'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Two-time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had an excellent outing at the 2024 IPL auction. The franchise let go of a few players before the auction and managed to acquire as many as ten players for the IPL 2024 season.
KKR created history by acquiring Mitchell Starc for a whooping sum of Rs. 24.75 crores. The franchise has done its scouting at the ground level and acquired a few young domestic players who have tasted success. Apart from Starc, the following nine players will also represent KKR in IPL 2024:
KS Bharat (Rs. 50 lakhs), Chetan Sakariya (Rs. 50 lakhs), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (Rs. 20 lakhs), Ramandeep Singh (Rs. 20 lakhs), Shane Rutherford (Rs. 1.5 crores), Mujeeb Rahman (2 crores), Gus Atkinson (1 crore) , Manish Pandey (50 lakhs) and Sakib Hussain (20 lakhs).
On that note, herein below is the ranking of the ten players acquired by KKRduring the auction:
#1 Mujeeb Ur Rahman (9/10)
The Afghan spinner is one of the biggest positives for KKR in the IPL 2024 auction. The wickets at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata aid spinners and could be tailor-made for Rahman in IPL 2024.
The mystery spinner has been exceptional in T20Is and has an economy rate of just 6.28 in 43 T20Is. He usually opens the bowling in T20 cricket and has been exceptional in his brief career. He has played 19 IPL games and has picked up 19 wickets at an economy of 8.18.
Mujeeb was acquired for a sum of Rs. 2 crores and could be the smartest pick for the franchise. Apart from his mystery spinners, Rahman is an aggressive batsman lower down the order and an asset for his team.
#2 Mitchell Starc (8.5/10)
Starc created history by becoming the most expensive player in the history of the IPL. KKR acquired the left-handed pacer for a sum of Rs. 24.75 crores.
Starc is an experienced campaigner and has tasted success at the international level for more than a decade. He has been a part of the Australian ODI team that won the 2015 and 2023 World Cups and the T20 World Cup 2021.
Though Strac's inclusion is a welcome addition to the KKR team, it remains to be seen if the pacer can justify his price tag. Being the most expensive player in the history of IPL brings in lots of responsibilities and Starc will have to be at his very best to justify the bid amount. Starc last played IPL in 2015 and has been missing from the lucrative IPL for the last several seasons.
#3 Shane Rutherford (8/10)
Rutherford is an aggressive middle-order batsman and is known to play the role of a finisher in T20s. In nine T20Is for the West Indies, Rutherford has a strike rate of 150 and is known to play attacking cricket from the word go.
Rutherford has not tasted much success in the IPL and will look to make a mark in the best T20 league around the world.
#4 Chetan Sakariya and Gus Atkinson (7.5/10)
Chetan Sakariya has tasted success in the IPL in the past. His 20 IPL wickets have come at an average of 29.95 and an economy rate of 8.44. Sakariya has made rapid strides in domestic cricket and is one of the few upcoming left-handed pacers in India. IPL 2024 will provide a perfect opportunity for Sakariya to play alongside Starc and improvise his game under the Aussie's guidance.
Gus Atkinson, is a highly regarded young pacer in England. Atkinson can bowl at high speeds and unsettle batsmen with raw pace. Atkinson has played just 12 international matches and will look to make his mark in the IPL if an when he gets an opportunity to play in IPL 2024.
#5 KS Bharat and Manish Pandey (7 /10)
Pandey was part of the KKR outfit that won the IPL in 2014. He reunites with his former franchise in IPL 2024 and will look to replicate his match-winning performances for KKR. Pandey is an experienced campaigner in IPL cricket and has played 170 matches scoring 3808 runs at a decent average of 29.07. Pandey's presence and experience in the middle-order will be handy for KKR.
KS Bharat has played relatively well in the limited opportunities he has got in the IPL. He has a strike rate of 122.09 in 9 IPL innings with a highest score of 78. He is a safe wicketkeeper and provides an extra dimension to his team with his keeping abilities.
#6 Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ramandeep Singh and Sakib Hussain (6/10)
The Indian trio comprising Raghuvanshi, Singh and Hussain will look to make a mark in IPL 2024 as and when they get an opportunity to play.
Raghuvanshi was a part of the Indian team that won the Under-19 World Cup in 2022. He is an exciting young player and will look to score big runs in the IPL.
Ramandeep Singh played for Mumbai Indians in 2022. He has a strike rate of 112.5 in 5 IPL games. He has picked up six wickets at an average of 9 and is an exciting all-round talent.
The 19-year-old pacer Hussain is another young talent spotted by the KKR management. He has played just 2 T20s and has a 4 wicket haul in one of the matches.
