IPL 2018 Auctions: Decoding Kolkata Knight Riders' performance and predictions for Day 2

The biggest query going around the Kolkata Knight Riders fan base before the mega auctions of the Indian Premier League got underway was the retention of their ace skipper Gautam Gambhir. The left-hander, who had won over the city with his shrewd captaincy and skills, had made his intentions clear of turning out for his home team Delhi Daredevils ahead of the retentions, a fact confirmed by the KKR CEO Venky Mysore.

"Gambhir was very much in our plans for the auctions via the RTM. But he had a conversation with us and he felt that there might be a different challenge before him, which we don't know about. And (he) requested if we would refrain from bidding from him or using the Right to Match"

With his absence, the new-look KKR squad seem to be lacking a player who could don the captaincy role this season. With a couple of clever buys, the team has managed to not only retain a number of core players from the previous years but have also combined experience with young promise- a tactic they have always preferred to follow since 2011.

Capped Indian players:

Robin Uthappa (Right to Match)

Dinesh Karthik

Piyush Chawla (Right to Match)

Kuldeep Yadav (Right to Match)

Foreign players:

Andre Russel (retained)

Sunil Narine (retained)

Chris Lynn

Mitchell Starc

Uncapped players:

Shubman Gill

Ishank Jaggi

Nitish Rana

Kamlesh Nagarkoti

Batting

Like the previous years, this time too, the KKR top order bears a balanced look. Australian batsman Chris Lynn, with a strike rate of 162.8, in fiery form in the Big Bash League, is undoubtedly expected to open the batting, along with previous Orange Cap winner Robin Uthappa, for whom an RTM card was used.

The Indian has been one of the most consistent players for the side, having played many instrumental knocks in crucial junctures over the previous years. In 2017, he had a staggering strike rate of 165.10, and along with Lynn can provide a lethal start. With Narine’s blitzkrieg with the bat in the last season, the management has the option of sending in the West Indian as well to open the innings on some occasions, which will push down Uthappa to three.

Shubman Gill, with three consecutive fifties in the ongoing Under-19 World Cup, and two Man of the Match awards, has displayed considerable maturity in New Zealand and if he is sent to bat at number three (in case of Narine NOT opening the innings), Dinesh Karthik, who has been in spectacular form in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, with three consecutive fifties, can be the number four batsman for the franchise.

With Uthappa making equal news for his spectacular batting as well as his poor wicket-keeping, the ploy behind KKR bidding for Karthik was clear. Uthappa would be in the team solely as a batsman, with the Tamil Nadu player donning the gloves.

The presence of Ishank Jaggi and Nitish Rana provides the option of a few quick hits down the order, and with dangerous Andre Russel in the mix as well, the KKR team has managed to successfully include both sheet anchors and power-hitters in their rank.

Pace department

Picture this. A seaming Eden Gardens wicket. The cool breeze from the Hoogly river flowing by. Mitchell Starc and Kamlesh Nagarkoti bowling at speeds above 145kmph in tandem. Surreal, isn’t it?

By picking up one of the best bowlers of this generation and a promising U-19 bowler, who has been showing his mettle for India in the World Cup by bowling canons at the speed of 147kmph consistently, the opening bowling attack for KKR sends waves of excitement all around. With Sourav Ganguly having re-laid the once-spin-friendly wicket, with one that assists fast bowling, the green top will prove to be a nightmare for the rival teams.

With Russel’s pace bowling in play as well, KKR have three genuine quicks against their name. Under the guidance of Wasim Akram, their bowling coach, young Nagarkoti is sure to end his stint with KKR a vastly improved bowler.

Spin department

It was a no-brainer. Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav would always find a way back into the KKR team, with their RTM cards. And, why not? After having displaced Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravinder Jadeja from the national ODI squad, Kuldeep and Yuzvendra Chahal (picked up by RCB) have been a revelation in the limited overs side, bamboozling the opposition with their unplayable deliveries.

However, Piyush Chawla’s return to the side, using an RTM, seemed to befuddle many. Last season, he picked up just 6 wickets, going for 8 runs an over. With Sunil Narine off-colour as well, after having changed his action, the spin department, which had once been KKR’s biggest strength now bears a weaker look.

Misses

It would not have been a bad idea to use the RTM that had been used to buy back Chawla on Umesh Yadav instead. Also, Rana for a whopping 3.4 crores could have been avoided, instead of using that amount for inexpensive yet effective buys, that could have resulted in a complete team.

With KKR intently looking to buy pacer Ankit Rajpoot at the fag end of the day, it would not have harmed to bring back Umesh earlier, who has been an important member of the national side. Also, with Starc’s injury trails, an experienced national fast bowler would have been a good buy.

Their intent in buying back Manish Pandey was to be seen, but with SunRisers Hyderabad bidding 11 crores for him, making him one of the biggest buys of the day, the budget went overboard and they instead settled for Karthik. With Surya Kumar being bought by Mumbai Indians, KKR had to change their game-plan, which explains the initiation of the younger crop of players.

Expected plans for tomorrow

It will not be a surprise to see KKR looking to buy a couple of all-rounders with their remaining budget of 7.6 crores. A seamer, who can smash a big boundary as and when the need arises, will be on their agenda, as well as a spinner, who can strengthen the bench.

With just four foreign players, the look-out for a cheap recruit will be high and it would serve them well to rope in a few bowlers that are easy on the purse. Along with that, one should not be surprised if they come home with a few more batsmen that can fit in the middle order.

But the most important question that is going around is- who will captain KKR for the next three seasons? Uthappa, having been with the team since 201, knows the atmosphere within the dressing room as well as the hysteria outside at Edens, and for the time-being, he emerges as the front-runner for the top spot.