MLC 2023 | Team Analysis - LA Knight Riders

Adam Zampa in a LAKR practice session (Source: Twitter)

The inaugural edition of Major League Cricket, the first Franchise T20 league in the USA, is set to kick off on July 14th. One of the prominent teams in this league is the Los Angeles Knight Riders, owned by the Knight Riders Group and led by Caribbean T20 superstar Sunil Narine. The squad, consisting of 17 players, including Narine, features notable names like Jaskaran Malhotra, Jason Roy, Martin Guptill, and Andre Russell.

With Guptill and Roy forming the opening pair, the Knight Riders have a solid foundation. Roy's consistent performances in various T20 leagues make him a valuable asset, while Guptill's return after a lengthy hiatus intrigues his performance. The team's key focus will be on Narine and Russell, despite their initial struggles in the IPL. These two players possess immense potential and can be formidable with both bat and ball.

The Knight Riders' bowling attack appears relatively young and inexperienced, apart from the experience and guile of Adam Zampa and the fiery pace of Lockie Ferguson. The team will heavily rely on these two seasoned campaigners to spearhead the bowling unit and deliver impactful performances. The success of the Knight Riders will depend on their ability to shine and guide the team to victory.

The Roy Phenomenon: Conquering T20 Leagues with Style

Minimum 150 balls faced in T20 Leagues since 2020

Jason Roy will be one of the key men for the LA Knight Riders at the top with his growing form in T20 cricket right now and his ability to strike from ball one. His stats across all the T20 franchise leagues he's played are exceptional. His short stint for Kolkata Knight Riders was commendable, where he scored 287 in his eight matches at an average of 35.9 with a strike rate of 151.90, where he was hitting a boundary every 3.94 balls. 

His run in the PSL has been great, as he was one of the best batsmen for Quetta Gladiators. In his 21 games, he has scored 781 runs at an average of 41.1 with a remarkable strike rate of 150.5, scoring boundaries every 4.33 balls. His form for Surrey has also been decent, with 487 runs in 20 games with a strike rate of 144.6 and scoring boundaries every 4.77 balls. 

Even though he was not really amongst the runs in BBL with Perth Scorchers and the Oval Invincibles in the Hundred Mens, he still struck at 130+ and had a balls/boundary rate around 5.50. His overly disappointing run was in the SA20 with Paarl Royals, where he not only struggled to make runs but also had a low strike rate of 104.90, with boundaries coming every 6.52 balls. These stats show that at his best, he can not only score big runs but scores them at a quick rate, which can put pressure on any opposition.

Conclusion

Overall this side is filled with a lot of potential and might be one of the most interesting sides in the league. They might still struggle due to the inexperience of the squad and the fact that Narine's last stint as captain was forgettable. Despite these weaknesses, this team might still surprise us in the future.