IPL 2019: Will Kolkata Knight Riders lift their third title?
The two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders went into the auctions looking for a couple of good overseas pacers, to replace Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson and Tom Curran. That was probably the only loose end they had last season. Despite being tagged as one of the weakest teams after the 2018 auctions, KKR finished at a respectable third place.
There was never a question on the strength of the playing XI which is full of match-winners. But the bench seemed too thin and lacked experience. Now with the tournament nearly a month away, here we look at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the Kolkata-based franchise:
Strengths
Batting remains the biggest strength for KKR. The opening duo of Lynn and Narine is as devastating as any in the tournament. They are followed by a reliable Uthappa, a budding Shubman Gill, a fierce Nitish Rana and the cool finisher and the skipper Dinesh Karthik. The marauder Andre Russell remains the go-to man for the skipper when the required rate is high. The batting lineup holds a formidable and fearsome look.
One more area of strength is the spin department. With Kuldeep, Narine and Chawla, KKR have probably the best spin attack in the tournament. Despite the Eden Gardens not favoring spin as much it used to, the spin trio has been successful in getting the side enough breakthroughs.
Moreover, the addition of Carlos Brathwaite has boosted the all-rounders' stocks for the team. In case Russell gets injured, Brathwaite will be there as a like for like replacement. Fergusson, who has been amongst wickets for New Zealand in recent times is a valuable addition too.
Dinesh Karthik was one of the standout skippers last season, optimizing his resources really well. Finishing the auctions in 2018 without any real captaincy candidates, KKR enter 2019 with a composed and reliable leader.
Weaknesses
Just like the previous season, bench strength remains the biggest worry for KKR. Batting revolves around the 5-6 names mentioned above and in case of injuries, the backups are not skillful enough or are not experienced enough. KKR would desperately want all their batters to stay fit throughout the tournament just like last year.
Death bowling is probably the biggest chink in their armor, something which did cost them last year too. With 3 inexperienced Indian pacers, and the likes of Russell and Fergusson, the death bowling does not look much promising and is probably the weakest in the tournament. Russell and Fergusson are experienced, but are not threatening enough at the death and they do need support from others.
Opportunities
KKR do not have players who might be unavailable because of world cup preparations, except for Chris Lynn. This holds them in a good stead and at an advantageous position ahead of a few teams by allowing them to stick to the preferred combinations.
KKR have 3 of the most promising young pacers in the country, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shivam Mavi and Prasidh Krishna. With Vinay Kumar released, all three of them are sure to get ample opportunities. Just like Prasidh Krishna impressed one and all last year, if the other two live up to the hype, then it will be a treat to watch the three speedsters breathing fire. Shubman Gill will look to continue his growth after a successful domestic season.
Among foreigners, Anrich Nortje, considered by Dale Steyn as a future star for South Africa, might prove to be a surprise package in the tournament. Joe Denly is an important addition, who might be handy if Lynn opts out midway of the tournament due to the world cup.
Threats
Injuries remain the biggest threat for the Kolkata-based franchise. With a thin and inexperienced bench, KKR are the team who can least afford injuries to the first choice players. Lack of experience of the second string players which did not affect them much last season, will remain a huge threat to counter.
Uthappa and Karthik hold the key in the batting department and in case of injuries or poor run of form of any one or two from the top 6 can prove to be highly disastrous for KKR. Same goes for the pace bowlers. The Indian trio of Krishna, Mavi and Nagarkoti will have huge responsibilities on their shoulders and the management must take care they handle the pressure well.
Squad Rating: 7.5/10
Tournament Prediction: A top four finish like last year, and then it is all about one good or bad day.
Probable XI: Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik (wk) (c), Andre Russell, Piyush Chawla, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Fergusson
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