Complete Analysis of the KKR Squad in IPL 2020
The KKR franchise is a hugely followed team. Of course, it helps that they are owned by megastar Shah Rukh Khan. The franchise reached its peak performance in the mid-2010s. Led by an astute leader in Gautam Gambhir, the team regularly reached the knockout stage and lifted the IPL twice in 2012 and 2014. The last couple of years haven’t been that fruitful in terms of results. Led by the extremely affable and ever-smiling Dinesh Karthik, the first 11 of KKR looks quite dangerous going into IPL 2020.
Brendon McCullum who just tasted success as a coach in the CPL has been appointed the head coach of the team. KKR also boasts of the most dangerous T20 all-rounder in Andre Russell. In addition to Russell and their perennial superstar Sunil Narine, they will be blessed with the services of the most expensive overseas player in IPL history; Pat Cummins. There is no shortage of big-ticket stars like Eoin Morgan and the ever-improving Shubnam Gill. The core of the side is intact, however what about their bench strength? Do they lack quality Indian batting apart from Gill and Nitish Rana in IPL 2020? Let’s find out;
SWOT Analysis
Strengths – KKR’s big strength in IPL 2020 is its middle and lower order batting. In fact, according to Cricket Cult, the trio of Eoin Morgan, Dinesh Karthik, and Andre Russell is the most dangerous in the competition. Eoin Morgan is in sublime form and is coming off a great T20 series against Pakistan. Dinesh Karthik has almost perfected the art of finishing and everyone knows how dangerous Russell is.
Weaknesses – If one were to carve out the first 11 from the whole squad, the men in purple can take on anyone. However, a deeper delve into the squad would bring to the fore, the lack of depth. It seems like in the quest for a few superstars, the management has compromised on the bench strength. A tournament like IPL, which gives the teams very little turnaround time between matches demands not only a solid 11 but tests the men on the bench. KKR has thin resources when it comes to Indian batting. Shubnam Gill, Nitish Rana, and Rahul Tripathi will play in the 11, and should one of them miss a game, their next best option is Rinku Singh.
Opportunities – With Sunil Narine most likely to open in IPL 2020, KKR has its balance sorted. The ambidextrous Trinidadian started the CPL with a couple of half-centuries and looked in sublime touch. Unfortunately, he got injured and his tournament was cut short. With the Kolkata-based franchise letting go of Chris Lynn, it clears the way for the super talented Shubnam Gill at the top of the innings. Gill would be hoping that 2020 is his breakthrough year in IPL and he can stake a firm claim for an India spot.
Threats – The relaid Eden Gardens aids the pacers much more than spinners. With that in mind, KKR filled the squad with fast bowlers and let go of the wily Piyush Chawla. Unfortunately, with IPL 2020 being shifted to spin-friendly UAE conditions, their plans have gone for a toss. The decision to let go of Chawla could prove costly. The Pravin Tambe fiasco which resulted in 48 year old to withdraw from IPL 2020 further depleted their spin resources. With Russell, Morgan, Cummins, and Narine almost certain to be the 4 overseas choices, Chris Green will find it tough to find a spot. The other spinner in the squad is the inexperienced Varun Chakravarthy and it will be a huge gamble to play him straight away.
Cricket Cult’s ideal KKR playing XI for IPL 2020
1. Sunil Narine 2. Shubnam Gill 3. Nitish Rana 4. Eoin Morgan 5. Dinesh Karthik (c) (wk) 6. Andre Russell 7. Rahul Tripathi
8. Pat Cummins 9. Kamlesh Nagarkoti 10. Kuldeep Yadav 11. Prasidh Krishna
Ideally, any team in the IPL 2020 would like to have more than 8 solid spin overs. Nitish Rana can chip in with his brand of finger-spin. As stated earlier, Varun Chakravarty shouldn’t be thrown into the deep end from game 1 and probably could be eased into the 11 in the latter part of the competition. Rahul Tripathi would ideally like to open, however, a left-right combo at the top is a huge advantage. Kamlesh Nagarkoti showed immense spark in the U-19 victory a couple of years ago, his electrifying fielding and batting talent were enough to pip Shivam Mavi.
Sour
Key Players
With KKR, the choices of key players are quite obvious in the form of Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, and Pat Cummins. If Andre Russell and Sunil Narine repeat their past performances in IPL 2020, they will be the team to beat. One can rest assured that Pat Cummins’ 4 overs will be priceless and he must be used smartly by Dinesh Karthik.
Also Read: Complete Analysis of the RCB Squad in IPL 2020
Bell Weather Players
Bell weather players are those players whose performance will be directly proportional to the team’s performance. They might not be the superstars of the IPL like Russell and Narine, but they will make the difference. We all know that Cummins, Narine, and Russell will come good in the tournament. However, for the team to do well, they have to be well-supported by what I call the ‘bell weather’ players. KKR’s bell-weather players in IPL 2020 will be Shubnam Gill, Prasidh Krishna, and Kuldeep Yadav. Shubnam Gill has to make IPL 2020 his big year and a solid start by him can help the high-quality middle order to flourish. Spinners will be crucial in the UAE. Kuldeep has to get his confidence back for KKR to have a chance as they are anyways light in their spin department. Death overs can make or break a match. This is where Prasidh Krishna has to support Pat Cummins in the crucial end overs for KKR to be consistent in IPL 2020.
Cricket Cult’s Predictions
KKR is a tough team to predict when it comes to their position on the table. If they can keep their best 11 fit for the duration of IPL 2020 then they have a chance to qualify in the top 4. However, with their bench strength and light spin department, our prediction for them is either 4th or 5th on the table.