IPL 2019: 3 Reasons why KKR Could Win the Tournament

The Kolkata Knight Riders have been quite successful in the IPL and have qualified for the playoffs 6 times out of the 11 seasons they have played, having won the IPL twice, once in 2012 and 2014. They looked like a rejuvenated side under captain Dinesh Karthik in IPL 2018 with only a few players from the previous year being retained.

KKR had a very small squad-size but managed to outclass their opponents and made it to the playoffs with ease, before being knocked out by the Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2. The Knight Riders released 9 players ahead of the auction and made few signings in the auction ahead of IPL 2019. Few notable names signed include Carlos Brathwaite(5 Crore) and Lockie Ferguson (1.6 Crore).

KKR's Squad: Dinesh Karthik (C), Robin Uthappa, Chris Lynn, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shubman Gill, Prasidh Krishna, Shivam Mavi, Nitish Rana, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Rinku Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Piyush Chawla, Carlos Brathwaite , Lockie Ferguson, Anrich Nortje , Nikhil Naik , Harry Gurney, Prithvi Raj Yarra, Joe Denly and Shrikant Mundhe

KKR seem to possess a balanced lineup and have a lot of chances to lift the trophy for the 3rd time following MI and CSK's lead.

Here are 3 reasons why.

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#3 Well- Set Team Combination

KKR have a balanced set-up

The Kolkata Knight Riders have one of the most balanced IPL teams this season. Though they don't have many flashy big names in their roster, their dependable and clever picks at the auction combined with the players they retained makes for a title-winning squad.

They have got a well-set team combination and the 4 foreigners they are going to play seem to be clear-cut and well planned out. The Knight Riders want their play to revolve around their top order and their great spin trio. The 3 overseas players, Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine and Andre Russell will be crucial to their fortunes in the tournament, whereas Lockie Ferguson, who will be available for the entire tournament, will be a good pick to complement the other three.

Their Indian players seem easy choices too, with Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Shubman Gill and Karthik occupying top order spots, while Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Prasidh Krishna and Shivam Mavi will fight for spots in the bowling.

With a team management which has a clear vision of how they want the team to function, KKR can certainly win the trophy this season.

#2 Youngsters in the Team

Shubman Gill is expected to shine this season

One of the primary reasons behind the inception of the IPL was the intention to promote and give a substantial platform for young cricketers to express themselves and announce themselves to the world. Not all teams have as many quality youngsters in their ranks like KKR does and this has worked out very well for them.

Under the watchful eyes of their coaches, several local lads as well as players from elsewhere have been groomed very well and turned into match-winners. The oldest player of the squad is skipper Karthik, who's 34, and the average age of the side is around 26.

Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shivam Mavi, Prasidh Krishna and Shubman Gill are all youngsters who will be wanting to get more playing chances and will fight for their place in the team. The burst of energy that these players provide and their activity on the field will be a big plus for the KKR this season.

#1 Adequate Backups and Not many Players leaving Midway through the Tournament

Chris Lynn will be missed but KKR have many quality players to back him up.

The Cricket Boards of England, Australia and South Africa have said that the players in their World Cup squads will return by May 1, meaning that they won't be around for the closing stages of the tournament. Many prominent players like Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Finch and Mitchell Starc have opted out of playing this season and the franchises have made their plans to sign players in the auction considering this as well.

The KKR squad, besides possessing balance, also has adequate backups for players who will be leaving midway and even those players are few in number. Only Chris Lynn is set to leave halfway through the tournament and they have players like Joe Denly to back him up. They also have pacers like Harry Gurney and Anrich Nortje in case Ferguson is called back by New Zealand.

This clever policy of retaining and releasing of players shows the experience of the coaching staff led by Jacques Kallis, and it's one of the many reasons as to why KKR can flourish this season.