4 Ex-KKR players who could return to the franchise for IPL 2019

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have always been one of the most consistent teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Especially since 2011, i.e. the start of the fourth edition of the IPL, they’ve been incredibly consistent. Barring 2013 (they finished seventh) and 2015 (they finished fifth and missed out on a playoff spot by a whisker), they have qualified for the playoffs every season.

A lot of players have come and gone. In the last 11 years, there have been three mega auctions due to which a lot of players have had to bid farewell to the Kolkata franchise. However, with the auction for the 12th edition of the IPL less than a month away, let’s look at some former KKR players who could make a return to the franchise in 2019.

#4 Brendon McCullum

No one can forget Brendon McCullum’s 158 in the opening game of the first season of the IPL. That innings set the tone for this cash-rich league, and it hasn’t looked back since.

McCullum has been a critical figure in the IPL in the last few years and has been pretty consistent. In fact, between 2014 and 2017, the former New Zealand skipper scored more than 300 in four consecutive seasons. In those four years, he played a couple of seasons for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and a couple of seasons for Gujarat Lions (GL). His best years came at CSK as he amassed more than 400 runs in both seasons (2014 and 2015).

He was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 2018 auctions, but poor form meant he played only 6 games through the season. However, the Bangalore franchise have let go of the Kiwi opener. Hence, with 5 foreign slots available KKR could well buy him from the auction and we could see McCullum turn out in purple again. McCullum played 5 out of the first 6 seasons of the IPL for KKR (represented Kochi Tuskers Kerala in 2011).