IPL 2022 Auction: 3 former KKR players who will be in big demand

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) scripted the perfect redemption story during the second phase of IPL 2021 as they rose from the ashes and managed to go all the way to the finals of the tournament.

No one would have given KKR the chance of securing a playoff berth when the second phase of the tournament began - let alone going all the way to the finals.

Going into IPL 2022, the Kolkata-based franchise retained Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine. While all four have been sensational for the team, leaving out some other talented players was inevitable - given the four-player cap.

Other talented players who were a part of the KKR camp in 2021 will move to the auction pool. Given that most of the KKR players performed brilliantly, it's very likely that they will fetch big bids when they go under the hammer.

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KKR players who will be in demand during the IPL auction

KKR had a very well-balanced squad of youth and experience during IPL 2021. While the KKR management will try and buy key members of their squad in the auction, it's certain that some other teams might outbid them for their talented lot of players.

Having said that, we take a look at three such KKR players who will be in great demand during the IPL 2022 auction:

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#1 Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill has been a brilliant performer for KKR

It came as a surprise to many when Shubman Gill's name was missing from KKR's retention list for IPL 2022. Given that the youngster was hailed as the future of KKR, the franchise giving preference to Venkatesh Iyer over him raised quite a few eyebrows.

While the KKR management have been very open about their interest in re-buying Shubman Gill during the IPL 2022 auction, they are sure to face stiff competition from other franchises who might have a keen eye on the opener as well.

At just 22 years of age, Gill's consistency and dependability has been wonderful to witness. With experience in playing for India as well as India Under-19, Gill is a unique talent and an asset for any team he plays for.

He will be in huge demand during the IPL 2022 auction.

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#2 Nitish Rana

Nitish Rana has contributed to KKR's success in recent times

The unsung hero of KKR's success over the last couple of years, Nitish Rana has been a real revelation. Rock solid at the crease, he has held the team's batting unit on multiple occasions.

His bowling skills are also praiseworthy. Nitish Rana has always been a dependable backup bowling option for his captain and, more often than not, delivers crucial breakthroughs when his team requires it the most.

Given his skillset and the fact that he is still young, Nitish Rana could well be on the radar of multiple teams during the IPL 2022 mega auction.

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#3 Lockie Ferguson

Lockie Ferguson is one of the most feared T20 bowlers currently

Despite getting fewer opportunities to showcase his talent, Lockie Ferguson has made every game count.

Given the responsibility of leading the KKR pace attack due to the absence of Pat Cummins, Ferguson took full advantage of the opportunity to show exactly why he should be regarded highly.

While he was unlucky to be ruled out of the T20 World Cup due to an injury, Lockie Ferguson is still currently considered one of the most feared T20 bowlers. His wicket-taking abilities are unmatched, and he does so while maintaining a brilliant economy rate.

All of these factors combined would almost certainly assure the fact that many teams would be keenly eyeing the Kiwi pacer. He's sure to get some big bucks when he goes under the hammer during the IPL auction.