IPL 2019: Ideal batting line-up for the Kolkata Knight Riders

The Kolkata Knight Riders walk into the 2019 edition of the IPL as strong contenders to win the title. The team finished third in the IPL 2018 and lost the Qualifier 2 to the Sunrisers Hyderabad thereby missing out on a final berth.

The 'Men in Purple' have a strong team which is equally good in all departments of the game. The team has some power-hitters who are capable of destroying the opposition's bowling attack on any given day.

In terms of their top-order, the KKR have got a problem of plenty considering the number of options they have. It will be a big headache for Dinesh Karthik and the KKR team management to figure out their best combination at the top.

Here is a look at how the KKR top 7 could line up in the best possible way.

#1 Sunil Narine

Sunil Narine

Sunil Narine has been a regular opener for the KKR in the last couple of years in the IPL. He was tried as a pinch hitter once in 2017 and since the experiment worked he has stayed there. Slowly, Narine is transforming into a top order batsman in T20 cricket.

As things have worked out for the KKR, the team management would not like to tinker and we could see Narine play the same role in 2019 as well. Narine's IPL stats read 628 runs from 98 games at a strike rate of 168.

#2 Chris Lynn

Chris Lynn

The Queensland top-order batsman has been a force to contain in the shortest format of the game. Lynn has created a brand for himself with the word 'Lynnsanity' becoming a popular term in cricket.

In the IPL, Lynn has been a fairly consistent batsman scoring 875 runs from 28 games at an average of 35. His presence bolsters the KKR batting line-up and multiples its prowess by several times.

He is unlikely to move from his spot at the top of the order since the KKR do not have a better option than him. Chris Lynn will be looking forward to a devastating season in 2019.

#3 Nitish Rana

Nitish Rana

Nitish Rana has been one of the most promising talents in the IPL over the last couple of years. He had a great season with the Mumbai Indians in 2017 and played a key role for the Knight Riders in 2018.

Rana has the ability to pace the innings well and play big shots whenever required which make him the perfect No.3 material in this batting line-up. Nitish Rana has scored 741 IPL runs from 32 games at an average of 26 and a strike rate of 130.

#4 Robin Uthappa

Robin Uthappa

Robin Uthappa is a very versatile yet classy batsman who is a treat to watch when he gets going. He has been a very experienced campaigner in the IPL and at the KKR he has been the backbone of their batting line-up. His 4129 runs from 165 games at a strike-rate of 131 are evidence of this fact.

Uthappa has made a shift from his position at the top, allowing Narine and Lynn to unleash their full potential. His middle-order role now is even more decisive as he will have to press the accelerator when required or rescue the side after a collapse.

#5 Shubman Gill

Shubhman Gill

Shubhman Gill is a talented newbie and is seen as the future of Indian cricket. He is the best bet to bat at No.5 in this KKR batting line-up. Gill is still into the early days of his IPL career. In just 13 IPL games, he has shown his potential scoring 203 runs averaging 34 at a strike rate of 146.

We would get to see more of Shubman Gill in this edition of the IPL. Gill has been scoring truckloads of run in domestic cricket and is in red-hot form going into the twelfth edition of the IPL.

#6 Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik, the KKR skipper, remains a vital cog in this batting line-up. Of late, Karthik has cemented his place in India's T20I team and has emerged as a great finisher. Karthik's finishing skills came into prominence after the Nidahas Trophy final when he scored 29* off just 8 balls.

He will be playing the same role for the Kolkata Knight Riders in their 2019 IPL campaign. He has played 168 matches scoring 3401 runs at a strike rate of 129.

#7 Andre Russell

Andre Russell

Andre Russell, considering the devastating hitter that he is, becomes an automatic choice in this KKR batting line-up for the fast bowling all-rounder's slot at No.7. 890 runs at a strike rate of 178 and 40 wickets with the ball in 50 games clearly suggest that he has been KKR's match-winner time and again.

Russell's presence adds a lot of balance to this batting line-up as he is a pure all-rounder who is equally good in all departments of the game and not just a bits and pieces player.