IPL 2023 stars from Friday, while Kolkata Knight Riders will be one of the sides to look out for. The former two-time champion has not won the title since 2014 and would be banking on Chandrakant Pandit's coaching abilities to emerge triumphant.
Two-time former champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) would bank on Chandrakant Pandit's tactical acumen as it fights injury and a thin, quality batting line-up to reclaim the coveted Indian Premier League (IPL) title after nine years. In the IPL mini-auction in December last year, KKR bought eight players, with Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan being its most significant buy at ₹1.5 crore.
Besides, KKR also purchased Namibia all-rounder David Wiese for ₹1 crore and in-form Tamil Nadu keeper-batter N Jagadeesan for ₹90 lakh. Maverick Bangladesh star Litton Das is also on the KKR roster. Vaibhav Arora (₹60 lakh), Suyash Sharma (₹20 lakh), Kulwant Khejroliya (₹20 lakh), and Mandeep Singh (₹50 lakh) were KKR's other buys. Here is a SWOT analysis of KKR ahead of their opening match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Mohali on April 1.
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Strengths
KKR's biggest strength lies in the quality of the all-rounders it has in its side. Over the years, the Kolkata outfit has been focussing on strengthening its all-round department, and this time it is no different. The Windies pair of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine has delivered in the past, but, at times, inconsistency has been their bane. And Shakib, Weise and Venkatesh Iyer have quality with the potential to translate that into performance.
But, the main focus would be on Pandit, who replaced Brendon McCullum as KKR coach. It will be Pandit's maiden stint in IPL after having tasted success in the domestic arena with six-Ranji-winning sides with three different state units, including Mumbai, Vidarbha cricket and Madhya Pradesh. The upcoming IPL will be a big test for Pandit's coaching acumen with a side that is gunning for glory following its last title in 2014.
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Weakness
In the absence of Shreyas Iyer, who will likely miss the entire IPL this year due to a back injury, KKR's top order remains a cause of concern. KKR failed to get their opening combination right last year, which is the main reason behind their struggle. And, it remains to be seen how Pandit looks to address the area.
KKR is prompted to go in with the right-left combination of Litton and Narine at the top, with skipper Nitish Rana, Jagadeesan, Shakib and Russell holding the fort in the middle. Venkatesh is also an option for Pandit at the top, but the new coach would be wary of doing too much chopping and changing.
Opportunities
Having underperformed in the past few IPLs, finishing seventh out of 10 teams in the last one, the upcoming season is an opportunity for KKR to prove their detractors wrong. With a new coach at the helm, who knows how to finish on the right side of results, there will be enough ideas, and it will be up to the players to translate that inside the ground.
If top-order batting is a concern, KKR boasts of a formidable bowling unit in Shardul Thakur, Tim Southee and Umesh Yadav, who will be in charge of the pace department. The spin line-up in Shakib, Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy also looks potent.
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Threats
KKR's most significant threat would be over-dependence on individual brilliance, which is one area new coach Pandit would like to focus on. But, to win a competitive tournament like the IPL, any side needs a team effort. There will be instances when one or two players will win you matches, but cricket is a team game, and, in the long run, collective effort is critical to success.
(With inputs from PTI)