Kolkata Knight Riders - The most balanced squad in IPL 2014

Almost all the franchisees have been smart in buying players in the auctions this time. They have gone in for squads that can fulfil their needs in the most effective way possible.

There were a total of 13 Right-to-Match cards that were used in auctions. This new concept added spice to the bidding and revealed which players the team owners had complete faith in, and who all they were willing to let go.

As the auctions proceeded, there were many surprises in store – we saw some players bought at exorbitant prices (Yuvraj and Karthik), while there were also names who did not find any buyers (Badrinath). Many teams went in for a revamp policy, as a result of which this time we will see the same faces playing for different teams.

Almost all squads look good on paper, but there are certainly some which look more balanced than the others. Both Chennai and Delhi have a bowling attack that is slightly weaker than other bowling attacks, while Mumbai may have problems with their batting line-up which could have been a tad better, at least in terms of big names.

Amidst all of these, Kolkata Knight Riders appears to be the best side on paper as of now, with the right mix of batsmen, bowlers and all-rounders who make up their line-up, and would have a great chance of ending up in the top 3 if they play well as a unit.

Trevor Bayliss is their head coach, while Wasim Akram has returned to take charge of the bowling department. Former Team India physio Andrew Leipus is also part of their management.

Special mention: The Sunrisers Hyderabad have built up a pretty impressive side as well, with names like Shikhar Dhawan, Aaron Finch and David Warner who are their main batters; Steyn, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra and Bhuvneshwar Kumar who are their best bowlers, and they also have an impressive pool of all-rounders in Darren Sammy, Moisés Henriques and Irfan Pathan.

They also have impressive names as far as the support staff is concerned, with Tom Moody as their head coach and Waqar Younis as their bowling coach. They could do very well this time considering they get their team combinations right and get into rhythm early.

The Batsmen

Gautam Gambhir

They definitely have the people who can score some runs with the bat. Skipper Gambhir could prove to be their most important run-getter, and it may well be their strategy that he holds one end up while the others play around him. Which means he will have to stick around for a long time since he opens the batting.

Jacques Kallis can also take up this role, to make way for the Pathans and the Uthappas to play a more attacking role later on. They also have two world class batsmen in Ryan ten Doeschate and Shakib Al Hasan, both of whom are the best players from their countries, and will be expected to contribute handsomely.

Uthappa is most likely to open with Gambhir, given that he has opened before for Pune Warriors India, although they might try something different just for the sake of experiment.

They will also get help from 23-year-old Chris Lynn, who debuted for Australia in January this year, and batted at number 5. He averages 27.52 in T20 cricket, and his strike rate is an impressive 138.15. KKR could well use him down the order, and he could prove to be an ideal partner for Yusuf Pathan to give the pace to the innings later on.

Andre Russell can also prove to be a good hand with the bat, with more than 1000 T20 runs to his name in 64 innings, with an average of 22.62 and a strike rate 155.89, which make him a very useful batting prospect just above the tail.

They have an impressive pool of overseas players, and it is just about making the right selections before every game.

Two wicketkeeper batsmen in Manvinder Bisla and Debabrata Das will also give strength to the batting. Both of them have a decent T20 experience, with averages above 20 and strike rates above 110 and 120 respectively. But only one of them might be picked at a time for the playing XI considering the similarity in what they offer.

They also have Manish Pandey, the first Indian to get a hundred in the IPL, who is likely to get opportunities to prove his mettle. Among the less known names they have Suryakumar Yadav of Mumbai and Sayan Mondal of Bengal who could pitch in as well.

The Bowlers

KKR’s trump card – Sunil Narine

Their newest acquisition and a brilliant addition to the side, Morne Morkel will spearhead the bowling attack, along with Umesh Yadav, Vinay Kumar and Patrick Cummins who will assist him. Morkel has 137 wickets from 122 games, while Yadav has 57 from 60 and Kumar has 124 from 113.

20-year-old Cummins on the other hand, has been very impressive early on in his career, with 44 wickets from 32 games at an average of 21. He hasn’t been part of the Australian squad for two years now, but he regularly plays first class and T20 cricket for Australia A and the Sydney Sixers respectively. Andre Russell and ten Doeschate will also help with their pace and medium pace respectively.

With such a large pool of bowlers at their disposal, one might think that Kallis may not get a chance to bowl. But again, he will be played in most of the games, and therefore, the skipper will toss the ball to him for at least an over or two if not more, given his experience. 21-year-old Veer Pratap Singh of Bengal, who has 10 wickets from 9 games, might get a chance depending on availability.

As far as spin bowling goes, Sunil Narine (136 wickets from 104 games) is their main weapon, and is likely to be picked for most of the matches. Shakib Al Hasan, one of the most impressive all-rounders of current times, will partner him in the spin attack, along with Piyush Chawla of India.

Both names don’t need statistics to prove their ability or worth, and it is really up to the team management to take a call on who gets a game. Yusuf Pathan can also throw in some off-breaks if needed. There is a high probability that Pathan, ten Doeschate, Kallis, Russell and Hasan will be picked more often given their all-round natire of play.

A surprise inclusion could be that of India’s under-19 china-man bowler Kuldeep Yadav, who recently took a hat-trick for India at the under-19 World Cup.

Conclusion

KKR this time have a large pool of both right and left-handed batsmen, who can both attack or provide stability to the line-up, fast bowlers, medium pacers, spinners (both right arm and left arm) and even two wicketkeepers at their disposal.

They have managed to smartly build one of the best teams on paper as of now. From now on it will be about picking the right combinations, taking one game at a time, considering the opposition and the playing conditions. The medium pacers and the spinners will definitely come in handy at the Eden Gardens, while the faster bowlers can be brought to use elsewhere on faster tracks, since half of the tournament looks set to take place in South Africa.

They have a good support staff as well, and they have the potential to go all the way and win the title a second time. They just have to click as a unit.