IPL Retentions 2022: KKR's mistakes, what they got right and concerns ahead of the auction
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) seemed down and out in the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the halfway stage, but they recovered admirably in the latter half of the campaign to almost go all the way. Although they fell to the Chennai Super Kings in the summit clash, KKR showed why they're regarded as one of the most dangerous teams in the IPL.
Ahead of the IPL 2022 mega-auction, the two-time champions used all four retention slots available to them. The overseas duo of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine were retained on expected lines, while Varun Chakravarthy and Venkatesh Iyer got the nod in the Indian department.
How did KKR fare during their IPL 2022 retentions? We take a look at their mistakes, the things they got right and the concerns ahead of the auction.
Mistakes: Releasing Shubman Gill, impending captaincy search for KKR
KKR had a difficult decision to make during the IPL 2022 retentions - whether to retain Shubman Gill, who has become an anchor at the top of the order for the franchise. They eventually decided against it, but they arguably should've held on to Gill as he would've ticked more than one box.
As a 22-year-old, Gill would've been a long-term investment for KKR. And although his T20 batting has occasionally come under criticism for a sub-par strike rate, he reaped the benefits of KKR's revamped approach in the UAE leg of IPL 2021 and played a series of crucial knocks at the business end of the tournament.
Moreover, Gill would've been a potential future skipper for KKR, having been associated with the franchise for a few years now. Regarded as a smart cricketer with a calm head on his shoulders, the young opener would've been among those in consideration to take over from the outgoing Eoin Morgan. Now, KKR will have to find a captain at the auction, with their chances of bringing Morgan back low.
Masterstrokes: Two pace-bowling all-rounders and two mystery spinners in retentions, cheap Narine contract
With their retentions, KKR ensured that they stocked up on the two rarest commodities in the IPL right now - pace-bowling all-rounders and mystery spinners.
While Russell and Narine have been an integral part of the franchise for many years now and have four MVP awards between them, Chakravarthy and Iyer had breakthrough campaigns in IPL 2021 and have since gone on to represent India in international cricket. KKR can now afford to pick and choose from the plethora of choices on offer in the batting and bowling departments at the auction since they've already addressed the two most challenging areas.
Narine was KKR's final retention at INR 6 crore, which is significantly less than what he would've fetched at the auction despite his age. The West Indian made several telling contributions for KKR in IPL 2021 and still has a lot left in the tank, making his cut-price deal a massive value addition to the squad ahead of the auction.
Concerns: Russell's injury and form woes, Narine's questionable action, Chakravarthy's fitness, auction purse
Russell is still a hot T20 commodity but his returns have dwindled over the last two IPL seasons. While he has justified some of his potential with his exploits at the death, his famed explosive batting has often been extinguished by poor shot-selection and an inability to adjust his game to the demands of the situation.
With concerns over his form and fitness - he has spent a significant time on the sidelines with injuries recently - Russell might not be the world-class all-rounder KKR expect him to be. And like the last two IPL seasons, they might struggle to find an adequate backup that doesn't disturb the combination of the playing XI.
Meanwhile, Sunil Narine's sketchy history with his action could crop back up at any point. He can't afford to be reported again, and although he has worked a lot on its legality, KKR will be wary of potentially losing their star spinner.
Narine's spin partner Varun Chakravarthy, meanwhile, has suffered from fitness issues throughout his career at the top level. Surprisingly injury-prone for a spinner and not the quickest in the field, the 30-year-old has a lot of work to do if he is to stay fit and healthy.
Finally, because they retained four players, KKR have to be extremely judicious with their spending in the IPL 2022 auction. They've mostly been smart at the table, but they cannot afford to make errors ahead of a long IPL cycle.