Kolkata Knight Riders did not have a good IPL 2019 and as a result, they will be looking to make some key changes in their squad before the IPL 2020. They have released 11 players and with a budget of more than 35 crores in hand, KKR is expected to go for some big picks during the auction.
Aaron Finch
Aaron Finch is currently one of the premier T20 batsmen in the world. He was not part of IPL 2019 and will be part of next IPL auction as many franchisees may focus on him as their primary targets. Hence it will not be easy for KKR but Finch’s pedigree definitely ensures that it is worth taking a risk. Finch has the experience of 272 T20 matches and boasted of a strike rate above 140. He has seven T20 Hundred and 56 fifties and also has the highest individual score in T20 Internationals. For KKR, Brendon McCullum scored a brilliant 158 in the opening match of IPL 2008, since then no other KKR batsman could reach three-figure in 12 seasons of IPL. Inclusion of Finch can help them break this unwanted run.
Eoin Morgan
The 50-over World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan will also be a good pick for KKR to provide stability in the middle order and can be a perfect foil for Andre Russell’s more attacking approach. Like Finch, Morgan also played more than 280 T20 matches and is a regular in various T20 global leagues. He has played for four different teams in IPL over the years including KKR and returns to Eden Gardens can be on cards. The inclusion of Morgan in the squad will also help KKR team management to consider him for captaincy and help Dinesh Karthik to focus on his wicket keeping and batting.
Rahkeem Cornwall
Over the years, KKR team management always boasted of having some top-quality spinners in the squad. There was a period when Sunil Narine was world’s best T20 bowler and they used to a spin bowling line up which included Shakib al Hassan and Piyush Chawla, both of whom are not part of the franchise anymore and they need some support for Kuldeep Yadav and an ageing Narine. Rahkeem Cornwall can perfectly fit the bill. He had a great CPL and made his Test debut against India. He already has a ten-wicket haul to his name in his first Test on Indian soil and will definitely be a good pick for his off-spinners. Another aspect of Cornwall’s game is his ability to play big shots. In 41 T20 matches, he has a strike rate excess of 150 and he has even opened for St. Lucia Zouks during CPL.
KKR has quite a few slots to fill in the auction and these three players will provide them with the required balance they were lacking in recent seasons.
Also Read: Purse available with each franchise for IPL 2020 Auction
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