Predicted Squad of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL 2022: The two times Indian Premier League (IPL) champions, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) took a sharp U-turn with their performance in the IPL 2021. From hanging in penultimate position in the points table in phase one to becoming one of the two finalists, the journey was nothing short of a miracle.
Eoin Morgan led purple army went on to lose five of their seven matches in phase one. The forced covid break turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the franchise as they were determined to make history. In the next seven matches, KKR proceeded to win five out of seven and neutralised the incurred losses in the first half.
The loss in the final against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) would be hard to digest for the KKR, especially after showing tremendous grit and fighting spirit. Despite the loss, the franchise would be proud of the boys to pull off something which seemed unachievable at some point.
The Knight Riders ahead of the IPL 2022 Mega Auction retained four players from their previous squad. KKR retained all-rounder Andre Russell, spinner Varun Chakravarthy, all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer and Sunil Narine.
Though the franchise has retained the top four players in the team, still the captain is not there on the list. KKR released Eoin Morgan, their skipper, during the player’s retention owing to his poor performance in the entire season. Hence they will require a strong captain which will then complete the core group of the team.
Besides the core group, several other players will be needed in the team to form a formidable squad for the next three years. In this article, we will take you through the predicted Squad of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL 2022.
Predicted Squad of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL 2022:
Batsman: Shreyas Iyer, Ambati Rayudu, Quinton de Kock, Eoin Morgan
The reports from several prominent news outlets indicate KKR’s enthusiasm in getting Shreyas Iyer on board as the captain of the side. If we go by the reports, KKR will break its bank to go bonkers in the bidding of Shreyas Iyer at the mega auction.
KKR need a strong captain, Shreyas Iyer is the candidate to trust. KKR need a decisive middle-order batsman, Shreyas Iyer can fulfil the job. He is a multi traits cricketer who can solve different puzzles at a time.
Ambati Rayudu and Eoin Morgan are two other strong middle-order batsmen for KKR to target. Rayudu has been absolutely phenomenal in giving crucial support to CSK in the IPL 2021. More often than not, he played impactful knocks to take CSK to a mammoth total.
Eoin Morgan, on the other side, hasn’t been in his best touch in the last edition of the IPL. He could only help KKR with his captaincy as his batting had often disappointed the fans and even the franchise. Despite that, Morgan has a fantastic international record owing to which he can still fetch a good IPL contract.
In the IPL 2021, Shubman Gill and Venkatesh Iyer handled the opening role for the franchise. But ahead of the next IPL edition, KKR has already lost Shubman Gill to Ahmedabad and the franchise would require an experienced opener to partner Venkatesh Iyer.
Former Mumbai Indians (MI) cricketer Quinton de Kock will be an apt choice to go with. De Kock is a brilliant cricketer. He has been a sensation in international cricket. Moreover, his experience can be used by the youngsters in the team.
Bowlers – Lokie Ferguson, Pat Cummins, Avesh Khan, Shivam Mavi, Murugan Ashwin
The Shahrukh Khan co-owned IPL franchise should invest heavily in their pace bowling department. Kiwi pacer Lokie Ferguson, Aussie Pat Cummins should be their top two-seam options going forward in the mega auction 2022.
Ferguson turned out to be a game-changer for KKR in the IPL 2021. When every other pacer was leaking runs, Ferguson was the one to bind the opposition with his sharp bowling skills. He picked up 13 massive wickets in just eight IPL 2021 appearances.
Australian seasoned pacer Pat Cummins will also be on KKR’s radar. Cummins is the epitome of experience and an exceptionally honed skillset. He featured in seven matches in the IPL 2021 and scalped nine wickets. He could have been one of the top wicket-takers in the IPL 2021, had he not pulled out of the league in phase 2.
Rookie pacer Shivam Mavi will be on-demand in the IPL 2022 mega auction. Several IPL franchises will definitely bid for him as he is young and can deliver quality to the team.
As far as spin bowling is considered, KKR has collected enough assets in its retention list to do the job. But still keeping a backup option would be the wise thing to do. Former PBKS spinner Murugan Ashwin can be targeted by the franchise.
All-rounders – Shakib Al Hasan, Shivam Dube
Just like spinners, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have a couple of best all-rounders. The likes of Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Venkatesh Iyer are already retained by the franchise for the IPL 2022.
If the franchise opts to bring in a few more backup all-rounders, Shakib Al Hasan and Shivam Dube should be two probable choices. Shivam Dube is most likely to get a good IPL contract, despite a topsy turvy IPL edition last year.
He did explode in a couple of matches, but his overall outing in the IPL 2021 remained silent. The same is the case with Shakib Al Hasan. The Bangladeshi all-rounder has seen a dip in his IPL performance in the last two seasons.
Wicketkeeper: Dinesh Karthik, Quinton de Kock, Wriddhiman Saha
KKR can fetch the services of experienced Dinesh Karthik, Quinton de Kock and Wriddhiman Saha as a wicketkeeping option for the IPL 2022.
Karthik has been associated with KKR since IPL 2018. He took over the leadership from Gautam Gambhir but couldn’t justify his role. He stepped down from the role midway through the IPL 2020 in the UAE.
Though his captaincy stint hasn’t been impressive, he completed his role of finishing matches for KKR with full potential.
Quinton de Kock and Wriddhiman Saha would be two other wicketkeeping options for the team. As mentioned earlier, de Kock is a fantastic cricketer and even better wicketkeeper. He can guide his bowlers with quality inputs from behind the wickets.
Wriddhiman Saha is equally capable to do the role for KKR. He kept wickets for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2021 and also played at the opening position to power the franchise to a brisk start.
Predicted Squad of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL 2022:
Batsman – Shreyas Iyer, Ambati Rayudu, Quinton de Kock, Eoin Morgan
Bowler – Varun Chakravarthy, Lokie Ferguson, Pat Cummins, Avesh Khan, Shivam Mavi, Murugan Ashwin
All Rounder – Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Shakib Al Hasan, Shivam Dube
Wicketkeeper – Dinesh Karthik, Wriddhiman Saha
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