Kolkata Knight Riders are known for their consistency and persistent efforts. Although the team couldn’t win in 2019, they began this season pretty well. KKR had won the coveted IPL trophy in 2012 and 2014, acquiring loyal fans. The Baadshah of Bollywood, Shahrukh Khan is the proud owner of Kolkata Knight Riders. There are great talents on the Kolkata Knight Riders roster such as Dinesh Karthik, Robin Uthappa, Andre Russell, Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, and Piyush Chawla.
In 2019, Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings, and Sunrisers Hyderabad had a great start. They were consistent in their performances. The players in purple and gold showed an impressive performance in the beginning by winning 4 matches comfortably. Although KKR began so well, they lost 6 matches back to back which made them struggle to get into the playoffs. They secured the 5th position this year. Let us take a look at the strength and weakness of the team.
Strength of KKR
There are some good power hitters on the Kolkata Knight Riders Roster such as Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, and Andre Russell. Apart from the power hitters, the team has technically strong batters such as Dinesh Karthik, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, and Shubman Gill.
Due to such an impressive list of players on the Kolkata Knight Riders roster, the team could successfully chase down a big total of 206 against Royal Challengers Bangalore. In 2019, Andre Russell grabbed all the limelight in KKR batting by hitting the ball straight out of the pavilion and rescuing KKR from hopeless situations. Andre Russell had an outstanding strike rate of 268.83 in the initial 5 matches.
Weakness of KKR
Kolkata Knight Riders had a strong bowling unit in the last years. However, this year, the bowling of the team lacked the spark. The trio of Sunil Narine, Kuldeep Yadav, and Piyush Chawla have not been at their best. They have leaked a few runs that have hampered the team.
KKR suffered the worst against Mumbai Indians when they lost the match by 9 wickets. In an earlier match at Eden Gardens, they have beaten MI by a whopping margin.
Thoughts on Captaincy
Dinesh Karthik’s team selection and leadership are questionable. Some crucial questions that disturb the fans of KKR are as follows:
Why was Andre Russell not batted higher?
Why it took so long for Shubman Gill to get the opening role?
During a press conference after the match, Andre Russell spoke of “bad decisions” that have hurt KKR. It is easy to gauge what exactly Russell was hinting at. Despite such promising players on the Kolkata Knight Riders roster, the team had to endure the poorest game of the season against Mumbai Indians.
The best player
There is no debate about the fact that Andre Russell is the best and valuable player on Kolkata Knight Riders roster in 2019. The West Indian All-rounder gave a stunning performance this year with an impressive strike rate. As 75% of 510 runs came between the overs 16 and 20, we can easily say that Russell was the most dangerous striker. Every time, Andre Russell came to bat, he was feared by the opposition team. He was also the leading wicket-taker of KKR with 11 wickets.
Disappointment
Kuldeep Yadav’s performance was disappointing. He played 9 matches and took 4 wickets. His bowling average of 71.50 per wicket is his worst performance in the history of IPL.
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