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Starc, Steve Smith To Join Gautam Gambhir & Co? Here's KKR Squad Analysis & IPL Strategy

image-lq0rfymdKKR Think-Tank At The Auction Table (X.com)

Being a Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) fan is not easy. You saw your team failing miserably in the first three years, having found themselves in the lower half of the points table, and then, all of a sudden, you also saw them winning the prestigious IPL trophy twice in four years.

From thereon, although they might have reached the playoffs four times in the following nine years, they never seemed like a side with the potential to become champions again. There has been zero spark whatsoever, and ardent fans' hopes of returning to the good old days have all but vanished.

As the team has already hit rock bottom, KKR fans’ fairytale hero, Gautam Gambhir, the man who led them to win two titles, is back where he belongs. Supporters have returned to life out of nowhere, and Gambhir has stepped up as the mentor in an effort to turn things around.

The biggest problem with KKR over the years has been the wrong acquisition of players, and that too at unprecedented prices. You cannot win a team with a bunch of players who have not had much of an impact at the professional level and come to play around two of the biggest franchise league faces, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, especially given how competitive the tournament has been.

KKR’s bowling performance throughout the IPL 2023 was utterly disappointing, so it's no wonder they released Lockie Ferguson and Shardul Thakur, whom they traded from other franchises for over 10 crore and more before the last auction. They now have just 13 players on their roster, and among those let go who are quite popular figures were Umesh Yadav, Tim Southee, and Shakib Al Hasan.



KKR - IPL 2024 Retained Players

Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Jason Roy, Anukul Roy, Venkatesh Iyer, Suyash Sharma, Harshit Rana, Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy


KKR - IPL 2024 Released Players

image-lq2cf85tShardul Thakur played 11 matches in IPL 2023, and took only 7 wickets (X.com)


Shardul Thakur, Lockie Ferguson, Umesh Yadav, Tim Southee, Mandeep Singh, Kulwant Khejroliya, N Jagadeesan, David Wiese, Aarya Desai, Litton Das, Johnson Charles, Shakib Al Hasan

Purse Remaining: INR 32.7 Crore

Slots Available: 12

Overseas Slot: 4


IPL 2024 - KKR Squad Analysis

Let’s have a look at the areas for improvement in KKR and where exactly their strengths and weaknesses are as of now.

KKR's Strength for IPL 2024

  • Power-packed finishers: With Andre Russell complimenting Rinku Singh, KKR could not have asked for a better finishing pair in their squad. They, in fact, are the fiercest finishers across all ten teams in the competition.
  • Formidable spin unit: Another area KKR boast of having is a robust spin attack, consisting of Varun Chakaravarthy, Sunil Narine, and the newly-emerged Suyash Sharma. Therefore, it is safe to say that they won’t need any other wizards in their mix. Not to forget, they can also bring Anukul Roy if required.


KKR's Weakness for IPL 2024

  • Not a single reliable wicket-keeper: KKR gave ample opportunities to Narayan Jagadeesan and Rahmanullah Gurbaz for wicket-keeping duties. Unfortunately, none of them were able to fully utilise the chances. Hence, the Purple and Gold brigade, in all likelihood, will search for a different option in the upcoming auction.
  • No anchor: From top to bottom, KKR have too many power-hitters who can be beasts on their days. However, they desperately need someone who can be dependable, particularly at the top of the order.
  • Fragile fast bowling unit: With Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Shardul Thakur, and Umesh Yadav all gone, KKR only have Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora in their tank among fast bowlers. So, it goes without saying that there is a lot of work to do to rebuild their pace battery.



Areas to fill for KKR in IPL 2024 Auction

  • A leader among fast bowlers: You can’t only rely on Russell, Vaibhav Rana, and Harshit Rana to operate the pace battery throughout the season. Therefore, they particularly need to get a talismanic overseas fast bowler to lead the pack.
  • A prominent name among wicket-keepers: Enough of experimenting with Baba Indrajith, Sheldon Jackson, and Narayan Jagadeesan. KKR should look for someone who have the calibre to deliver against a quality bowling attack, instead of trying to give ample opportunities to uncapped players.

KKR Targets In IPL 2024 Auction

  • Pat Cummins: KKR’s primary target among fast bowlers should be the recently-crowned World Cup-winning captain, given their positive relationship with him in the past. More importantly, Cummins will be up for grabs in Set 2, unlike Mitchell Starc, Lockie Ferguson, and Josh Hazlewood, who are in Set 4. Securing a trustworthy option is always a good idea, instead of waiting to gamble.
  • Mitchell Starc: The biggest name of the auction will undoubtedly be KKR’s priority target. The talismanic pacer signed for the Purple & Gold Brigade in the past for a whopping price but was not available to play for them. This time around, he is guaranteed to participate in the competition, and who else but KKR need someone of his stature on their roster to improve their bowling attack?
  • Steve Smith: KKR would like to bring some stability from one of the top-of-the-order batters, and there is no one better than Steve Smith in this pool to fill that position. The guy can open and would love to return to the competition. And there is no place better than KKR for Smith to pull off a memorable redemption.
  • Dilshan Madushanka: KKR have a history of providing ample opportunities to underdogs, and ​​the Sri Lankan speedster is the recent sensation who set the stage during the World Cup 2023 on fire. Not to forget, Gambhir, while mentoring Lucknow Super Giants, signed Dushmantha Chameera for the IPL 2021.
  • Travis Head: The Knight Riders have enough purse remaining, and hence, acquiring Travis Head to partner Jason Roy at the top of the order won’t be a bad idea. The Australian all-rounder, who broke a billion hearts in the World Cup 2023 final, can be a handy option with the ball as well, so expect him to be sold for big bucks.
  • Harshal Patel: The IPL 2021-Purple Cap-winner is not expected to be sold for big bucks, and could be an excellent addition to the KKR side. They need someone who can bowl brilliantly in death overs, and Harshal fits the bill for that role.
  • Chetan Sakariya: Among many, KKR released Kulwant Khejroliya, their only left-arm quick in the squad during the IPL 2023. Hence, signing Chetan Sakariya, who got few opportunities in Delhi Capitals, would be an excellent upgrade.
  • Harvik Desai: Saurasthra’s 24-year-old wicket-keeper batsman had an excellent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign, having scored 336 runs over seven matches at a strike rate of 175. He is an opener, remember, so he could be used to pair Jason Roy as well.
  • Phil Salt: If you look at the wicket-keeper's pool, there is no one better than Phil Salt available for this auction. Yes, there are Kusal Mendis and Josh Inglis as well, but partnering with a fellow Englishman (Jason Roy) should give Salt more independence, shouldn’t it?