IPL: KKR have a great bowling line-up but lack of batsmen and a leader is worrying

Kolkata Knight Riders have been one of the most successful franchises in Indian Premier League history. From 2012 to 2017, they have won the title twice and what worked for them was their focus on banking on Indian talent rather than putting their money on foreign players.

After the 2018 IPL auction, if you glance through the squad, you will find only one Indian name that is a part of the national squad in the shorter formats of the game is Kuldeep Yadav.

However, if you break down the squad, you can see that they have been street-smart as always and have once again backed their bowlers to get the job done for them this time as well.

By retaining Sunil Narine, their match-winner on many occasions, and all-rounder Andre Russell, KKR are banking on their Caribbean players to lead the way.

They have also bought back Kuldeep Yadav and Piyush Chawla along with opener Robin Uthappa, a decision that will be scrutinised in the long run sans Yadav. By bringing in Dinesh Karthik, Chris Lynn, Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson the squad is rich in international experience as well.

Squad breakdown

Total players: 19

Overseas players: 7

Batsmen: Shubman Gill, Chris Lynn (o), Apoorv Vijay Wankhade, Rinku Singh, Ishank Jaggi

Wicketkeepers: Dinesh Karthik, Robin Uthappa

All-rounders: Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shivam Mavi, Javon Searless (o), Cameron Delport (o), Nitish Rana, Andre Russell (o), Sunil Narine (o)

Bowlers: Mitchell Starc (o), Kuldeep Singh Yadav, Piyush Chawla, Mitchell Johnson (o), Ranganath Vinay Kumar

Support staff: Jacques Kallis (head coach), Simon Katich (assistant coach)

(o): Overseas players

Strengths

Bowling. Period.

KKR have one of the strongest bowling units in the league. With Starc, Johnson, Vinay Kumar and Under-19 star Kamlesh Nagarkoti, their pace-attack looks lethal. Starc and Johnson have the experience and pace to rip through any batting lineup in the league.

In under-19 stars Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi, KKR have invested in the long run as well with the duo already clocking 140+ kph. Vinay Kumar is a crafty bowler and knows the tricks of the game.

Their spin department can be a cause of envy with Narine, Yadav and Chawla capable of weaving their magic on any given day. Narine has 95 wickets in 82 IPL games with an economy rate of 6.32. Chawla has picked up 126 wickets and can chip in with the bat as well. Yadav, a left-arm wrist spinner, has also taken 18 wickets in 15 games so far in the IPL. In Nitish Rana and Andre Russell, they have able all-rounders at their disposable as well.

Weaknesses

Their batting is definitely going to be a cause of worry. The lack of experience in the batting unit is visible. Another issue that will be bothering them is their opening slot. Narine-Lynn? Uthappa-Lynn? Uthappa-Narine? Shubman-Lynn? Who are your openers?

Another cause of worry is that Shubman, Mavi and Nagarkoti have not featured in a single professional T20 game in their careers and you cannot expect them to fire from the start as well.

Their lack of depth in batting will hurt them. Another pressing issue is their middle order. Nitish Rana, Ishank Jaggi, Rinku Singh or Apoorv Vijay Wankhade lack the experience of building an innings if the top orders collapses.

Another problem is finding an able leader. When Gautam Gambhir took over KKR, the squad had an able and determined leader in him. Gambhir inspired the others in the locker room to do well and give their 100%.

Now without Gambhir, KKR have to find a candidate that can replace him. Karthik looks like the like ideal candidate for the job. However, Uthappa and Vinay Kumar too can take up captaincy. Even Starc and Johnson can do the job if required. KKR need to address this issue immediately. Issues are aplenty even though the vision is clear.

Ideal playing XI

Robin Uthappa, Chris Lynn (o), Shubman Gill, Dinesh Karthik (c and wk), Nitish Rana, Andre Russell (o), Sunil Narine (o), Vinay Kumar, Kuldeep Singh Yadav, Mitchell Starc (o), Piyush Chawla.

Prediction for IPL 11

Finishing in the play-offs should be the goal and then they can take it one game at a time. However, with only the bowling department sorted, a finish in the top-five seems likely.