SWOT evaluation of Kolkata Knight Riders – India TV

Barring a last look in 2021, Kolkata Knight Riders have not fairly managed to supply the products within the latest IPL seasons. Nevertheless, with two of their key figures again into the combination for 2024, within the type of captain Shreyas Iyer and mentor Gautam Gambhir, they’re trying like a unique outfit this time round.

Let us take a look at how KKR would possibly fare this season by analysing their squad.

Strengths

Finishers

Kolkata Knight Riders have two of probably the most harmful finishers going round in T20 cricket at their disposal within the type of Rinku Singh and the Caribbean veteran Andre Russell. Rinku loved a break-out season final 12 months and gained video games for the facet single-handedly. 

The southpaw aggregated 474 runs in 14 video games at a surprising strike price of 149.53. He scored 4 half-centuries and was additionally constant when it comes to run-scoring as he averaged 59.25 with the willow in hand.

He was rewarded for his sensible season and earned his India call-up. Rinku is coming into the seventeenth version of the IPL on the again of some match-winning performances for Crew India and therefore have to be excessive on confidence.

Then again, Russell has been one of many constant performers for KKR over time and shall be anticipated to carry out the same function with the willow in hand this season. The scary ball-striker from the Caribbean has an IPL profession strike price of 174.00 and a formidable IPL season can cement a spot for him within the West Indian squad for the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup.

Spinners

Along with their sensible finishers, KKR even have three high quality spinners of their arsenal. Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy and Suyash Sharma present a formidable look to KKR’s bowling assault which is in any other case over-reliant on Mitchell Starc.

Narine is likely one of the most skilled gamers within the KKR squad for the season. The veteran has bagged 163 wickets in 162 IPL video games over time at a formidable financial system price of 6.73.

With 11 wickets in 14 video games through the IPL 2023 version, Narine had an underwhelming event and want to redeem himself this season.

KKR’s thriller spinner Varun is one in every of their largest weapons. Varun has loads of arrows in his quiver and batters principally battle to select him. He has snared 62 wickets in 56 video games at an financial system price of seven.45 and has a four-for and five-for to his title.

Suyash has a really well-disguised flawed’un and it helped him outfox many batters within the earlier season. After an early burst, Suyash struggled to ship persistently for KKR and it’s one thing he want to tackle this season.

Weaknesses

Over-reliance on Mitchell Starc

KKR’s pacers have been unable to make early inroads within the powerplay over the past season and struggled to stem the circulate of runs on the loss of life as properly. So as to tackle the identical, KKR went after Starc on the IPL 2024 public sale and bought his providers for a whopping INR 24.75 crore.

Nevertheless, barring Starc their tempo assault wears a really blunk look with Harshit Rana and Chetan Sakariya obtainable of their ranks. Their abroad signing Dushmantha Chameera is but to hitch the camp as he’s nursing an harm and subsequently KKR appear over-reliant on Starc.

Captain’s health

KKR have been dealt a serious blow final season when Shreyas Iyer was dominated out for the complete event on account of again harm and needed to bear surgical procedure to repair the problem. The sudden change in management harm the facet and KKR didn’t make it to the playoffs.

Although Shreyas is out there proper from the outset this season, he’s coming into the event battling again spasms.

Shreyas encountered again points within the lead-up to IPL 2024 and needed to miss the Ranji Trophy quarters for Mumbai. He did flip up for the semis and the finals however could not take the sector on the fourth and the fifth day of the ultimate in opposition to Vidarbha because of the similar drawback.

KKR want a match Shreyas to go all the best way this season as an harm to him can jeopardize their marketing campaign.

Alternatives

Apart from Mumbai Indians (five-time IPL champions) and Chennai Tremendous Kings (five-time IPL winners), KKR have been the third-most profitable franchise within the historical past of the event. KKR gained the IPL for the primary time in 2012 and repeated the identical feat in 2014 to emerge as a drive to be reckoned with.

Nevertheless, since then they have not fairly lived as much as the expectations of their followers. After the wonderful 2014 season, KKR have solely managed to succeed in the ultimate as soon as and it occurred through the 2021 season the place they misplaced to Chennai Tremendous Kings.

Therefore, the 2024 season is a superb alternative for KKR to win the belief of their followers again with one other silverware.

The seventeenth version of the event has witnessed a reunion between Gautam Gambhir and KKR. It was Gambhir who led them to the 2 title finishes in 2012 and 2014 and now has a activity at hand to recreate the magic because the mentor of the facet.

Threats

KKR have tried as many as 12 opening mixtures just lately within the event which fits on to counsel that they’re but to slim down on a gap pair that might get them off to fliers.

Kolkata’s marketing campaign is about to get underway within the 2024 season and they’re more likely to check out a brand new opening pair but once more. They’ve Phil Salt and Rahmanullah Gurbaz as abroad opening choices however solely one of many two will doubtless get a spot within the XI.

If KKR do not get their opening pair spot on early within the season then that can put excessive strain on their center and the decrease center order.