IPL 2020: Strengths and Weaknesses of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

Solid Overseas contingent, the highlight as we look at the strengths and weakness(es) of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for IPL 2020.

The first thing that comes to my mind when we talk about Kolkata Knight Riders’ squad in IPL 2020 is their overseas firepower. There are some solid names that can traumatize the opposition on their own.

While Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, and Lockie Ferguson were their existing members, they have added Pat Cummins, Eoin Morgan, and Tom Banton during IPL 2020 Auction. 

However, as good as their overseas firepower is, their Indian players lack the much-required experience. Except for Dinesh Karthik and somewhat Kuldeep, none of the other Indian players have the desired experience in their bucket. 

So, looking at all the things, have the Kolkata Knight Riders finally got the perfect squad to have a shot at their maiden trophy? Let’s analyze the squad, and look at the strengths and weakness(es) of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for IPL 2020. 

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Squad for IPL 2020: 

Batsmen	Dinesh Karthik (C&WK), Eoin Morgan, Nikhil Naik (WK), Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Rinku Singh, Shubman Gill, Siddhesh Lad, and Tom Banton (WK)
All-rounders	Andre Russell, Chris Green, and Sunil Narine
Bowlers	Harry Gurney, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, M Siddharth, Pat Cummins, Prasidh Krishna, Pravin Tambe, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Mavi, and Varun Chakravarthy

Strengths of KKR for IPL 2020:

#1: The Overseas Firepower

KKR have as many as 6 solid overseas players that have the potential to draft themselves straightaway in the playing 11. They have Tom Banton and Eoin Morgan as solid batsmen in the line-up, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine as perfect all-rounders who can excel in both the areas, and Pat Cummins & Lockie Ferguson as fiery speedsters that can trouble any batsman in the world.

While their preferred four overseas players should most-likely be Sunil Narine, Eoin Morgan, Andre Russell, and Pat Cummins, Tom Banton and Lockie Ferguson provide for perfect backups. Thus, combining all these factors make them one of the best balanced overseas squad of IPL 2020. 

#2: A Pace Bowling Line-up to Cherish

Kolkata is one of the only few places in India that provide pitches that are perfectly suited for fast bowling. If you don’t remember, try recollecting the RCB vs KKR match in Kolkata which saw RCB suffering a humiliating defeat in their 49 all-out batting performance. Thus, horses for courses approach is something KKR can make the perfect use of. 

To complement their pitches, KKR have a bunch of speedsters in their line-up that has the potential to trouble the best of the best. This includes the likes of a young and talented group of Prasidh Krishna, Shivam Mavi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Sandeep Warrier in addition to experienced ones like Pat Cummins, Lockie Ferguson, and Harry Gurney. 

#3: Finishers as Match Winners 

KKR have not one, not two, but three solid finishers in their line-up that can finish the matches on their own. While Dinesh Karthik and Andre Russell were already part of the squad, the addition of Eoin Morgan makes them one of the best finishers in IPL 2020. 

Andre Russell, who won the Most Valuable Player award in 2019 because of his atrocious batting would find it so relieving to have Eoin Morgan in his side. If we recollect, IPL 2020 saw Andre Russell getting very little support from his other team members, thus he couldn’t finish as many matches as expected. 

However, the presence of Morgan would give him much-needed freedom, thus making him even more dangerous. Dinesh Karthik too would be a happy man as he would have the leadership experience of Morgan that would help him take more wise decisions. 

Weakness(es) of KKR for IPL 2020: 

While the Kolkata Knight Riders have a good number of strengths, they have a weakness as mentioned below. 

#1: Lack of Experience in the Squad 

There’s no denying to the fact that KKR have one of the most talented bunch of players in the squad. The likes of Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Siddhesh Lad in the batting department, and Prasidh Krishna, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Mavi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Varun Chakravarthy in the bowling department have all the skills to trouble the Batsmen.

However, the lack of experience of these talented players can hurt the KKR side unless Dinesh Karthik and Brendon Mccullum bring the best out of these players by constantly motivating and guiding them. The leadership needs to take the inspiration from Shane Warne led Rajasthan Royals’ 2008 squad, who were crowned champions with a relatively inexperienced side. 

CONCLUSION:

In conclusion, Kolkata Knight Riders have a really balanced but talented inexperienced squad. It would eventually boil down to the leadership of Dinesh Karthik to guide this team to their third IPL title. 

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) strongest predicted playing 11 for IPL 2020:

Sunil Narine, Rahul Tripathi, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Eoin  Morgan, Dinesh Karthik (C&WK), Andre Russell, Pat Cummins, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, and Prasidh Krishna.

Thanks for reading! What is it that you like the most in Kolkata Knight Riders? Please, let’s know in the comments. 

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ALSO READ: IPL 2020 Exclusive: Predicted Playing XI of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

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