The way Dinesh Karthik blasted the Bangladesh bowling to secure the crown for India in a final-ball drama in the Nidahas Trophy final in Colombo, is good tidings for Kolkata Knight Riders, which has entrusted the captaincy to this gutsy wicketkeeper-batsman.
For one of the most decorated outfits in the IPL, the new season brings in a lot of changes both in terms of captaincy and team composition. The auction this season saw KKR bidding aggressively for the players it backed and that saw the franchise running into tight corners at times trying to preserve its wish-list.
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On paper the side continues to remain bowling-heavy with Tom Curran, Sunil Narine, Kuldeep Yadav and Andre Russell being the key picks this season. The team has retained some of the players from the previous years like Robin Uthappa, Kuldeep Yadav and Piyush Chawla but the prevalence of new faces will help Karthik formulate his own game plan more efficiently.
The news of Caribbean all-rounder Russell suffering a hamstring injury in the Pakistan Super League and Narine being called again for suspect action may come as a setback, but the side is looking to get over it by bringing in Javon Searles, a member of KKR’s cousin in the Caribbean Premier League, the Trinbago Knight Riders.
Looking to invest in the future, KKR has also picked up three Under-19 cricketers — the highest run-getter in the recent ICC Under-19 World Cup, Shubman Gill, and the impressive pacers in the same event, Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi. Given the selection preference, these players are expected a play a big part in KKR’s scheme of things.
In the absence of the previous captain and opener Gautam Gambhir, who led the side to both its titles in 2012 and 2014, Karthik will have to shoulder the additional responsibility in the batting department, which is the one section that appears weak. But with Chris Lynn, Uthappa and Nitish Rana also present in the squad, KKR will be hoping to see some good partnerships in the batting department.
READ: Fit-again Lynn raring to go
Player to watch
Kuldeep Yadav, the fast developing wrist-spin exponent, seems to have usurped the ‘mystery’ element from the Caribbean off-spinner Sunil Narine, who is being constantly called for suspect action.
The left-arm ‘chinaman’ bowler, Kuldeep, has had a splendid time with the ball in the last few months, contributing notably in the Indian team’s outstanding performance in the limited-overs series in South Africa earlier this year. Yadav used his stock deliveries and mixed them with some crafty variations to good effect as he ran through one of the best sides in the world in its own backyard.
Kuldeep will be a key weapon in KKR’s arsenal as the side looks to regain the title.
Dinesh Karthik, captain
KKR is a consistently performing team for the last decade. I am really happy that I have been entrusted with the task of captaincy as I was looking for a leadership role at this point of my career. I am happy that this has come along and I will definitely give my best.
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It is a very balanced team. If you see the foreign players they are really experienced and when it comes to the Indians, they provide a lot of strength and this gives me the confidence to think about good results. And, the young players in the side will have a great opportunity to learn and express themselves in the company of some of the best players in the world.
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