IPL Auction 2020: 3 players KKR could target

Modified Nov 22, 2019 12:04 IST

KKR have opted for a squad revamp(kkr.in)

The Kolkata-based franchise has decided for a squad overhaul following unsuccessful outings since winning the trophy in the 2012 and the 2014 editions. In 2019, they even failed to qualify for the playoffs, largely due to leadership frailty and player injuries.

The board decided to release as many as 10 players ahead of the auction, including big names like Robin Uthappa and Chris Lynn, both of whom had been indispensable players for the franchise earlier. Caribbean all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite and spinner Piyush Chawla are the other prominent stars released, because of their poor form in the last season.

The auction for the forthcoming season is set to take place on December 19 in their home city and the Knight Riders have lots to think about. They have got Rs 35.65 crores to spend on 11 players, and it would be interesting to see how the management spends the money.

#3 R Sai Kishore

The 23-year-old left-arm spinner from Tamil Nadu had a major part to play in his side advancing to the Super League stage of the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy. He accumulated 12 wickets in 6 matches at an economy rate of 3.86 - rare in T20 cricket.

The youngster also enjoyed a successful TNPL season, picking 7 wickets from 7 matches at an economy rate of only 5.82. He has bowled largely in the powerplay and has been extremely successful, choking the batsmen at the top. Since KKR have released Piyush Chawla and given Sunil Narine's dip in form and Kuldeep Yadav's inconsistent performances, the Knights might consider Rai Kishore as a fit for their team.

#2 James Neesham

James Neesham went unsold in the last IPL auction, but it seems like his fortunes are going to change after some notable performances in recent times. He had grabbed eyeballs with his performances in the 2019 Cricket World Cup and then the Caribbean Premier League, where he played under present KKR coach, Brendon McCullum.

In the World Cup, the left-handed batsman was the third-highest run-scorer for his team with 232 runs and took 15 wickets, turning out to be a real MVP for his country.

In the 2019 edition of the CPL, Neesham was the highest wicket-taker for the Trinbago Knight Riders franchise with 11 scalps from 10 matches. He also chipped in with 75 runs at an impressive strike rate of 127.12 in the limited chances that he got lower down the order.

Neesham's ability to cuff the ball out of the park and chip in with crucial breakthroughs can make him a requisite player for KKR given the injury concerns with their premium all-rounder, Andre Russell.

#1 Eoin Morgan

Eoin Morgan surprisingly went unsold in the last two auctions and is another player whose fortunes could turn since establishing himself as a match-winner since the start of 2019.

The English skipper made his IPL debut for RCB in 2010 and was then acquired by KKR in 2011 before SRH got him in 2015.

He had a great World Cup outing earlier this year where he amassed 371 runs at a strike rate of 111. Eoin Morgan is one of those modern-day batsmen who can change the course of the game at any instant. His leadership abilities have proved to be great, leading England to their maiden World Cup title. The lack of reliable middle-order batsmen for Kolkata Knight Riders can also boost his prospects to play for the Kolkata franchise.

His form in the T20 Blast and the T10 league will surely stimulate the Kolkata franchise to bid for the Englishman.