Kolkata: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will look to the make the most of an efficient leadership group coupled with world class performers in their bid to bounce back after the two-time champions flattered to deceive last season, crashing out of the play-off zone for the first time since 2015.
Karthik was not at his best donning the skipper’s hat last time as the team finished fifth. The wicket-keeper-batsman’s decisions were frowned upon by sceptics and the team suffered from inconsistency.
Batting wise, KKR were over reliant on Andre Russell with the big-hitting West Indies all-rounder scoring 510 runs in 13 innings despite batting lower down the order, something which was not to his liking.
This time the middle order will get the much needed support from Morgan besides Karthik and Nitish Rana. The hugely talented Shubman Gill will be expected to open the batting along with Sunil Narine who had a strike-rate of 150-plus last time opening the batting. For firepower there is dashing England opener Tom Banton who can bat anywhere as seen in the England-Australia T20 series recently.
KKR’s bowling was abysmal last season with Russell topping the list of wicket-takers with 11 scalps. The spin trio comprising Narine, Yadav and Chawla failed miserably, though the West Indian had found some form at the back end of the league stage and finished with 10 wickets in 12 games with an economy rate of 7.82.
Lockie Ferguson, Prasidh Krishna and Harry Gurney were expected to be the X-factor but could not produce the spark as they were treated with disdain by the opponent batters.
In contrast, young Sandeep Warrier, who was a late replacement of injured seamer Kamlesh Nagarkoti, impressed with his control and accuracy with the new ball in the three games he played.
This time, KKR will have Cummins to bank on, besides a much improved Ferguson and the likes of Warrier and Prasidh Krishna for backup.
Strengths:
KKR’s strength will be the balance in all departments. From a leadership point of view, Morgan and Cummins will be there to assist Karthik. There is firepower and talent across the batting and bowling arsenal and on a given day, KKR has match winners who can blow any opposition away.
Weaknesses:
KKR can tread an inconsistent path and at times their decision making leaves much to be desired. Karthik drew flak for his leadership last season and although he has Morgan by his side, the seasoned campaigner would do well to be more flexible this time and cut the coat according to the cloth. The spinners floundered last time and if the same happens this season, there could be pressure on Cummins and Co. to deliver in warm conditions where they need to manage their workload. (IANS)
