IPL Preview: Onus on new captain Karthik to take thin-looking KKR to glory

Not the first time KKR has taken a bold decision about their captain. Historically speaking, the leader of the Knights has always remained in the headlines for both the right and wrong reasons, more so for the correct reasons in recent times. All the more reason why Gambhir’s exclusion came as a surprise and that surprise turned into disappointment when KKR failed to rope in an ideal captain during the auctions.

In a nutshell

When Dinesh Karthik hit the last-ball six against Bangladesh, it not only won India the T20I tri-series in Sri Lanka but it also gave assurance to millions of fans of the Kolkata Knight Riders. The assurance became a necessity after the two-time champions decided to let go off their most successful captain Gautam Gambhir, ending a 7-year long journey.

Not the first time KKR has taken a bold decision about their captain. Historically speaking, the leader of the Knights has always remained in the headlines for both the right and wrong reasons, more so for the correct reasons in recent times. All the more reason why Gambhir’s exclusion came as a surprise and that surprise turned into disappointment when KKR failed to rope in an ideal captain during the auctions.

However, Karthik’s recent blitz with the bat seems to have settled the debate for some time now. However, he himself admitted that he has big shoes to fill.

"I'm aware of the expectations. Whether there would be pressure, 'yes'. As a captain, you're expected to at least go to the playoffs, that's the least anybody can expect. I think I'm at a stage where I can handle it and get the best out of the team," Karthik said in his first interaction with journalists as KKR captain.

Karthik knows he will have to bat really well to come anywhere close to Gambhir's exploits in the purple shirt. The veteran opener had led from the front since joining KKR in 2011, finishing as their highest run-scorer in the last two seasons.

Thumbs Up

Core Group: Apart from Gambhir, KKR has managed to hold on to its core group of cricketers, which had played a major role in their title triumph in 2014. In Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Chris Lynn and Mitchell Johnson, they have a formidable overseas line-up coupled with the experience of their captain Dinesh Karthik and keeper batsman Robin Uthappa.

Youth: That the U-19 Indian cricketers would find buyers was evident, especially after India lifted the world cup for a record fourth time, but very few would have predicted the amount they would go for. KKR invested heavily on the India’s U-19 stars, picking up fast bowlers Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi, who can clock up to 150 Km/h, for 3.20 and 3 crores. The world cup’s player of the tournament Shubman Gill was snapped up for 1.8 crores. Leave captain Prithvi Shaw, this was pretty much the cream of this edition’s lot.

Spinners: If one thing that turned KKR’s fortune in 2012, it was their spin bowling attack, led by a West Indian mystery spinner named Sunil Narine. A lot has changed since then with Narine, starting from his bowling action to his recent acquired batting skills. But Narine’s value as a T20 cricketer has remained the same. Narine has a staggering economy rate of 5.9 in T20s and add to that the guile of Kuldeep Yadav and the experience of Piyush Chawla, KKR sure has one of the most formidable spin bowling line-up in the IPL.

Thumbs Down

Thin Squad: With only 19 members, KKR has the thinnest squad in the IPL. In a two-month league, involving a minimum of 14 matches in the scorching heat of April/May, KKR does not have the luxury of rotating their players, which might leave captain Dinesh Karthik in a spot of bother when the league reaches its business end.

Lack of Power in Batting: When you run your eyes through the KKR squad, the first thing that strikes you is their lack of batting power. There is too much pressure on the likes of Chris Lynn, Dinesh Karthik and Robin Uthappa. It would be hard to expect huge things from the 19-year old Shubman Gill, who will appear in front of the big boys for the first time. Delhi middle order batsman Nitish Rana may provide stability at the top of the order but that’s pretty much it. There is no assurance of a Gambhir at the top or a Manish Pandey in the middle order.

 

Injuries: KKR is the only franchise, who is sweating about the fitness of its players even before the start of IPL. Their ace fast bowler Mitchell Starc has already been ruled out of the entire tournament with an injury and there is always a question mark on the fitness of Chris Lynn and Andre Russell. While CEO Venky Mysore has stressed that both are fit to start, all eyes will be on their workload as the tournament progresses.

First match

KKR start off their campaing at their fortress the Eden Gardens against a formidable Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 8.

KKR Squad:

Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Chris Lynn, Dinesh Karthik (captain), Robin Uthappa (vice captain), Kuldeep Yadav, Piyush Chawla, Nitish Rana, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shivam Mavi, Mitchell Johnson, Shubman Gill, Vinay Kumar, Rinku Singh, Cameron Delport, Javon Searless, Apoorv Wankhade, Ishank Jaggi, Tom Curran.