IPL 2017: SWOT analysis of Kolkata Knight Riders
Not only do milestones bring with them an occasion to rejoice, but they also urge one to pause: looking behind at the journey traversed. Reflecting upon the initial days of euphoria that remain mingled with the odd moments of doubts and frustration, each landmark then becomes a nostalgic route, wherein the harmonious hours of glories are thought and thought once more.
The year 2017 presents itself as that year to the cricket aficionado, particularly in India. Or to be more precise, to every individual who suddenly dons the hat of a cricket enthusiast, debating and analysing the game for mere two months in the year.
The tenth edition of the Indian Premier League got underway in Hyderabad on 5th April, forcing one to recap the blitzkrieg that is the tournament. While Brendon McCullum initiated the league to history, the innumerable controversies threatened to change the course of the carnival called IPL. Players stamped their authority with match defying knocks while five franchises floundered and exited the cash-rich tournament.
In the midst of the hullabaloo, a few teams successfully scripted their silent path to redemption. Starting off as the most over-hyped team that only provided lacklustre performances, Kolkata Knight Riders managed to dish out two trophies in the span of three years to mark their arrival with élan. Under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir, the Knights have formed a consistent chain of players in the last six years, who are responsible for spearheading the team to the playoffs yet again.
We have a look at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats possessed by the Shahrukh Khan-owned franchise.
Strengths:
“Heading back to old familiar places-
The old familiar crowds, with the old familiar sounds!”
One of Kolkata Knight Riders’ biggest strengths is the fact that they have managed to stick together with their core players ever since the team underwent an overhaul in the 2014 auctions. Led by the maverick Gautam Gambhir, KKR remains a balanced side with Robin Uthappa, Umesh Yadav, Manish Pandey, Suryakumar Yadav, Piyush Chawla, Yusuf Pathan, Sunil Narine and Shakib al Hasan all playing together ever since.
Not only does this allow each player be well aware of his own role in the team but also allows him to get accustomed to his teammates’ psychology and mind-set, that is very crucial in a long drawn out tournament like the Indian Premier League.
In the slam-bang version of the game, the onus lies on the availability of a large pool of cricketers who can portray the roles of a batsman and bowler to perfection, an aspect where KKR thrives upon. Having all-rounders like Pathan and Hasan effectively bolsters the middle order.
Even though KKR will rue Andre Russel’s absence, banned by the WICB for a year, his replacement, Englishman Chris Woakes remains a handy contributor with both bat and ball, while Rishi Dhawan can fit into the team as and well the opportunity comes knocking. Though not a consistent batsman, Chawla’s stupendous shots to guide KKR to the title in the 2014 IPL gives the management adequate options ahead of the tournament opener against Gujarat Lions as well.
Having always been a bowler-heavy team, KKR, this season too, has an impressive bowling arsenal at their disposal. Even though Umesh Yadav has been rested for the first two games after his hectic Test schedule for the Indian team, the likes of Nathan Coulter-Nile and Trent Boult will be major assets to the franchise. With an array of bowlers, Gambhir has the luxury to chop and change his team, adopting a “horses for courses” policy.
With Sunil Narine not at his effective best, the management has the option of playing either Boult or Coulter-Nile along with Chris Lynn when the pitch offers to assist the pacers. In slower pitches, Kuldeep Yadav, riding high on confidence after his sensational Test debut against Australia, can be more than a handful. Along with the handy off-spin of Pathan and the clever googlies of Chawla, Gambhir has always relied massively on his spin-team, who have never failed to disappoint.
KKR draws their strength from Gambhir’s aggressive captaincy, who has shown his man management skills to perfection in the six years at the helm. Be it his unconditional backing of Narine or ruthlessly placing aggressive cricketing fields, even to someone like Dhoni, KKR has drawn immense inspiration from the way the left-hander has managed to bring in shrewd tactics at opportune moments in the match and in his seventh year as captain, expect no passiveness from the opener.