3 players Kolkata Knight Riders can retain ahead of IPL mega auction

Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL

The fifteenth edition of the Indian Premier League will feature abundance of changes heading into 2022. Not only two new teams are being added to the existing pool of eight, but also the BCCI has provided a chance to every side to rebuild its squad during the mega auction. Wherein only a maximum of 3 players shall be allowed to be retained by a team each.

Talking about the Shahrukh Khan owned franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders, the two-time IPL champions endured a disappointing IPL 2021 phase 1. Having only managed two wins out of the 7 games they played, KKR failed to make the use of the experience and star power available at their disposal. In addition, their captain Eoin Morgan failed to inspire the team as a batsman, which makes it rather obvious that KKR would head into the new season in search of a new skipper.

Having said that, who could Kolkata Knight Riders turn their attention towards in the mega auction? To keep it brief, who will be the three players that KKR plan on retaining? If your concern is the same, then this article is your one-stop destination.

1. Andre Russell

In a tough choice between Australian pacer, Pat Cummins and West Indian All-rounder, Andre Russell, the latter player seems to take the edge by a whisker. He contains the power to not only smash a ton in last 10 overs, but can clinch crucial wickets by bowling at the death, courtesy to his variation. Regarded as one of the most ruthless finishers in the shortest format, Andre Russell might be struggling, yet KKR seems to always rely upon his hard-hitting abilities to finish off an innings.

Moreover, given his bowling attributes, Russell has registered 68 wickets to his name across 81 games. His variation in the death overs has caused batsmen to struggle in scoring boundaries against him, especially with traditional cricket shots as the 33-year-old always seems to be on the money with the ball as well.

2. Shubman Gill

Although the young Indian opener has performed exceptionally well for the country in overseas conditions, he has not managed to live up to his hype in the first leg of IPL 2021. More often than not, Shubman Gill manages to get to a good start yet his problem of failing to convert it into big ones is something that would be concerning him and the team management.

His inability to score regularly has been one of the core reasons KKR only managed to win 2 games in their 7 contests in IPL 2021. Having said that, his calibre cannot be questioned as he stands as one of the brightest youngsters at the international stage.

3. Dinesh Karthik

The veteran Indian wicket-keeper has witnessed nothing less than a roller coaster ride being a part of KKR. With exceptional performances in the IPL editions of 2018 and 2019, Dinesh Karthik managed to answer all his critics. Yet having experienced a lean patch since the previous edition in UAE, Dinesh Karthik even got dropped as the KKR captain.

However, this batsman's ability to strike the ball fiercely towards the end of an innings remains intact. Not only that, Karthik can even stabilize the innings in situation during the batting collapses. The only question surrounding him, seems to be consistency and that he needs to take up more responsibility.