Kolkata Knight Riders. The name is fancy enough, and their journey so far through the seven seasons of the IPL hasn’t been less fascinating. If you judge them purely on the basis of of how their team looks on paper, or what the statistics say, you’d dismiss them with a smirk and never bother again. In reality, however, much to our surprise, they are two-time IPL champions — once in 2012 and next in 2014.
The Kolkata unit has somehow managed. The first four seasons were an absolute nightmare for them. From being an all-time regular and the bottom half of the table, they resurrected themselves, and hopped on the the biggie bandwagon, much to the delight of owners Shahrukh Khan and Juhi Chawla.
Once they won their first title in 2012, they realised it’s easier winning than defending it. In 2013, they put up their second worst show, finishing 7th in the points tally. From that, to the sudden revival in 2014, when they eventually took it back, the transformation was remarkable.
However, not all’s well for this squad. There are very few heavyweights who can carry Kolkata on their shoulders, The handful of them they have are under immense pressure because of this. If they fail to click, the team falls flat on its face. That’s how the equation hangs on the cliff. Leading the team is Gautam Gambhir, who himself would be coming in after a rather long break from international cricket. he could be rusty, but the team can’t afford it.
The scales weigh heavily on Robin Uthappa and Sunil Narine, who’s just been cleared to play following a ruckus by KKR, just days ahead of the big show. Narine was suspended because of suspect action and has since rectified it. A surprise package could come well in the form of Konganda Charamanna Cariappa. Other bowlers to watch out for would be Morne Morkel, Umesh Yadav, Pat Cummins
Key players:Â Robin Uthappa, Sunil Narine, Pat Cummins, Shakib al Hasan
Squad:Â Gautam Gambhir (capt), Andre Russell, Chris Lynn, Kuldeep Yadav, Manish Pandey, Suryakumar Yadav, Morne Morkel, Patrick Cummins, Piyush Chawla, Robin Uthappa, Ryan ten Doeschate, Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Umesh Yadav, Veer Pratap Singh, Yusuf Pathan, James Neesham, Brad Hogg, Aditya Garhwal, Sumit Narwal, KC Cariappa, Vaibhav Rawal, Sheldon Jackson