KKR's ideal line-up for IPL 2013

Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders will soon start a quest to defend a title highly prestigious in Indian domestic circuit. A team can have only 11 men fighting for the glory. But, we have players known as all-rounders in our game. They are the ones who can take the total count of recognized batsmen and bowlers in the team well beyond 11. KKR is blessed with a squad having one of the most potent all-rounders in the game today. How Gambhir chooses to use them will decide KKR’s destiny in IPL 2013. In my personal opinion, the ideal team for KKR should be:

1. Gautam Gambhir is the obvious choice to lead a competent KKR side. An aggressive captain, who isn’t buoyed down by failure, has adapted to the role consummately. Two years into the role, KKR has seen unprecedented success. He stands like a conqueror on a hunt for more conquests. He has led from the front and has been able to use his bowlers effectively. Only trouble Gambhir faces is choosing 4 foreign players out of the phenomenal squad at his disposal, consisting of Brett Lee, Sunil Narine, Eoin Morgan etc., a good position for a captain to be in.

2. Jacques Kallis is the first all-rounder in KKR’s ranks that the team will look up to. What Sachin is to India, Kallis is to any team of his. He gives you a feeling of stability. One of the most consistent batsman in the world, he still bowls them over 140 kmph. He is excellent in the field, and his words of wisdom during the course of play are intangible benefits that KKR can draw. He hasn’t been left out of the scheme of things, and rightly so. Though not a big hitter of the ball, he is canny with the gaps and builds a platform for others to explode. His presence will be instrumental to KKR’s success.

3. Ryan ten Doeschate is a player who should seldom warm the bench. A hard-hitting batsman, he can not only build an innings, but also accelerate at will. ten Doeschate has adequate experience of sub-continental conditions. A regular feature in BPL, and the owner of an impressive record during CWC 2011, he stakes his claim higher than any other all-rounder in the team. A handy bowler, he holds his line and hardly ever fails to produce a breakthrough. Further, with little international commitments, he is available for the entire season. Batting at 3 will provide him ample opportunity to get his eye in before producing his big shots, which generally sail over the fence.

4. Yusuf Pathan was KKR’s misfit during the last season. His buying price of $2.1 million says a lot about the ability he possesses. On his day, he can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The best way to use Pathan is to send him early and give him a few balls to find the sweet spot. Once he gets in, there is no stopping him. He might look like a misfit sometimes, but leaving him out can have its repurcussions. He has had to bide his time, and now looks ready to take on the challenge this season. A handy off-break bowler, Gambhir can squeeze in a couple of overs from him, giving himself more options with the ball.

5. Brendon McCullum is brute force. McCullum can take the game away from the opposition within overs. Though inconsistent with the bat, his wicket-keeping is commendable. He is the obvious choice for the keeper-batsman. Given his failures at top of the order, it is a safe bet to push him lower down the order. His ability to club the ball right from ball one gives his team the flexibility to play him at any position. He is an obvious choice to liven up the stretch of overs 8-14, where the game usually gets slow.

6. Manoj Tiwary has been scoring for KKR, and will continue to score. He is, and will be a prominent feature of the line-up. Should the top order fail, Tiwary is there to steady the ship. He has the ability to play along and anchor the innings. Tiwary will be crucial in chases where one end needs to hold fort while the other end tries to bring down the opposition’s army.

7. Shakib Al Hasan is one of the most economical bowlers in the game today. A clean hitter with a wide range of shots, with the ability to produce consistent performances with both bat and ball, and absorb the pressure of the big occasion, his skills clearly demarcate his temperament to excel at the top level. Al Hasan can anchor the innings, accelerate, and also keep his nerves when the need is dire. A go-to bowler for an entire quota of 4 overs coupled with brilliant batting abilities, he is yet another all-rounder who deepens KKR’s batting line-up.

8. Rajat Bhatia & 9. Laxmi Shukla – They do not form the core crux of the team, but they are very useful all-rounders. They can hit and they can bowl. Bhatia has been effective with the ball, while Shukla has contributed significantly with the bat. Bhatia and Shukla may not be match-winners on their own, and their contribution may go unnoticed. But it is important to realize that cricket is a team effort. You need a star performer, but that star performance cannot alone take you to victory. There are small but essential contributions made by lesser humans in your team.

Effective with both bat and bowl, they provide depth to the batting line-up as well as open up bowling options for the captain. They are the match-savers for KKR.

10. Iqbal Abdulla is the second spinner for KKR. An economical strike bowler, he has been effective once the powerplay overs are done with. He slows down the run-rate and invariably gets a breakthrough or two. You might want to trade him for Sunil Narine, but the constraint of having 4 overseas players should bring him luck, especially when you want to choose allrounders like Kallis, ten Doeschate and Shakib Al Hasan ahead of other overseas players. If I would replace Narine with Abdulla, I will have to trade McCullum with an Indian keeper, which gives Manvinder Bisla a game. Since it looks like more of a loss than a gain, I would prefer to have Abdulla in the side.

11. Laxmipathy Balaji has been around for years, and is the primary opening bowler for the team. He might go for runs, but he will produce the breakthrough captains want. He can bowl length during fielding restrictions, and bowl lethal yorkers during the death overs. Lee will find it tough to earn a spot in the playing eleven, as the wicket-keeper trade-off or dropping a foreign all-rounder will push him out of the line-up.

This line-up gives the batting order depth and strength, while at the same time, giving Gambhir 8 bowlers to play with. The team is a complete blend of power hitters, innings anchors and finishers. The bowling department is reliant on seamers, but at the same time has two accomplished spinners.