Kolkata Knight Riders have always been a team that has evoked unprecedented fanfare. Their journey too has been worth documenting, from a group of struggling players to a group which transformed itself completely to lift the trophy twice. This time, though, KKR with their nucleus intact will be keen to get into the momentum in their bid for record third IPL silverware in five years. For a team that has always boasted of a talent-filled roster only to make a mess of things in the end
Most marketable team
They have always been a mercurial side and have breathed hot and cold within a very short span of time. They can also be labelled as the most marketable team and with Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan as their co-owner, there is bound to be a sense of excitement and enigma along the way. They got off to a horror start in the initial years of the tournament, but have got their acts together and built a nice and solid bunch of players. Their crux remains largely unchanged coming into IPL 2016, and they will start their campaign against the Delhi Daredevils on the 10th of April at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
Seasoned Leader
The team is currently captained by the leading run-scorer of the side, Gautam Gambir. Eden Gardens is the home ground of KKR while its secondary home ground is Barabati Stadium, Cuttack. For KKR, with the coach of the 2012 and 2014 trophy winning side Trevor Bayliss joining England national team, the legendary Jacques Kallis will be seen in a new avatar as the coach of the franchise. His cricketing credentials hardly doubted the South African legendary all rounder’s coaching ability will come in for a big test in this season. KKR got a huge relief two days ahead of their campaign with ICC clearing Sunil Narine of suspect action but the Trinidad off-spinner who is back home after his father’s demise is all set to miss their opening leg.
Batting is strength
The team’s strengths are its strong top-order, presence of many allrounders and quality medium-fast bowlers. Gambhir and Uthappa are one of the most reliable opening pairs in the IPL. They are also the fifth and sixth highest run-getters respectively in the tournament. Last year, Uthappa was their best batsman with 364 runs in 13 matches at an average of 30.33 and strike rate of 131.40. Gambhir followed him with 327 runs in 13 matches at an average of 25.15 and strike rate of 117.62. The duo’s success has been vital in the team’s revival.
Inconsistency is the worry
One thing that would certainly worry KKR think-tank is the fact that, they don’t have consistency in the middle order and lower middle-order. Uthappa, Gambhir, and Pandey are set for first three positions, but Yusuf has been inconsistent in the last two seasons. They have recruited Munro and Australia’s domestic star Chris Lynn, but it will be pretty difficult for them to find a place in the eleven when Russell, Morkel, Narine, and Shakib are almost certainly the first picks for the four spots.
KKR Predicted Playing XI Gautam Gambhir (Captain), Robin Uthappa, Chris Lynn, Manish Pandey, Andre Russell, Yusuf Pathan, Colin Munro, Piyush Chawla, Umesh Yadav, Morne Morkel, Jaydev Unadkat