IPL 2018: Kolkata Knight Riders might opt for Chris Lynn as captain

What’s the story?

Ahead of IPL 2018, Kolkata Knight Riders, perhaps the only team in the league without any captain as of now, are looking around for options and are considering different players who would fit perfectly into the role.

According to reports trickling in, Australian top order batsman Chris Lynn is one of the favourites to lead the two-time champion this season.

"I'd love to, I'd jump at the opportunity," the Queenslander told reporters in Auckland.

The details

Lynn, who was part of KKR in the previous season but had to miss a significant chunk of the tournament owing to an injury, was one of the big-ticket signings this year and could well be appointed the skipper of the side.

The Queenslander has redefined batting in T20s and with his brash and very explosive batting has pushed his name as one of the most dangerous batsmen in this format.

Speaking about the reports, Lynn said that he can easily connect with the coaching staff at KKR which includes Simon Katich, Jacques Kallis, and Heath Streak.

Also, he said that there are few players in the squad who have been in the IPL for 10 years and thus the franchise cannot ignore their experience, especially in their own backyard.

In case you didn’t know…

The Australian was snapped up by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs. 9.6 crores at the auctions.

Also, Lynn has had captaincy experience and has skippered both Queensland and the Brisbane Heat in the BBL.

However, KKR also have Robin Uthappa and Dinesh Karthik in their ranks and hence this decision might well prove to be tricky.

What’s next?

If KKR indeed go ahead with Lynn, it might come as a surprise considering they have two viable Indian choices in Dinesh Karthik and Robin Uthappa.

However, there is little doubt over the capability of Lynn, both as a batsman and as a leader and hence these muffled rumours could see the light of the day.

Author’s take

In his short T20 career so far, Lynn has established himself as one of the gun players, but his injury-prone body has often been a massive let down over the past few years.

However, he now seems to more confident of nursing his body and this decision to hand him the baton might sound left field, but considering his captaincy record, it might well be a masterstroke!