IPL 2019: Probable First Match Playing XIs of all eight teams

#3. Kolkata Knight Riders:

24/3/19 - Sunrisers Hyderabad (Home)

Andre Russell

Kolkata Knight Riders finished third last season and come into this edition with perhaps the best set of overseas players any team could possibly ask for. In their possession are Andre Russell, Carlos Brathwaite and Sunil Narine, who are capable of influencing a T20 game from start to finish, throughout the course of the forty overs.

Adding to the West Indian trio is the mighty Chris Lynn, whose explosiveness and brute power adds much-needed firepower at the top of the order. Complementing their overseas players, KKR have cleverly chosen a good core of Indian players in Robin Uthappa, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana and skipper Dinesh Karthik. Karthik is slowly proving to be one of the best finishers in the game right now.

Kuldeep Yadav and Piyush Chawla are synonymous with KKR and should hold the key at the Eden Gardens, where spinners are touted to play a crucial role. Prasidh Krishna is one to watch out for with the Karnataka pacer impressing last year with his accuracy and control over his variations. The options of Sandeep Warrier and Rinku Singh are also available to accommodate an extra seamer or batsmen in Lockie Ferguson and Joe Denly.

Possible XI: Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik (C&WK), Andre Russell, Carlos Brathwaite/Lockie Ferguson, Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav and Prasidh Krishna