KKR's strongest playing 11 after IPL 2023 auction

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) made a few bargain purchases at the IPL 2023 auction, which took place in Kochi on Friday, December 23. The Shreyas Iyer-led outfit had a mere ₹7.05 crore to spend with a minimum of four and a maximum of 11 slots to fill ahead of the auction.

They went about their business in quiet fashion and pocketed the Bangladeshi duo of Litton Das and Shakib Al Hasan, while also signing Namibian all-rounder David Wiese for a bargain price.

Among the Indian options, they added experience in the form of batter Mandeep Singh, while offsetting the loss of Shivam Mavi with the shrewd acquisition of Vaibhav Arora. Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper Narayan Jagadeesan, who has been in red-hot form in domestic cricket, was also acquired by KKR at the IPL 2023 Auction for a price of ₹90 lakh.

The bowling duo of Kulwant Khejroliya and Suyash Sharma round off their purchases at the IPL 2023 Auction as the Knights now gear up towards the new season.

KKR's best XI post the IPL 2023 Auction

Heading into the IPL 2023 Auction, the Knight Riders indulged in multiple trades, although they were also in need of good players of high pace as well as a death bowler. While they weren't able to address those issues directly at the auction, they do have a decent set of players to work with ahead of next season.

On that note, we predict KKR's strongest XI post the conclusion of the IPL 2023 Auction.

Openers: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk) and Venkatesh Iyer

Having traded in Afghan dasher Rahmanullah Gurbaz from the Gujarat Titans (GT), one can expect him to slot right at the top for KKR. He will don the wicketkeeping gloves and will also be tasked with getting the team off to a flyer.

Venkatesh Iyer's rise was one of the stories of the UAE leg of IPL 2021. Having been retained ahead of the 2022 season, he also went on to make his India debut. A tough second season followed but the southpaw will look to lay down a marker in IPL 2023.

Pairing him up with Gurbaz should take some of the pressure off Venkatesh's shoulders.

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Middle order: Shreyas Iyer (c), Nitish Rana, and Rinku Singh

Shreyas Iyer (R) will lead the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2023 (Picture Credits: IPL).

Skipper Shreyas Iyer should slot in at No. 3. The KKR skipper has had his issues against the short ball, but has always found a way around it and is the fulcrum of their batting unit.

As for Nitish Rana, he has promised plenty without delivering in equal proportion. He bats with intent and can take down spin for fun, and a big season would serve him and the Knight Riders really well in IPL 2023. He should bat at No. 4, but can be moved up to No. 3 should KKR want to keep the left-right combination intact.

Rinku Singh was one of the biggest positives in a disappointing campaign for the Knights in 2022. Aside from being a brilliant fielder, the Uttar Pradesh batter is known to put in clutch performances under pressure.

He scored 174 runs at a strike rate of 148.71 last season and should be part of the playing XI from the first match of IPL 2023.

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All-rounders: Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, and Shardul Thakur

Andre Russell selects himself in the XI as one of the most destructive T20 all-rounders the sport has seen. While his entry point will come down to the number of overs left in the contest, he could also be tasked with bowling two of the death overs.

Sunil Narine remains a nagging defensive bowler whose variations are tough to pick. He could have a major say in the death overs himself, given that KKR don't really have a bona fide option to turn to for that phase. As a batter, he could be pushed up the order to take on a favorable match-up against spin.

Shardul Thakur was traded in from the Delhi Capitals (DC) prior to the IPL 2023 Auction and will lengthen the batting lineup at No. 8. When in need of quick wickets, KKR will hope he does his bit and breaks games open for fun like he normally does.

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Bowlers: Umesh Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, and Varun Chakravarthy

Umesh Yadav had a fine comeback campaign in 2022, picking up eight wickets in the powerplay at an economy rate of just 6.41. A feature of last season was how his overs were predominantly used in the powerplay. That is likely to continue into the new season too, with a like-for-like backup in Arora picked up at the IPL 2023 auction.

Another of KKR's marquee trades prior to the IPL 2023 auction was the acquisition of Kiwi bolter Lockie Ferguson from the Titans. He should enjoy the bounce at the Eden Gardens and while it could be a case of hit-or-miss, he might have to bowl at the death as well.

Varun Chakravarthy should partner Narine as the second mystery spinner in the side. The Tamil Nadu spinner had a forgettable 2022 campaign but is expected to start in the KKR XI once the new season commences.

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What do you make of this playing XI for KKR post the IPL 2023 Auction? Let us know in the comments section!

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