IPL 2021: 5 players KKR should release ahead of the auction

For a side not many tipped to make it big in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) stayed in the hunt till the end. They didn't fall off dramatically with six losses in a row as they did in 2019. But there were evident weaknesses.

Close, nerve-wracking wins and thrashing losses shook the team and even inspired a change in captaincy mid-season, ending in KKR missing a playoffs berth on Net Run Rate (NRR).

For 2021, KKR will hope Varun Chakravarthy is more than a one-season wonder, and that Sunil Narine and Andre Russell regain their form and fitness. Eoin Morgan looked dangerous with the bat while Dinesh Karthik did enough to show he could be a finisher yet. The Indian pacers were continuously rotated, but along with Shubman Gill at the top, they should be key next season.

Beyond the KKR core, while their new signings looked promising, some bitterly disappointed. Here are the five players KKR should release ahead of the auctions.

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#5 Siddhesh Lad (IPL 2020)

Siddhesh Lad might continue hiding in the IPL's shadows as he has over the years.

Traded in from Mumbai Indians at the start of the 2020 IPL season, Mumbai batsman Siddhesh Lad did not get an opportunity to impress. He had to wait in the wings behind KKR's trusted talent, Rahul Tripathi and Rinku Singh.

Siddhesh's IPL career is yet to bloo, with him having played just one unremarkable match in 2019. An Indian batsman with a decent reputation in the domestic circuit, Siddhesh has been sidelined as younger and more expressive talents were preferred.

His domestic T20 numbers - an average in the twenties with a strike rate just above 120 - leaves a lot to be desired. KKR can invest in more promising Indian batsmen.

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#4 Sandeep Warrier (IPL 2019-2020)

Sandeep Warrier bowled three overs in the season, and may not bowl for KKR next season.

Kerala pacer Sandeep Warrier was KKR's go-to option when their pace attack crumbled in the 2019 season. His foray of three games in 2019 went reasonably well and his economy rate of 7 prompted retention.

Playing KKR's season opener - a match the team would happily forget - Warrier was carted by the Mumbai Indians. His three overs went for 34 runs, and he was not selected in the playing XI again. As KKR increasingly looked to rely on their young pacers in the season, Warrier was sidelined.

With three decent Indian pacers who had their moments in IPL 2020, Warrier seems a surplus and might be discarded.

#3 Nikhil Naik (IPL 2019-2020)

Nikhil Naik's IPL career might be over before quite starting.

KKR brought in Nikhil Naik in the 2019 IPL season hoping to add some firepower to their middle-order, given his domestic record - he averages close to 30 and strikes at almost 130. The decision to retain him in 2020 also seemed sound once Robin Uthappa was released since Naik is also a wicketkeeping option.

Naik's four-game IPL career, over five years and three seasons, leaves him with a shockingly low strike-rate of 62. A major contributor in that was a 16-ball 7 as an unusual replacement at the top of the order in the 2019 season. He played only the opening game in 2020, where he holed out in three balls, and was not handed a game again.

Naik's unconvincing displays would merit an axe from the team for next season.

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#2 Rinku Singh (IPL 2018-2020)

KKR's long-term investment in Rinku Singh has not proved worthwhile.

Part of KKR's inductees in a poorly strategized 2018 mega-auction for the team was Uttar Pradesh left-handed batsman Rinku Singh. Not a huge name in the domestic scene, Rinku was touted by the franchise to also be a gun fielder, justifying his selection in a few games. A strong T20 strike rate of 135 and a low average also indicates him being viewed as a lower-middle order finisher.

But an IPL strike rate of 101 after four seasons does not bode well for Rinku, especially after the faith KKR has shown in the batsman over three years. Not once has he played a worthy innings, and his lone innings in 2020 - a run-a-ball 11 against the Chennai Super Kings - was criticized as it deprived Eoin Morgan of valuable time at the crease.

KKR needs strengthening in the Indian batting department if the big guns need to be rotated out, and Rinku has not proven to be the answer.

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#1 Pat Cummins (IPL 2020)

A breathtaking season-ending performance from Cummins showed KKR what could have been.

The story of the 2020 auctions, Pat Cummins, was picked by KKR for INR 15.5 crore as they swooped in late with a bid. An astronomical price was expected to be repaid with an all-round effort, But more crucially, Cummins had to spearhead KKR's bowling and turn the department around.

Largely, Cummins failed at having an impact in the season with the ball. A rude shock in the first game - three overs for 49 runs - was followed up by some disciplined yet unrewarded powerplay bowling for the rest of the season. Cummins' windfall came towards the close of the season, where a stunning four-fer derailed Rajasthan Royals, although it was a little too late to help KKR to the playoffs.

Apart from his decent season economy below 8 an over, Cummins was also a revelation with the bat, as he outdid Andre Russell in both departments.

KKR might want his services back, yet they will almost definitely be able to buy him back for a lower price next season. Hence the decision to release makes sense either way.