5 Players Who Could Be on Kolkata Knight Riders' Agenda at IPL Auction 2024

4 months ago 64

Having released as many as 12 players in the off season, two time former Indian Premier League (IPL) Champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will enter the IPL Auction 2024 set to take place on 19 December in Dubai with a purse of Rs 32.7 crore and with the aim of crafting a well-balanced squad that combines seasoned campaigners with emerging talents.

The Knight Riders' seventh-place finishes in the previous two seasons prompted management to make a change resulting in the return of title-winning skipper Gautam Gambhir as a mentor of the franchise.

As they embark on the journey to try to lift their third IPL Trophy, KKR's auction strategy will center on assembling a team that can manage a variety of match scenarios, with a mix of dependable batters, strong bowlers and dynamic all-rounders.

Let’s take a look at the list of retained and released players ahead of the auction:

Retained Players: Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Shreyas Iyer, Jason Roy, Sunil Narine, Suyash Sharma, Anukul Roy, Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy
Released Players: Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das, Aarya Desai, David Wiese, Narayan Jagadeesan, Mandeep Singh, Kulwant Khejroliya, Shardul Thakur, Lockie Ferguson, Umesh Yadav, Tim Southee, Johnson Charles

Purse Left: Rs 32.7 crore
Slots left: 12 (4 overseas slots)

After missing the 2023 season due to an injury, Shreyas Iyer rejoins Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh in the mix, as KKR’s batting is solidified. Nonetheless, they would require quality fast bowlers for away games after relinquishing their speedsters due to the spin-friendly Eden Gardens track. Other than re-building their pace attack, they would want to have an explosive hitter in the platoon.

Possible Targets

Having released the likes of Lockie Ferguson, Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur, the Knight Riders would desperately want to acquire pacers who could fill the void and make a formidable bowling attack. With enough overseas slots, they can go for at least two foreign pacers.

1. Pat Cummins (Base Price: Rs 2 Crore)

Having been an integral part of KKR in 2022, Australia’s Test and ODI skipper would be one of the most sought-after players for the franchise. Along with his vicious striking and pace changes, the 30-year-old also brings a wealth of experience, familiarity with the team and skillful captaincy to the table.

Cummins participated in six IPL seasons in the past, scoring 379 runs and taking 45 wickets in 42 games. After being purchased by Kolkata Knight Riders for an incredible 15.50 crores, he was the most expensive purchase made during the 2020 Indian Premier League auction. His last season of competition was in 2022, when he claimed seven wickets and amassed 63 runs in five games.

2. Mitchell Starc (Base Price: Rs 2 Crore)

Coming on the back of ODI World Cup glory where he picked up 20 wickets, including three wickets in the final against India, Australian speedster Mitchell Starc is another commodity that KKR would want to invest in. The left-arm pacer might give the squad another option for fast bowling and give them a dependable bowling option. Starc could prove to be a game-changer for KKR at pivotal times due to his ability to perform under pressure.

Starc also boasts a proven IPL record - playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2014, the left-arm quick emerged as among the leading wicket-takers in the tournament with 20 scalps and the franchise would fancy a homecoming of the pacer.

3. Gerald Coetzee (Base Price: Rs 2 Crore)

South African pacer Gerald Coetzee is another lethal pacer who KKR would want to acquire. Coetzee would be a valuable acquisition for KKR because of his aggressive style and propensity for collecting wickets at pivotal moments in the game.

In only his maiden appearance in the competition, Coetzee became the first player from the rainbow nation to take 20 wickets in a single World Cup edition.

The 23-year-old scalped 23 wickets at the SA20, emerging as the tournament’s third-highest wicket-taker. Additionally, the speedster scalped three wickets against India in a T20I match on 12 December.

4. Azmatullah Omarzai (Base Price Rs 50 Lakh)

The 23-year-old Afghan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai could also be on KKR’s radar at the auction. Omarzai is a reliable player with a penchant for aggressive batting and handy off-spin. His versatility makes him a valuable addition, as evidenced by his performances in the shortest format of the game - in 24 T20Is thus far, the 23-year-old has amassed 185 runs and claimed 11 wickets.

The young Afghan is not only a difficult to decipher bowler but also has the ability to anchor the middle order. Hence, he will be a valuable pick as well as an ideal replacement for injury-prone Russel.

5. Harshal Patel (Base Price: Rs 2 Crore)

Harshal Patel, who is in the auction pool after being released by the Royal Challengers Bangalore, will be a great option because he has a tendency to keep batters on their toes and scalp wickets in the death overs - an area KKR battled in the dying overs last season. Moreover, the slow pitch at Eden Gardens would be ideal for his slow cutters.

Apart from this, Patel boasts a rich IPL experience with 111 wickets in 92 matches to his name. In 2021, the 33-year-old took home the Purple Cap that season after taking 32 wickets in 15 games and added 19 wickets in 2022.

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