IPL: KKR's greatest overseas XI of all time

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have won the Indian Premier League (IPL) title on two occasions, and have established themselves as powerhouses in the most prestigious T20 franchise league in the world.

A major part of their success can be attributed to the world-class overseas players that have plied their trade at the Eden Gardens. Even as recently as the 2020 IPL, KKR made Pat Cummins the most expensive overseas player in the history of the auction.

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KKR's greatest overseas XI of all time in the IPL

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— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) August 29, 2020

Throwing caution to the wind by ignoring IPL rule that states only four overseas players can be part of a playing XI, we attempt to name the 11 players who make up KKR's greatest overseas team of all time.

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Openers: Brendon McCullum (c, wk), Chris Lynn

Brendon McCullum destroyed RCB to make 158* in the first-ever IPL game

Former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum is the captain of this all-time KKR XI, and is part of a dangerous opening combination with Chris Lynn. In 35 games for KKR, McCullum scored 882 runs at an average of 27.56, including the record-breaking unbeaten 158 in the very first IPL game. Baz is also entrusted with the responsibility of wicket-keeping.

A player who was released by KKR ahead of the 2020 IPL auction, Chris Lynn played 40 games for the side and scored 1,274 runs at an average of 34.43 and a strike rate of 141.40. The destructive Australian scored as many as 10 fifties for KKR and formed a lethal partnership at the top of the order with Sunil Narine, who sadly doesn't feature in his preferred role in this XI.

While McCullum has retired from all forms of cricket, Lynn will turn out for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2020.

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Middle Order: Jacques Kallis, Ryan ten Doeschate, Shakib Al Hasan, David Hussey

Shakib Al Hasan won't play in IPL 2020 [PC: BCCI]

Note: Kallis, Shakib and Ten Doeschate (and maybe even Hussey) are most definitely all-rounders, but are not in the all-rounders section of this article owing to the sheer number of them in this team.

The ICC Hall of Fame's latest inductee, Jacques Kallis comes in at No. 3 in this XI. The South African great featured in 56 games for KKR, and scored 1,295 runs with 7 fifties to his name, and picked up 42 wickets at an economy rate of 7.54. He is one among the plethora of all-rounders in this team.

The most famous Netherlands player to have played in the IPL (apart from Roelof van der Merwe and Dirk Nannes, who have also represented South Africa and Australia respectively), Ryan ten Doeschate is one of the few players from Associate nations to have made a mark on the league.

The all-rounder played 29 games for KKR, and scored 326 runs at a strike rate of 138.72. He got to bowl only 13 overs in the IPL, though, and picked up 2 wickets at an economy rate of 7.23. Ten Doeschate averages a ridiculous 67 in ODI cricket and 44.4 in T20I cricket, but hasn't played in the IPL since 2015.

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan will miss this year's IPL after being banned for failing to report the approach of bookies, but his spell at KKR was both highly underrated and very successful.

On the spin-friendly Eden Gardens wicket, he picked up 43 wickets in an equal number of games at an economy rate of 7.17, and tallied around 500 runs as well. Al Hasan is one of two main spinners in this team.

David Hussey played 23 games for KKR and scored 511 runs at an average of 26.89, and narrowly edges out England white-ball captain Eoin Morgan (who has scored fewer runs at a lesser average and a lesser strike rate) to make it into this XI. The Australian is currently the chief mentor of the KKR side for IPL 2020.

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All-rounders: Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Nathan Coulter-Nile

Andre Russell has won the MVP award twice in the IPL

The only two players in this team who are still a part of KKR, 2-time MVP award winners Sunil Narine and Andre Russell form the backbone of the side with their expertise in both departments. Interestingly, both players were backed by the KKR team management even when they weren't allowed to play in the IPL.

Narine has scalped 122 wickets in 110 games and is KKR's leading wicket-taker. In recent years, the Trinidadian has also destroyed opposition bowlers in the powerplay with his effortless hitting. As expected, he is the lead spinner in this XI.

Russell, on the other hand, has been an equally key part of KKR with 1,342 runs in 57 games at an average of 35.32 and a strike rate of 188.75. The 32-year-old has also picked up 54 wickets and taken 20 catches, and will be one of KKR's most important players in IPL 2020.

Australian all-rounder Nathan Coulter-Nile is the player with the least matches for KKR in this XI, with only 8 games for the side. However, in these 8 games, he picked up 15 wickets, which catapults him above Englishman Chris Woakes into this XI. Coulter-Nile will play for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2020.

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Bowlers: Brett Lee, Morne Morkel

Brett Lee and Morne Morkel make up a fearsome pace attack

Brett Lee played in 25 games for KKR, and while he picked up only 16 wickets with no more than 2 in an innings, he was economical and conceded only 7.58 runs per over. The Australian speedster adds some bite and aggression to this team's pace attack.

Partnering Lee in this team is Morne Morkel, who scalped 32 wickets in the 29 games that he played for KKR at an economy rate of 7.8. The South African was a handful even on pitches that didn't offer much assistance, with his height and the bounce he produced causing batsmen all sorts of problems in the IPL.