IPL Auction 2020: One position each team should look to target

Kolkata Knight Riders: Overseas top order batsman

Kolkata need someone to provide them with fire at the top order, maybe a Tom Banton

Two-time champs Kolkata Knight Riders find themselves on the cusp of a rejig, having released 10 players, including mainstays like Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, and Piyush Chawla.

Looking at the current set-up, the KKR think-tank seems to have laid their trust in the hands of Shubhman Gill and Sunil Narine to open the innings with a stable middle-order comprising of Nitish Rana, Siddhesh Lad, Dinesh Karthik, and the destructive Andre Russell to follow. This middle order also lends them enough flexibility to float depending on the situation of the game.

The bowling seems to be in good hands as well, with Narine and Kuldeep Yadav taking care of the spin. The pace attack will rely on Lockie Ferguson, and any two of Shivam Mavi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Sandeep Warrier and Prasidh Krishna to deliver the goods.

However, KKR lacks a stable #3 to shore the innings post the departure of both Chris Lynn and Robin Uthappa. Additionally, the inconsistency of Sunil Narine as an opener might prompt them to get the recruit to open with Gill, bring Rana and Lad to bat at #3 and #4 respectively and push Narine to finish the innings.

With only 3 out of 4 overseas positions taken in their current 11, they will look for a foreign recruit. And while they might look to bring Lynn back at the top, the Kolkata based franchise might be tempted to look at the wealth of options available elsewhere.

Possible Options: Chris Lynn, Tom Banton, Evin Lewis, Aaron Finch, Colin Munro