KKR's IPL 2019 campaign will kick-off on 24th of March against SRH

IPL 2019: 3 Youngsters who could be the game-changers for KKR

The mega carnival of cricket, IPL, will be entering in its 12th edition on 23rd of March with a South Indian derby as CSK will be coming up against RCB at the Chepauk stadium in Chennai. And, KKR's IPL warfare will begin on 24th or March with a game against the 2016 IPL champions Sunrisers Hyderabad.

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With a nice blend of quality batsmen, able all-rounders, and smart bowlers, Kolkata Knight Riders possess a pretty decent squad up their sleeve. The only department where Kolkata lag is the depth in their fast bowling line-up. However, except that, Knight Riders seem pretty balanced.

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In what is said to be an unfortunate event, Kolkata Knight Riders, in IPL 2019, will be without two of their young pace bowlers - Shivam Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti - owing to injuries surrounding both the players. However, it isn't expected to be much of a problem for Kolkata as they own plenty of options in their bank.

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Alongside having quite a few experienced campaigners like Dinesh Karthik, Robin Uthappa, Andre Russell, and Sunil Narine, Kolkata also possess a decent mix of youngbloods in their squad. And much so, the performances of these young and budding cricketers will prove to be instrumental for KKR in the forthcoming edition of IPL.

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Hence, in this article, we look at three youngsters who could be the game-changers for KKR in IPL 2019.

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#1 Kuldeep Yadav

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Kuldeep Yadav
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Kuldeep Yadav, a 24-year-old left arm spinner from UP, has been a vital cog at the camp of KKR. With uncanny abilities up his sleeve, Kuldeep has been a go-to spinner for Kolkata in the crunch situations, especially in the middle overs.

The young chinaman, alongside Sunil Narine, happened to be Knight Riders' joint highest wicket-taker in IPL 2018. He scalped 17 wickets at a decent average of 24.58, strike-rate of 18.11, and an economy of 8.14 with the best figures being 4 for 20.

Kuldeep's majestic numbers speak volumes about his ability and his role in KKR's bowling line-up. Inevitably, the spinner would be hoping to churn out similar sort of displays for Knight Riders in the coming edition of IPL as well.

Thus, with minimal doubt and decent form beside him, Yadav would be hoping to turn out to be a game-changing prospect for Kolkata in IPL 2019.

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#2 Prasidh Krishna

Prasidh Krishna
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The lanky paceman from Karnataka, Prasidh Krishna, had one of the most dramatic entries to the camps of KKR. In the first place, Prasidh's name wasn't called out in the 2018 IPL Auction. However, Kolkata decided to employ him as a net bowler for the 11th edition of IPL. And that's where his IPL journey started.

An unfavorable injury to Kamlesh Nagarkoti changed the course for Krishna as KKR decided to sign Prasidh as Nagarkoti's replacement. The very decision opened the IPL doors for Krishna as he featured in seven games for KKR in IPL 2018. In these games, Prasidh put in an exceptional set of performances as he grabbed ten wickets at an average of 26.00 and a strike-rate of 16.80.

The Karnataka paceman will be looking to perform on the same lines for KKR in IPL 2019 as well. Precisely, his bid will be to improve as a death bowler for Kolkata. Besides, in IPL 2019, he will also be looking forward to lowering his economy rate which was on a higher side (9.28) in IPL 2018.

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Thus, with immense talent at his disposal, Krishna will be expecting to be a game-changer for KKR in the coming edition of IPL.

#3 Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill
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After a breathtaking run in the 2018 ICC U-19 World Cup, Shubman Gill's cricketing world changed forever. Riding on the back of his excellent performances in the 2018 ICC U-19 World Cup, the 19-year-old batsman from Punjab signed a hefty INR 1.8 Crore deal with KKR in the 2018 IPL Auction.

Having featured in 13 games, Shubman fared decently in the 11th edition of IPL. He amassed 203 runs at an astounding average of 33.83 and a fair strike-rate of 146.04. He also had a solitary fifty to his name. In IPL 2018, Kolkata utilized Gill as a middle-order batsman and numbers speak that he didn't disappoint them.

The Kolkata team management will hope similar kind of performances from Gill in IPL 2019 as well. Thus, with a great sense of batting dynamics, Gill will unquestionably turn out to be a game-changing outlook for Kolkata in the subsequent edition of IPL.

Check RCB Squad 2024 Details. Follow Sportskeeda for IPL 2024 Live Score, Schedule, Points Table

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Edited by
Abhinav Munshi
 
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