IPL 2020: SWOT Analysis of Kolkata Knight Riders

KKR in IPL 2020: Threats

Are KKR too reliant on Andre Russell?

#1 KKR might turn out to be too reliant on Andre Russell and Sunil Narine

Last year, KKR often looked to Andre Russell and Sunil Narine to bail them out of impossible situations, and both players exceeded expectations with both bat and ball.

But this isn't necessarily a good thing, and KKR might be over-reliant on their West Indian superstars. The team can take a leaf out of the book of the Chennai Super Kings, who have had a different player stepping up to win the side the game in almost every encounter.

It remains to be seen if KKR's supporting cast can live up to the task at hand.

#2 KKR don't have a settled team combination heading into IPL 2020

While the overseas combination is largely settled for KKR in IPL 2020 (the final slot should be a three-way battle between Tom Banton, Chris Green and Eoin Morgan), the Indian part of the XI is still far from decided.

In Mavi, Nagarkoti and Krishna, KKR have a problem of plenty, and backing one (or two) of them could stagnate the careers of the others. Even in the batting department, the same phenomenon could hinder some players' careers.

KKR must be careful in team selection, and they must ensure that they make sensible, thought-out decisions.

#3 KKR's backups haven't proven themselves yet

Another aspect of their squad that might be detrimental to their chances in IPL 2020, KKR's bench isn't exactly solid. As mentioned earlier, the batting backups of Nikhil Naik, Siddhesh Lad and Rinku Singh don't inspire confidence, while the likes of Sandeep Warrier and M Siddharth haven't done enough to warrant a place in the XI even if one should present itself.

In IPL 2020, which is happening after a very long break, KKR will need to rest some of their key players, which might not be possible given their bench strength.

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