IPL 2019: 3 Bowlers that KKR should target at the auction

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has always been a team that has taken pride in their world-class spinning options in the squad, the likes of Kuldeep Yadav, Sunil Narine, and Piyush Chawla. The lack of a quality fast bowler in their attack, since Umesh Yadav left the team in 2017, has been one of the major causes of concern for an otherwise well-balanced side.

KKR has released all its specialized foreign fast bowlers ahead of the 2019 auction, and the Dinesh Karthik led side would be looking out for fast bowling options who could adapt to the Indian conditions as well as execute the leadership role that Umesh Yadav used to fulfil.

They need a bowler who could ideally do what Bhuvneshwar Kumar does for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, bowl a couple of overs in the powerplay to get them the initial breakthroughs and also be effective in restricting the batsmen with the remaining overs at the death.

So, here are some fast-bowling options that KKR should target at the upcoming auctions.

#3 Isuru Udana

The 30-year-old, left-arm medium fast bowler from Sri Lanka has become a T20 specialist of sorts and has been plying his trade all around the globe, and has met with consistent success, especially in tournaments in the Indian subcontinent the likes of Bangladesh Premier League, Afghanistan Premier League, SLC T20 league, as well as other competitions including the ongoing T10 league in Sharjah.

He has picked up 23 wickets in 19 innings at an economy of 7.39 and an average of 18.91, including T20 Internationals where he has been an integral part of the Sri Lankan squad as a bowling all-rounder.

He is handy with the bat with a T20 strike rate of 120+ and can be bought to lead the bowling attack or be used as a replacement for Andre Russell.