The mega auctions for the 11th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) took place in Bengaluru on 27th and 28th of January.
While there were a few teams that performed quiet decently in the auctions and picked up value-for-money players, there were some franchises who splurged too much early on for big players and eventually, failed to impart a proper balance to the side. However, there was one team, whose strategy was beyond comprehension and the team was Kolkata Knight Riders.
After the revamp of the squad back in 2011, instead of luxuriated purchases, KKR had always been known for purchasing good quality players at a decent price, under the watchful eyes of KKR CEO Venky Mysore. This year, however, it looked as if KKR had overturned their successful strategy at the auctions.
After the auction, the full KKR squad is as follows:
Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Chris Lynn, Mitchell Starc, Robin Uthappa, Dinesh Karthik, Kuldeep Yadav, Piyush Chawla, Nitish Rana, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shivam Mavi, Mitchell Johnson, Shubman Gill, Ranganath Vinay Kumar, Rinku Singh, Cameron Delport, Javon Searless, Apoorv Vijay Wankhade and Ishank Jaggi.
Who will captain the side?
After the auction, the question now arises is, who will lead KKR in the upcoming season. The probable options include Narine, Lynn, Uthappa or Russell. Uthappa has a slightly higher chance of leading the side, considering that he has been a part of KKR since 2014 and knows much more about the team’s atmosphere than any other player.
However, in all likelihood, any leader will be a short-term captain of KKR, leading the side for just three to four years. The cause for this comprehension is that by recruiting U-19 stars into the setup, KKR is trying to build their brand value around the growth of players, like Shubhman Gill, Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi.
