We have strongest batting line-up in IPL: Simon Katich

KKR assistant coach Simon Katich claimed that Barbados all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite's  presence in the KKR line-up will boost the franchise's batting, which is the "best" among eight team

Kolkata Knight Riders will begin their campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad at their home ground Eden Gardens on Sunday. Ahead of their big clash, KKR assistant coach Simon Katich claimed that Barbados all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite's  presence in the KKR line-up will boost the franchise's batting, which is the "best" among eight team.

Carlos Brathwaite, who is the most expensive buy for KKR at Rs 5 crore, will add firepower alongside big-hitters like Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa and Andre Russell.

"The big fella here has got potentially one of the best strike rates in World T20. So in terms of our batting, it's the strongest in the competition," Katich made his ambitious claim during the unveiling of eight new recruits.

A career T20 average of shade under 17 in 143 games doesn't exactly inspire confidence but Katich probably wants to measure his ability to be destructive looking at his career strike-rate of 145.04.

"We are blessed with a lot of powerful players like Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, who is good during the Powerplay. There is Robin (Uthappa), Nitish (Rana), DK (Dinesh Karthik), there is Shubman (Gill)...

With a maximum of four foreigners allowed in the playing XI, it may be a selection headache for the team think tank after Brathwaite's inclusion but the Aussie said they would assess the conditions to pick the XI.

"It depends on the opposition and where we are playing. In certain games, there will be a possibility that they will play together potentially. But throughout, our batting line up has been our real strength."

"Last year six of our batsmen (Karthik, Lynn, Narine, Uthappa, Russell and Nitish Rana) were inside the top-25 leading run-getters," he pointed out.

"So we have a very powerful batting line up. It's great to see the big fella get out there and start swatting sixes like flies at the back end of the innings."

Apart from Brathwaite the other seven new Knights included that of the English duo Joe Denly and Harry Gurney along with Shrikant Mundhe, Nikhil Naik, Yarra Prithviraj and Sandeep Warrier, who has replaced the injured pacer Kamlesh Nagarkoti.