Former two-time champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), haven't done much since their last title win, back in 2014. While they have been promising since then, having qualified for the playoffs almost every season, they have failed to reach the final.
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In case one remembers, the 2014 season was partially held in the United Arab Emirates, as the side lifted the title, under the terrific leadership of Gautam Gambhir. With the ongoing season being held entirely in the UAE, KKR would be hoping for their lady luck to strike again.
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KKR have a strong and evenly-balanced squad. Also, their spinners would be looking to dominate on the slow tracks at the gulf. As they get their season underway from tonight, against defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI), there are some records that reckon KKR in this edition, as we take a look.
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Andre Russell eyes some batting milestones: Russell is currently one of the most popular players in the tournament, having made a name for himself last season, owing to his monstrous hitting abilities. Consequently, he would need 158 runs more to become the fourth KKR player to amass 1,500 runs in the tournament, besides needing just 100 for his overall 1,500 IPL runs. Also, he is just four fours away from hitting his 100th four in the tournament. Besides, he would also need three more half-centuries to score the third most 50s for the side.
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Four batsmen in the fray to score 1,000 IPL runs: Among other batsmen in the side, four batsmen are in the reckoning to score 1,000 runs in the tournament. It includes Eoin Morgan (854), Sunil Narine (771) and Rahul Tripathi (758). Also, Shubman Gill, who is currently on 499 runs, could enter the fray, provided he hits a half-century in at least 10 matches this season.
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Other records in the making: Russell needs to claim 11 more catches to hold the record for most catches in the side, which is currently held by Manoj Tiwary (30). Also, the side needs eight more wins to become the third side in the tournament to register 100 wins. The other two teams are MI (109) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), with 101.
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Dinesh Karthik eyes a couple behind the stumps: Skipper Karthik would also have a couple of records in his fray, as he needs nine more stumpings to hold the record for most in the tournament, currently held by MS Dhoni (38). Karthik (131) is also six dismissals behind to break Dhoni's record of most dismissals in the tournament.
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