KKR mentor Dwayne Bravo, centre, interacts with the players during a training session.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Even after the exit of its title-winning captain Sheyas Iyer and mentor Gautam Gambhir, defending champion Kolkata Knight Riders has stuck to its winning formula, relying on its core group of players while embarking on the challenging quest of retaining its Indian Premier League crown.
The Knight Riders have left no stone unturned in the build-up to the tournament by hiring the right personnel, having a preparatory camp in Mumbai, conducting a trophy tour and performing a puja at its home venue Eden Gardens. By bringing in a seasoned leader such as Ajinkya Rahane and grooming one for forthcoming seasons in vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer, KKR has taken care of its present with an eye on the future.
Coach Chandrakant Pandit, a taskmaster familiar with the franchise’s culture, new mentor Dwayne Bravo, a man with Trinbago Knight Riders’ background, and Rahane, on his return to KKR, should complement each other in pursuit of a fourth title for the purple-and-gold brigade.
The leadership group has created a suitable environment, promoting the ‘team first’ approach, in order to let KKR’s balanced workforce — featuring several all-rounders — execute the team’s plans with freedom.
As openers, Quinton de Kock and Sunil Narine possess the firepower for early onslaughts. Rahmanullah Gurbaz may be an alternative for de Kock.
Rahane, Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi and all-rounders Venkatesh, Andre Russell and Ramandeep Singh provide flexibility to the batting line-up.
South African Anrich Nortje and Australian left-armer Spencer Johnson will be key members in the pace attack along with Harshit Rana, who will be bubbling with confidence after his international success, and Vaibhav Arora.
Varun Chakaravarthy, a picture of self-belief after contributing to India’s Champions Trophy triumph, will form a mystery spin duo with Narine. With Moeen Ali’s addition, the KKR tweakers will have a crucial part to play.
However, KKR needs to improve its economy (11.18) in the death overs.
The squad though has adequate resources for exigencies, including the deployment of Impact Players.
The Shah Rukh Khan-co-owned side will have a distinct advantage as it meets Royal Challengers Bengaluru in front of its passionate fans in the much-anticipated season-opener at the Eden Gardens on Saturday.
Published – March 18, 2025 11:07 pm IST