 44 T20Is, he has amassed 1277 runs at a healthy strike rate of 132.06. In the IPL, he has played 16 matches and has scored 577 runs at an astonishing strike rate of 141.76.

With experience and form on his side, Amla's services might also provide the Knights with the option of an overseas opener in case Sunil Narine misfires.