IPL 2020: Kolkata Knight Riders strongest possible playing XI after the auction
At the end of the IPL Auctions 2020, Kolkata Knight Riders have forged a formidable unit adding some valuable players to their squads. The auctions went as per plan for the two-time champions who invested big amounts on overseas players like Pat Cummins and Eoin Morgan.
Even uncapped Indian player Varun Chakravarthy bagged a whopping ₹4 crore in the auction but is unlikely to be part of the first XI atleast for the first few matches. The team has a good blend of youth and experience and will be one of the teams to watch out for next season.
Kolkata Knight Riders full squad
Batsmen: Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Shubman Gill, Siddesh Lad, Eoin Morgan, Tom Banton, Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Nikhil Naik (wk)
All-rounders: Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Pat Cummins, Chris Green
Spinners- Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Manimaran Siddharth, Pravin Tambe
Fast bowlers- Harry Gurney, Prasidh Krishna, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Mavi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Lockie Ferguson
Now with the auctions done and dusted, let us have a look at the best possible playing XI for the Knight Riders.
Openers
Sunil Narine
Sunil Narine has been an integral part of the Kolkata Knight Riders set up for a long time now. He adds value to the side with his all-round skills. In the last couple of years, his batting at the top of the order has been a huge positive for KKR. He has the ability to smash the bowlers all around the park during the powerplay overs and has the 2nd fastest fifty in IPL history.
He has been a champion bowler for KKR. Ever since remodelling his bowling action, Narine hasn’t found the same purchase which made him such a sensation in white ball cricket. However, he is still a force to reckon with and will remain an asset for the two time champions.
Rahul Tripathi
Given his talent, Rahul Tripathi wil definitely start atleast for the first few matches. He has been a proven customer in IPL colours since his arrival in the tournament back in 2017. Tripathi was part of the now defunct Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017 and made a significant impact for them at the top of the order. He got them off to flying starts and scored 391 runs at an impressive strike rate of 146.
The top order batsman had a few off seasons with the Rajasthan Royals but he was hardly given an opportunity at the top of the order. KKR has bought them for a relatively low price of ₹60 lakhs and should give him an extended run at the top.