IPL 2019: Five released players KKR should target at the auction

The Indian Premier League, the flagship event of Indian cricket, is back in the headlines with pre-auction activities. With the auction for IPL 2019 a month away, 15th November was the trade deadline day for IPL franchises. All the teams have announced the players they have retained for the upcoming season and the players whose duties they no longer wish to avail.

Kolkata Knight Riders punched above their weight in the IPL 2018 and ended up at the third spot in the competition. They had a disastrous auction last year and ended up with the smallest squad. Under the leadership of Dinesh Karthik, KKR fought hard and earned a place in the playoffs ahead of Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

By letting go of Mitchell Starc, KKR made the first move. On the final day, the two-time IPL winning franchise released seven more players which include Mitchell Johnson, Tom Curran and Vinay Kumar. For the upcoming auction, KKR can fill up to 12 slots with maximum seven Indians and five overseas players. They possess 15.20 Cr in their purse to acquire these players.

Along with fresh entrants and unsold players, the players released by all franchises shall also be added in the IPL auction. Here are five released players KKR should target at the auction:

#5. Jaydev Unadkat

The Saurashtra bowler was the biggest talking point ahead of the IPL 11 because of the whopping amount spent by Rajasthan Royals to procure him. The franchise paid 11.5 crores to enlist Unadkat as their spearhead bowler. However, he failed to deliver on the hype and ended with 11 wickets from 15 games while proving to be expensive.

As expected, Rajasthan Royals have released Jaydev Unadkat and he will be available in the auction. KKR have released most of their fast bowlers and will be on the lookout for buying a few as they are an indispensable entity. Unadkat, bought at a right price, can remedy their crucial problem.

Unadkat is not new to the Knight Riders setup. It was here that he trained under Wasim Akram in his early years and the franchise bought him back in 2016 for 1.6 crores. The left-arm pace bowler knows how to bowl at the Eden Gardens and the natural variation that the left-arm pace brings will add another facet to KKR bowling. Unadkat has been performing well in the domestic cricket post-IPL and will be a perfect addition to the Kolkata team.

#4. Chris Jordan

Chris Jordan

Born in Barbados, Chris Jordan possesses the qualities typically found in West Indian fast bowlers. Tall, well-built and fiery, the bowler moved to England in a bid to establish a successful career. Over the years, Jordan has gained a reputation for being a skilful bowler in death overs. The 30-year-old has pace and discipline to be a potent weapon in T20 cricket.

However, Jordan has not been an attraction as far as IPL franchises are concerned. He was picked up Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2016 and in nine matches for them he snared 11 wickets. He was subsequently bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad and appeared for them only twice in two years. SRH have released Jordan this year.

Kolkata Knight Riders have already released Tom Curran, Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc from their squad. They have enough space for an overseas fast bowler who can be effective at the death overs. Inexperienced death bowling cost KKR heavily in 2018 season and Chris Jordan has the perfect profile that suits their requirement.

#3. Manoj Tiwary

Time to go back to the future with Manoj Tiwary?

The veteran batsman has been released by Kings XI Punjab after a dismal showing in the IPL 2018 where Manoj Tiwary scored only 47 runs in the five matches. However, it will be a mistake to write off the senior batsman determined to get himself back on the track for national selection.

One issue that plagued KKR in the 2018 season was the lack of runs from the bat of Robin Uthappa. It added extra pressure on the young middle order and the Knight Riders had no backup option for Uthappa. They can get Manoj Tiwary in the side and ensure they have someone who can hold up an end amidst collapse.

Tiwary also provides the home advantage as he is the captain of the Bengal Ranji team whose home ground is Eden Gardens. His input can be of immense help for Dinesh Karthik. Tiwary has a long history with KKR, and he had also scored the winning runs in the franchise’s first-ever IPL win.

#2. Chris Woakes

Chris Woakes is another player who could do well if he returns to KKR

The 29-year-old bowler is an important cog in England’s current white-ball domination. Woakes is a valuable asset in both the powerplay overs and the death overs. He is a more than capable batsman at the end and can win matches with his late assaults. Although he has played only 13 IPL matches, the all-rounder holds an experience of 111 T20 games overall.

This year, Chris Woakes played only five matches for his new franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore. He grabbed eight wickets in these matches. RCB failed to utilize him effectively and have decided to release him for this season. This provides KKR with a perfect opportunity to buy back the bowler who led their attack in 2017.

It was with KKR that Woakes made his IPL debut. In 13 matches, he sizzled with 17 wickets and was one of the chief destroyers when KKR annihilated RCB for only 49 runs at the Eden Gardens. The Knight Riders lack a quality overseas fast bowler and the return of Woakes will be the perfect script for 2019.

#1. Aaron Finch

Aaron Finch could provide flexibility in the batting line-up

The Australian opener had a disappointing season with Kings XI Punjab in 2018. In the 10 matches that he played, Finch scored only 134 runs at an average of 16.75. The franchise has decided to release him citing the terrible form, however, his possible absence in the latter stages due to World Cup next year may also be a reason for the move.

Even if Finch remains unavailable for the later stages of the IPL, he is still a worthy selection. The left-hander blasted 172 runs in the T20I match against Zimbabwe in July 2018 shortly after his T20 century for Surrey. He is one of the most explosive openers going around in white-ball cricket. Finch has the experience of nine years in IPL cricket as well.

Kolkata Knight Riders do have the phenomenal opening pair of Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine which worked well in this season. However, by the end, the bowlers figured out Narine’s weakness against the short ball and exploited the same. Lynn is injury-prone and having Aaron Finch around will help KKR if the opening combo fails.