"Shreyas Iyer will make so many runs this year that he will be in the Orange Cap race" - Aakash Chopra makes his predictions for KKR for IPL 2022

Aakash Chopra has made his predictions for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for IPL 2022.

The Kolkata-based franchise finished as the runners-up in IPL 2021. They will hope to go all the way this time around under their new skipper Shreyas Iyer.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra opined that Shreyas Iyer will be amongst the top run-getters in IPL 2022. He said:

"Who will be the highest run-scorer this year? They have Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Rana, Sam Billings, Andre Russell. It is looking like a good batting lineup. Among them, I feel Shreyas Iyer will score the most runs. Shreyas Iyer will make so many runs this year that he will be in the Orange Cap race."

The cricketer-turned-commentator reckons Varun Chakravarthy will be KKR's most successful bowler. He elaborated:

"Who is going to take the most wickets? This is not the team where one bowler picks a lot of wickets, they work together. They have two mystery spinners - Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, Pat Cummins, Umesh Yadav, Shivam Mavi. So the wickets will be split. I am saying the most wickets will be in Varun Chakravarthy's account."

Chakravarthy was the Kolkata Knight Riders' highest wicket-taker in IPL 2021, with 18 scalps to his credit. He was closely followed by Sunil Narine, who accounted for 16 dismissals.

For the latest IPL point table, click here.

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"I am saying Andre Russell" - Aakash Chopra on the KKR player likely to have the highest strike rate

Andre Russell is known for his destructive batting

Aakash Chopra picked Andre Russell as the likely most explosive batter for KKR. He observed:

"Who will have the highest strike rate? If any team has Andre Russell and someone else's name comes, damn it. Although Venkatesh Iyer is going to hit a lot at the top but I am saying Andre Russell."

The 44-year-old concluded by predicting that the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Chennai Super Kings will fight it out for one IPL playoff spot. He stated:

"Last but not the least, where are they likely to finish? I feel there will be a tussle between the last year's two finalists on who has more points and one of them will qualify, it could be actually KKR."

The Kolkata Knight Riders made an indifferent start to IPL 2021 but bounced back to reach the finals. They will hope to get off to a better start this year and add to the two titles they have already won in the prestigious league.