IPL 2020: 3 players who could be surplus to KKR
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were one of the busiest franchise at the IPL auction 2020. After releasing as many as 10 players ahead of the auction, the franchise needed to pick a strong set of players to build a potent side for the IPL this year. The franchise was keen on buying a few quality players and their mammoth bid of INR 15.5 crores for Pat Cummins pointed to that. The Kolkata-based franchise went for quality overseas recruits along with some back-up Indian talent to complete their squad of 23 players for IPL 2020. Unlike the last IPL edition where KKR fancied a thin squad, their strategy at this auction to consider enough back-up options was quite palpable at the onset.
KKR Squad
Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik (c), Harry Gurney, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Nitish Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Rinku Singh, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Mavi, Shubman Gill, Siddhesh Lad, Sunil Narine, Pat Cummins, Eoin Morgan, Varun Chakravarthy, Tom Banton, Rahul Tripathi, Chris Green, M Siddharth, Praveen Tambe, Nikhil Naik.
With a plethora of options available for each possible slot, here's a look at 3 players who might not get an opportunity and could be surplus to KKR in IPL 2020:
#3 Pravin Tambe
The acquistion of Pravin Tambe in the dying stages of the accelerated round seemed as a desperate move to include the veteran's experience in the side. KKR bought him at his base price of INR 20 lakhs. With the availability of frontline spin options in Kuldeep Yadav, Sunil Narine, and KKR's another surprising recruit in Varun Chakravarthy, it is highly likely that Tambe might be seen warming the benches for a majority of the tournament. It would be a startling move if KKR look beyond the three spinners, out of whom, two are a certainity for nearly every match. Tambe last represented in a IPL fixture in 2016 playing for Gujarat Lions and failed to break into the XI in any of the matches at the Sunrisers Hyderabad camp in IPL 2017.
Also see – BBL points table