IPL 2018 Auction: 4 best buys by Kolkata Knight Riders

It's that time of the year, and we are talking about the IPL auction again. This year's auction was a little different, as many franchises had to select a different set of players entirely.

Kolkata Knight Riders are known for their smart picks, which has reflected in their performance so far. In the first 10 editions of the tournament they have been the second most successful side in terms of titles won.

Here are 4 smart picks by Knight Riders that can make a huge impact this year.

Chris Lynn

'Lynnsanity' is a familiar term in the T20 leagues these days, the reason being Chris Lynn's destructive show with the bat. He has the 5th highest strike rate in IPL history and was brilliant for KKR last year scoring 295 runs at a massive strike rate of 180.98.

Just like last year, his partnership with Sunil Narine can cause many headaches for other teams this time around as well.

Shubman Gill

It's not often that you get to pick a delightful stroke player like Shubman Gill for just 1.8 Crore INR. The India U-19 star celebrated his pick by scoring a brilliant knock of 102 against Pakistan U-19 today, eventually leading his side to the final of ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup 2018.

He has been outstanding for team India in U-19 ODIs, scoring 1118 runs thus far and in the process, also becoming the fastest to score 1000 runs in terms of innings.

Mitchell Starc

Bowlers who bowl at 150 clicks are very rare in this era, those who do can't swing the ball much. Mitchell Starc can do both and to add to that he can spear in a fast swinging yorker at the death.

All these qualities make him a lethal attacker, and KKR have been pretty smart in choosing the leader of their attack. His presence would also help the likes of Shivam Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti.

Kamlesh Nagarkoti

Having the company of Mitchell Starc and Wasim Akram would help Kamlesh Nagarkoti develop

Kamlesh Nagarkoti is an example of a dynamic modern day cricketer. He bowls seriously quick for an 18 year old, is an outstanding fielder, and handy batter to have in the side as well.

It was not surprising to see that he was the most expensive pick from the India U-19 side this year and KKR have done a great job by getting a future superstar for Rs. 3.2 Crore. Having Wasim Akram in the coaching staff will also help in his development.