Top 4 bargain buys by Kolkata Knight Riders over the seasons

Kolkata Knight Riders are one of the most successful IPL teams having won the tournament on two occasions.

The brand of Kolkata started in the first season, when Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan bought the rights of the team. Kolkata were quite aggressive in the 2008 player auction, bringing in some talented players. Brendon Mccullum, Chris Gayle, and Shoaib Akhtar were some great buys made by KKR in 2008.

The Kolkata based franchise is known for the big buys they made over the seasons, including Ishant Sharma for a whopping USD. 950,000 in 2008.

In the recent player auction, they opted for a small squad, picking just 19 players. Chris Lynn and Mitchell Starc were two of the drafts made by the Knight Riders.

In this article, we look at some of Kolkata's best bargain buys in the IPL.

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#4 Shakib Al Hasan

The Bangladeshi all-rounder made his IPL debut against Rajasthan Royals in 2011. He was draft by Kolkata for USD 425,000 in the 2011 player auction. Shakib was impressive in his debut season and was re-bought by KKR in 2014 auction. He helped Kolkata win their 2nd title in 2014. In the recent 2018 player auction, Shakib was draft by Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 2 crores.

He has labelled a bargain buy this season, scoring 239 runs and taking 14 wickets in his 17 games. He made his ODI debut for Bangladesh against Zimbabwe in 2006. Since then, he has represented Bangladesh in 185 ODIs. He was also played 51 tests and 66 T20Is. Shakib is currently ranked 12 in T20Is for all rounders.

Shakib is an integral part of the Bangladesh squad, and is often amongst the runs when he plays for his international side.

Shakib's overall IPL performance:

Matches-60, Runs-737, Average- 21.68, Best score- 66, Wickets- 57, Average- 27.32, Economy- 7.4, Best Figures- 3/17.

#3 Kuldeep Yadav

Having gained success in limited overs, Kuldeep has earned the reputation of a unique wicket-taking bowler. The 23-year-old, who has been part of Kolkata Knight Riders, made his ODI debut against West Indies in 2017.

Kuldeep was also part of the Indian test team, making his debut against Australia in 2017. He, along with Yuzvendra Chahal, have formed an excellent partnership, and are an integral part of the Indian limited overs squad. His inclusion in the 2019 Indian World cup squad is obvious. It will also be his first major ICC tournament.

In the IPL, he has played 31 games, taking 35 wickets at an economy of 8.22. In the 2014 player auction, Kuldeep Yadav was draft by Kolkata for 40 lakhs.

His overall IPL performance:

Matches- 31, Wickets- 35, Economy- 8.22, Best Figures- 4/20.

#2 Chris Lynn

The Australian opener, who made his IPL debut against Rajasthan Royals, has represented Kolkata Knight Riders since 2012. Lynn was earlier part of Deccan Chargers in the 2009 season. He has plenty of experience playing for the Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash, and in the 2014 player auction, was draft by Kolkata Knight Riders for INR.1.2 crores.

In the first two seasons, he failed to make an impact with the bat, but made the headlines with his catch of AB de Villiers. Lynn became an integral part of the Kolkata based franchise after some impressive performances for them in 2016 season. In the recent 2018 player auction, Lynn was draft by the same franchise for a whopping price of INR. 9.6 crores.

Lynn's IPL performance:

Matches-28, Runs 871, Average- 35, Strike rate- 141.13, Best score- 93.

#1 Andre Russell

The West Indian all-rounder was part of Delhi Daredevils in the initial years. He was draft by Kolkata Knight Riders for a merge INR 60 lakh. He went to become an integral part of both the West Indies and Kolkata Knight Riders sides.

Russell made his IPL debut against Deccan Chargers in 2012. Since then, he played 50 games in the IPL, scoring 890 runs. Russel played some crucial innings for KKR at the death, scoring at a rate of 177.79. Ahead of 2018 auctions, KKR retained Russell for INR. 8.5 crores. His heroics helped Kolkata make it to the playoffs this season.

Andre Russell's overall IPL performance:

Matches- 50, Runs-890, Average- 26.97, Strike-Rate- 177.29, Wickets- 44, Economy- 8.75.