IPL 2020: 3 players KKR might release ahead of the auction

Kolkata Knight Riders had finished at the 5th position in IPL 2019 (Image Courtesy - IPLT20/BCCI)
Kolkata Knight Riders had finished at the 5th position in IPL 2019 (Image Courtesy - IPLT20/BCCI)

Kolkata Knight Riders have had a rich history in the Indian Premier League, having won the coveted title twice in the last 12 years. The Kolkata-based franchise, which is owned by Bollywood star Shahrukh Kha,n had won its first-ever IPL title in the year 2012 under the captaincy of Gautam Gambhir. The same man led them to the championship once again in the year 2014 as they claimed their 2nd title after defeating Kings XI Punjab in a nerve-wracking finale.

The Dinesh Karthik-led side did not have a great outing last year as they finished at the 5th position on the points table with just 12 points from 14 fixtures. KKR had won mere 6 games in IPL 2019 despite having a star-studded squad. The side had a perfect mixture of Indian and foreign talent yet it did not live up to expectations.

KKR have a range of big-hitters in their team namely Chris Lynn, Andre Russell, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik, Sunil Narine and Carlos Brathwaite who can change the game in no time. However, there were a few players who could not provide enough support to the big stars which ultimately led to the team’s exit from the tournament.

This article features the list of such 3 under performers who might be released by Kolkata Knight Riders before the auction of IPL 2020. They are:


#3 Robin Uthappa

Robin Uthappa failed to prove his worth in IPL 2019 (Image Courtesy - IPLT20/BCCI)
Robin Uthappa failed to prove his worth in IPL 2019 (Image Courtesy - IPLT20/BCCI)

Matches - 12, Runs - 282, Strike Rate - 115.10

Kolkata Knight Riders’ star wicket-keeper batsman Robin Uthappa seemed to have lost his form in the previous season of IPL. Even though he did not keep the wickets for his side owing to the presence of Dinesh Karthik, Robin failed to impress the cricketing world with his batting skills. He received 12 chances to justify his worth in IPL 2019 but the Karnataka-born batsman could not.

The 33-year-old IPL veteran scored 282 runs from 12 matches. His strike-rate of 115.10 had slowed down KKR’s innings on multiple occasions. Even though his highest score in IPL 2019 was 67 runs, KKR may release him and look for a younger talent in the middle order.

Dinesh Kathik-KKR captain.
Dinesh Kathik-KKR captain.

Also see - Live cricket score

#2 Harry Gurney

Harry Gurney played 8 matches in IPL 2019 (Image Courtesy - IPLT20/BCCI)
Harry Gurney played 8 matches in IPL 2019 (Image Courtesy - IPLT20/BCCI)

Matches - 8, Wickets - 7, Economy Rate - 8.81

Kolkata Knight Riders bought the English left-arm pacer Harry Gurney for a 75 Lakhs INR during the IPL auction of 2019 after he had made a name for himself in the shortest format of the game.

However, the Englishman could not solve the problems of the Kolkata pace bowling attack as he finished the season with just seven wickets to his name. Gurney had a great start to his IPL career as he had bagged 2 wickets for 25 runs in his four overs and won the man-of-the-match award against Rajasthan Royals.

However, he failed to carry his form in the later matches as he grabbed only 5 wickets from the next 7 matches. The Nottingham-based bowler conceded 238 runs in the season and had an expensive economy rate of 8.81 runs per over. With Gurney blocking a crucial overseas spot in the squad, KKR may to release him and buy an experienced left-arm pacer in the auction.

Mitchell Starc.
Mitchell Starc.

The team management can either buy Mitchell Starc once again or even put their money on the West Indian pacer Sheldon Cottrell to replace Harry Gurney in the team. Both of the aforementioned players have got what it takes to do well on the Indian tracks.

Sheldon Cottrell.
Sheldon Cottrell.

#1 Rinku Singh

Rinku Singh failed to prove his worth in IPL 2019 (Image Courtesy - IPLT20/BCCI)
Rinku Singh failed to prove his worth in IPL 2019 (Image Courtesy - IPLT20/BCCI)

Matches - 5, Runs - 37, Strike Rate - 108.82

The Kolkata-based franchise signed the 21-year-old Indian batsman Rinku Singh during the IPL 2018 auction following his excellent domestic record. Despite having the base price of 20 lakhs, the KKR side bought Rinku Singh for a whopping amount of 80 lakhs as a lot of teams wanted to have him in their squad. Rinku has played tw seasons for KKR so far but still has not justified the price at which the franchise bought him.

The left-handed batsman scored mere 29 runs in IPL 2018 during the four matches which he played. His highest score was 16 runs, and he even had a below-par strike-rate of 93.54. Despite his poor show, the KKR think-tank retained him for IPL 2019.

But, Singh once again disappointed them as he could aggregate 37 runs in five matches. Kolkata Knight Riders have got a bunch of talented middle-order batsmen like Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana and Dinesh Karthik so, they do not need another batsman in the match squad.

Jimmy Neesham.
Jimmy Neesham.

The Knight Riders should opt to include a batting all-rounder like Corey Anderson, James Neesham or even Manoj Tiwary in the team by releasing Rinku as they can provide more value to the team.

Manoj Tiwary.
Manoj Tiwary.

Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download Cric Rocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more!

Quick Links

Edited by S Chowdhury