IPL 2019: KKR's strongest playing XI for their first game against SRH

IPL fever is here! The familiar pangs of joy which strike us when the world's premier T20 tournament will be felt a couple of weeks earlier as the tournament is set to start on 23rd March with a star-studded encounter between CSK and RCB. The chatter on the teams' strengths and weaknesses has begun and so have the experts who dissect each team and their best combinations and their chance in making the playoffs.

Get the IPL 2019 schedule here.

After the opener between CSK and RCB, another big match is scheduled to take place the next day at 4:00 pm at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata, as the Kolkata Knight Riders take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Both the sides made it to the playoffs last year and the Sunrisers beat the Knight Riders in Qualifier 2 to make it to the finals. The Knight Riders will be looking to exact revenge.

SRH will be without star player Kane Williamson for the start of the season while KKR will be missing the services of young pace guns Shivam Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti for the entire season and it might hamper their progress.

Let's take a look at KKR's Strongest Playing XI for their first game against SRH.

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Openers: Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine (All-Rounder)

Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine

The opening pair of Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine is expected to be maintained for their first game against SRH.

Narine scored 279 runs in BPL 2019 and was in good form with the ball too and can continue with his spot at the top as a pinch hitter. He will later be expected to don a more important role with the ball. The spinners will have to play a more pivotal role since their pace attack has been dented.

Lynn was good playing for Brisbane Heat but consistency was his issue. He wasn't able to open up on the off-side due to his shoulder issues last season but with his fitness levels high, we can see a much better performance from Lynn and he'll look to get some runs under his belt in the first match.

Middle Order: Robin Uthappa, Shubman Gill, and Nitish Rana

Shubman Gill has what it takes to make it big this season

The KKR middle order is filled with players who are desperate to prove themselves and will all look to get going in the first game. Robin Uthappa is expected to slot in ahead of Shubman Gill who everyone has been wanting to see in action for KKR. Later in the order, talented Delhi batsman Nitish Rana is set to continue in his top order position.

Uthappa got starts last season and looked in full flow but wasn't able to convert the starts into big scores. He scored just 351 runs in 16 innings with just one 50+ score and will look to do better this season.

Gill is expected to bat higher up the order this season though it will be based on how things pan out and what the situation is. But right now, KKR can go with the youngster at No.4. Gill showed a lot of signs of promise last season and scored 203 runs at an average of 33.23 and will look to set the league on fire this season.

Rana quietly went about his business as a batting all-rounder and scored 304 runs and picked up 4 wickets at a great economy rate and can be handy with the ball in case the regular bowlers fail.

Wicket-keeper and All-rounder: Dinesh Karthik and Andre Russell

DK and Russell looked good when batting together

The Kolkata Knight Riders' most trusted finishing combination is that between skipper Dinesh Karthik and all-rounder Andre Russell.

Both of them were in great touch last season and while DK was good behind the stumps, with the bat, and with his captaincy, Russell looked at his bludgeoning best while constantly picking up crucial wickets.

Karthik will be motivated to perform very well this season as it may have an impact on his place in India's World Cup side. His batting position isn't fixed and he likes to rotate based on the situation. He comes out to bat bit earlier if it's a big run-chase and a lot will be expected from him this season.

Russell was on fire in BPL 2019 and his stats last season were very impressive indeed. He scored 316 runs and picked up 13 wickets in a complete all-round show and can be a handful with the ball especially with his extra pace. With more than enough all-rounders when including Narine and Rana, the services of Carlos Brathwaite won't be needed.

Spinners: Piyush Chawla and Kuldeep Yadav

Not often do you see three spinners play for a side in every match in a season. But when spin is your forte, there's nothing wrong in doing so. The pitch at the Eden Gardens especially supports wrist spinners and KKR have got the best of them in Piyush Chawla and Kuldeep Yadav.

KKR undoubtedly have the best spin bowling setup and Chawla and Kuldeep combine well with Narine to choke the batsmen.

Chawla is a versatile bowler who bowls at all stages of the game. He doesn't turn the ball much but reads the pitch well and mixes it up between flippers and his stock ball. His experience will be crucial.

Kuldeep is the more crafty spinner and turns the ball a lot. It's becoming harder to read him as he has started bowling with a scrambled seam and if his release is not watched, it can become a nightmare for the batsman. He will be the player to watch out for and he can be a menace in the middle overs.

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Fast bowlers: Lockie Ferguson and Prasidh Krishna

Prasidh Krishna

The pace bowling will be where KKR lack ahead of the season and their options seem very limited. Russell is a good seam bowling option and can pick up a lot of wickets and that will give them some relief.

Lockie Ferguson will take the 4th overseas player spot as he has been very good in national colors. He is one of the quickest bowlers in the world. He will be expected to spearhead their pace attack this season.

Prasidh Krishna is likely to get into the playing XI for the 1st match. He did a good job last season and picked up 10 wickets from 7 matches after coming in as an injury replacement. He has been in good touch and has bowled well for Karnataka in the Syed Mushtaq Alli Trophy and will be preferred to Sandeep Warrier.