IPL 2020: KKR's predicted playing XI
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) come into the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2020) with high expectations.
The team's decision to appoint Dinesh Karthik as the captain of the side seemed to have borne fruit when they finished 3rd in IPL 2018 to qualify for the playoffs, but in last year's edition, KKR finished a disappointing 5th. Fans of KKR know that the team is definitely a title contender, and they won't settle for anything less than a top 4 finish.
And with world-class all-rounders in Sunil Narine and Andre Russell to complement young Indian bowlers, KKR seem to have most bases covered as we head into IPL 2020.
We had earlier performed a SWOT Analysis on KKR's squad for IPL 2020, and now, we attempt to predict the playing XI that they will field.
KKR's predicted playing XI for IPL 2020
Note: All players from England and Australia have been assumed to be available, with no official word yet regarding their participation in the first few games of IPL 2020.
Openers: Sunil Narine, Rahul Tripathi
Sunil Narine has taken the IPL by storm ever since he was promoted to an opener's role, and although he won't have Chris Lynn beside him this year, he is still a force to be reckoned with.
The all-rounder was in superb form with both bat and ball in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) before he had to miss a few games due to health issues, and he comes into IPL 2020 with a reasonable amount of match practice.
Narine is expected to be partnered by Rahul Tripathi. The former Rajasthan Royals man is the most experienced among KKR's Indian batsmen, and he is best suited to the opening role that he performed during his time with the Rising Pune Supergiant.