IPL 2022 Auction: Decoding the squad of Kolkata Knight Riders
Former Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Kolkata Knight Riders were in the market for a new captain. It was visible in their auction strategy. The two-time champions re-acquired the services of Pat Cummins (7.25 crore). They started the auction with a purse of Rs. 48 crore after retaining four players - Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, and Varun Chakravarthy.
Presenting the complete squad of KKR
A look at KKR's complete squad: Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer and Varun Chakravarthy, Pat Cummins, Nitish Rana, Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Mavi, Sheldon Jackson, Ajinkya Rahane, Rinku Singh, Anukul Roy, Rasikh Dar, Baba Indrajith, Chamika Karunaratne, Abhijeet Tomar, Pratham Singh, Ashok Sharma, Sam Billings, Alex Hales, Tim Southee, Ramesh Kumar, Mohammad Nabi, Umesh Yadav, Aman Khan
Key buys during the auction
KKR started their auction by buying Cummins. Thereafter, they broke the bank for the services of Indian batter Shreyas Iyer. The two-time IPL champions signed Iyer for Rs. 12.25 core. The Kolkata-based franchise also bought Nitish Rana after shelling out Rs. 8 crore. KKR spent Rs. 7.25 crore to acquire Shivam Mavi and roped in wicket-keeper batter Sheldon Jackson for Rs. 60 lakh.
Who will lead KKR in 2022?
As of now, former Delhi Capitals skipper Shreyas Iyer is the front-runner for the captaincy role. He led Delhi to their first-ever IPL final in 2020. Iyer is also a proven performer with bat. He has scored 2,375 runs in 87 IPL games. KKR can also hand the captaincy to Cummins. He is the captain of Australia's Test side at the moment.
KKR have a decent squad on offer
KKR had a crucial auction. They have re-acquired the services of several of their previous stars while making some valuable additions to the team. The Kolkata-based outfit's bowling unit looks solid. They have two hard-hitting all-rounders in their ranks in Narine and Russell. In the batting department, KKR have several proven stars in Venkatesh, Shreyas, and Rana.
What can be KKR's Playing XI in IPL 2022?
Probable XI of KKR: Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Shreyas Iyer (captain), Sam Billings (wicket-keeper), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Shivam Mavi.
