IPL auctions 2016: Rating the squads for Indian Premier League 2016

#2 Kolkata Knight Riders - 8.5/10

Kolkata-Kinght-Riders — KKR heavily rely on their retained core.

SQUAD FOR IPL 2016

Retained Players: Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa, Sunil Narine, Yusuf Pathan, Piyush Chawla, Morne Morkel, Shakib Al Hasan, Umesh Yadav, Manish Pandey, Chris Lynn, Suryakumar Yadav, Andre Russell, Brad Hogg, Kuldeep Yadav, Sheldon Jackson

New Buys: Jaydev Unadkat, Colin Munro, John Hastings, Jason Holder, Ankit Rajpoot, R Sathish, Manan Sharma

Team Intro: There has been no looking back for KKR ever since they won their first IPL title in 2012. The Knight Riders have built a strong core in recent years and that is visible in the fact that they picked just 7 players at the auction. After an average performance in the previous season where they ended up fifth, they will be wanting to stamp their authority all over again.

STRENGTHS

Core Strength: The primary feature of the KKR squad over the past few seasons has been their powerful core which helped them grab 2 titles in the space of 3 years. The team management has retained players and backed them despite poor form at times.

In-form Players: Barring a few, most KKR players have been in rip-roaring form in the past couple of months or so. While Chris Lynn and Andre Russell have made merry at the BBL, players like Piyush Chawla and Sheldon Jackson have outperformed in domestic cricket. Even new buys like Colin Munro and John Hastings have been very consistent.

WEAKNESSES

Less-inspiring pace attack: Morne Morkel being an exception, the rest of the pace attack looks quite frail with the likes of Russell and Yadav prone to leaking runs thick and fast. KKR will be hoping new recruits like Holder, Hastings and Unadkat come good.

Captain’s struggles: Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir has been in patchy form throughout the Indian domestic season and his batting could be a big cause for concern.

FINAL VERDICT

With some of their players in exciting form, KKR may fancy their chances of ending in the Top Four at least.