Kolkata Knight Riders don't boast the most glamorous squad of all the franchises in the Indian Premier League.
And after an underwhelming 2022 campaign in which they finished seventh out of the 10 teams, failing to qualify for the playoffs, they're not being backed to achieve much in 2023.
With Shreyas Iyer's participation in the IPL unclear due to injury — he's due to captain the side but is suffering from a back problem that may require surgery — KKR will need canny IPL operators like Sunil Narine and Andre Russell. The duo are both veterans in T20 franchise cricket by this point and must step up if the Knight Riders are to have any chance of upsetting the odds.
The Sporting News runs through the KKR roster for 2023 and picks out where they might succeed or fail in the tournament.
MORE: Latest IPL 2023 betting and odds
KKR squad for IPL 2023
Here's how the Kolkata Knight Riders squad shapes up for the IPL in 2023, with 22 names registered after the draft in December, in which they added the pace of Lockie Ferguson and the all-round capabilities of India international Shardul Thakur. Captain Shreyas Iyer would be a huge miss if his back injury keeps him out of the tournament.
| Player | Role | Age | Auction Price | Nation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shreyas Iyer (c) | Batter | 28 | IND 12.25 crore ($1.48m) | India |
| Nitish Rana | Batter | 29 | IND 8 crore ($968,000) | India |
Rahmanullah Gurbaz | Batter | 21 | IND 50 lakhs ($68,000) | Afghanistan |
| Venkatesh Iyer | Batter | 28 | IND 8 crore ($968,000) | India |
| Andre Russell | All-rounder | 34 | IND 12 crore ($1.45m) | West Indies |
| Sunil Narine | All-rounder | 34 | IND 6 crore ($726,00) | West Indies |
| Shardul Thakur | All-rounder | 31 | IND 10.75 crore ($1.3m) | India |
| Lockie Ferguson | Pace bowler | 31 | IND 10 crore ($1.2m) | New Zealand |
| Umesh Yadav | Pace bowler | 35 | IND 2 crore ($242,000) | India |
| Tim Southee | Pace bowler | 34 | IND 1.5 crore ($181,000) | New Zealand |
| Harshit Rana | Pace bowler | 21 | IND 20 lakhs ($24,000) | India |
| Varun Chakravarthy | Spinner | 31 | IND 8 crore ($968,000) | India |
| Anukul Roy | All-rounder | 24 | IND 20 lakhs ($24,000) | India |
| Rinku Singh | Batter | 25 | IND 55 lakhs ($66,000) | India |
| Narayan Jagadeesan | Batter | 27 | IND 90 lakhs ($108,000) | India |
| Vaibhav Arora | Pace bowler | 25 | IND 60 lakhs ($73,000) | India |
| Suyash Sharma | Spinner | 18 | IND 20 lakhs ($24,000) | India |
| David Wiese | All-rounder | 37 | IND 1 crore ($135,000) | Namibia |
| Kulwant Khejroliya | Pace bowler | 31 | IND 20 lakhs ($24,000) | India |
| Litton Das | Batter/Wicket-keeper | 28 | IND 50 lakhs ($60,000) | Bangladesh |
| Mandeep Singh | All-rounder | 31 | IND 50 lakhs ($60,000) | India |
| Shakib Al Hasan | All-rounder | 36 | IND 1.5 crore ($181,000) | Bangladesh |
KKR stars, strengths & weaknesses
Kolkata Knight Riders had the smallest budget at the IPL draft for 2023: just INR 7.05 crore. Their additions, therefore, were modest.
But it would be wrong to discount them entirely. Unfancied teams have often upset the odds in the IPL throughout the years, no less than in its very first year when Rajasthan Royals, who were written off by everyone, clinched the title led by Shane Warne.
Stars
Iyer is undoubtedly one of the biggest stars in the KKR squad, as captain and one of their most consistent batters. His presence in the top order is guaranteed, if fit, and so are his runs: he has nearly 3,000 IPL runs at an average better than 30. The issue is whether his persistent back problem keeps him sidelined for too long, or impairs him at the crease.
Elsewhere, Shakib Al Hasan will be a crucial player with bat and ball. The 36-year-old is arguably the best player ever produced by Bangladesh, although he's rarely hit the heights in the IPL. He'll bring balance to the side with his clever batting and accurate left-arm spin.
Narine and Russell are both established and long-standing stars of this KKR side. The West Indian duo may be long in the tooth but they're expert T20 franchise performers, both offering plenty with bat and ball.
🚨 𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓!
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) February 17, 2023
The wait is over, the dates are here! 💜#AmiKKR #IPL2023 pic.twitter.com/jduMSOCQOM
Strengths
The star quality and experience of the aforementioned West Indies pair reflects the greatest strength of this KKR squad: it is very adaptable.
There are a huge number of all-rounders in the squad, with David Wiese, Shakib and Thakur all likely to start in Kolkata's best lineup, as well as Narine and Russell.
Spin options are also a strength, with Varun Chakravarthy's leg spin often tying opponents in knots. He's got an IPL economy rate nearer seven runs per over than eight.
Weaknesses
The batting looks seriously light, especially if Iyer misses some games. Nitish Rana has been a key cog in the KKR middle order over recent years but power hitting isn't really his game, nor that of Litton Das — although both are very capable players.
If Russell doesn't fire with the bat — which happens more often these days — the Knight Riders might struggle to assemble formidable totals for their balanced bowling attack to defend.
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