SWOT analysis of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad after IPL 2023 auction 

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) purchased eight players at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 auction in Kochi on Friday, December 23. The two-time champions went into the mini-auction with a purse of ₹7.05 crore. As such, they did not have a lot of money to spend, even as other franchises engaged in bidding wars.

At ₹1.5 crore, veteran Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was their most expensive buy. They also purchased Namibia all-rounder David Wiese for ₹1 crore and in-form Tamil Nadu keeper-batter N Jagadeesan for ₹90 lakh.

Kolkata’s other buys at the IPL auction were Vaibhav Arora (₹60 lakh), Suyash Sharma (₹20 lakh), Kulwant Khejroliya (₹20 lakh), Litton Das (₹50 lakh) and Mandeep Singh (₹50 lakh).

Kolkata ended the auction with a purse of ₹1.65 crore and three slots left to fill up. Earlier, they had also traded in Afghan keeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz and New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson from Gujarat Titans (GT) as well as all-rounder Shardul Thakur from Delhi Capitals (DC).

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How KKR stack up post the IPL auction

With the IPL 2023 mini-auction over, here’s a SWOT analysis of the Kolkata franchise.

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Strengths: Impressive all-round ability

West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell. Pic: BCCI

One thing KKR seem to have specifically focused on over the years has been strengthening their all-round department.

Over the last few seasons, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine have won the franchise a number of matches with both the bat and ball. The versatile West Indies pair continue to remain an integral part of the set-up. Venkatesh Iyer can also bowl some handy medium pace apart from being a good batter.

Ahead of the IPL auction, KKR traded in Thakur from DC. The latter may have had a mixed season earlier this year, but if he finds his groove, the “Lord” is a proven match-winner with both bat and ball.

At the auction, Kolkata added two more quality all-rounders in Bangladesh’s Shakib and Namibia’s David Wiese. The franchise clearly boasts an impressive range of versatile cricketers.

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Weaknesses: Top order still a concern

Ajinkya Rahane was one of the many openers Kolkata tried out in IPL 2022. Pic: BCCI

One of the biggest reasons why KKR struggled during IPL 2022 is that they failed to find a stable opening combination. They opened with Ajinkya Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer in the initial matches. After that, it was more of a case of musical chairs with Aaron Finch, Narine, Sam Billings, and Baba Indrajith all getting a chance.

In their last match of the edition, they opened the batting with Abhijeet Tomar and Venkatesh Iyer. There were brief sparkles at the top, but none of the combinations worked as Kolkata found themselves in early trouble more often than not. Of course, the think tank can also be held guilty of constant chopping and changing.

At the IPL 2023 auction, KKR picked Jagadeesan, who has been terrific for Tamil Nadu at the top of the order. They also have another option in Litton Das, who can exploit the field restrictions.

Venkatesh Iyer remains from the 2022 squad. Compared to other franchises, though, Kolkata’s top order is an unknown quantity when it comes to the IPL.

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Opportunities: To perform as per potential

Kolkata Knight Riders during IPL 2022. Pic: BCCI

Kolkata had one of the strongest squads in IPL 2022. Yet, they ended up being one of the most underperforming sides in the edition. They finished a disappointing seventh in the 10-team competition, winning only six of their 14 matches and losing eight.

With Shreyas Iyer at the helm, KKR have retained their core squad from last season for IPL 2023. Apart from the earlier mentioned names, they have Nitish Rana and Varun Chakravarthy who have been with the franchise for a few seasons now and have proved their worth.

The pace duo of Umesh Yadav and Tim Southee impressed in the 2022 edition while batter Rinku Singh was a revelation with his death-overs hitting.

Aware they have underperformed, Kolkata will definitely be hoping for a much-improved showing in IPL 2023.

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Threats: Over-dependence on individual brilliance

Kolkata have been disappointingly inconsistent. Pic: BCCI

This is one area KKR need to guard against. Of course, there will be days when a batter or a bowler has an exceptional outing and takes the game away from the opposition. T20 cricket is known for producing such exploits. However, Kolkata have been guilty of depending a bit too much on individual glory as opposed to team goals.

There have been quite a few instances when the likes of Russell, Narine, and Chakravarthy have singlehandedly helped the team win games. In 2021, they had to wait until a certain Venkatesh Iyer came in and changed the course of their campaign.

KKR need to find ways wherein more players can chip in and deliver in a match. Agreed, unlike Tests and ODIs, most members of a playing XI have a limited chance of making an impact in T20Is.

At the end of the day, though, irrespective of the format, cricket remains a team game.

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