IPL 2019: 3 international stars who could be the key for KKR
In about seven days time, all eyes will shift to IPL in what is expected to be a power-packed season for all the fans. Kolkata Knight Riders' 2019 campaign will kick-off on the 24th of March against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Owing to some unfortunate injuries, KKR missed quite a few prominent players before the start of IPL 2018. However, with better utilization of the resources, Kolkata made their mark in the season as they finished third in the league.
Coincidently, Kolkata Knight Riders are up against a similar kind of challenge this year as well. With IPL 2019 just a few days away, Kolkata has already lost two of their young prodigies - Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi - to unfortunate injuries. Nonetheless, with a dominant and diverse set of players at their disposal, the absence of Kamlesh and Mavi will not pose a big problem for Kolkata in the upcoming edition of IPL. Hence, notwithstanding the injuries, Knight Riders will be hoping to produce a similar kind of performance in this year's IPL as well.
Thus, in this article, we look at three international stars who could be the game-changers for KKR in IPL 2019.
#1 Sunil Narine
At the camps of KKR, Sunil Narine's journey started as a mystery off-spinner. However, with time, Narine - while holding his sumptuous bowling skills - evolved to become an able opening batsman for Kolkata. The very decision of promoting Sunil up the order came in 2017 when Gautam Gambhir was at the helm at KKR. Ever since, Narine has been a regular in Kolkata's opening combination.
Having featured in 16 games in the 2018 edition of IPL, the all-rounder from Trinidad and Tobago tallied 357 runs at an average of 22.31 and an astonishing strike-rate of 189.89. In addition to that, he also struck two fifties in IPL 2018. Besides that, he performed brilliantly with the ball as well. From 16 games, Sunil scalped 17 wickets at an average of 27.47, strike-rate of 21.52, and an economy of 7.65.
Hence, the West Indian all-rounder will be expected to perform on the same lines for Kolkata in the coming edition of IPL as well. Thus, with magnificent batting and bowling skills in his armoury, Narine would be one of the most prominent prospects for KKR in IPL 2019.