IPL 2020 Is Scheduled To Start From September 19:
World Cup winning captain Eoin Morgan was bought by KKR at the IPL 2020 auction last December for Rs 5.25 crore, while Australia ‘s Test Vice-Captain Pat Cummins became the most expensive overseas acquisition of Rs 15.5 crore.
Both previously played for KKR – Pat Cummins in 2011 and Eoin Morgan in 2012 – but having turned themselves into players that they are today, Nayar believes both add a lot to the table.
KKR has made some big moves in the IPL 2020 auction, and captain Dinesh Karthik will have to get the best out of the new players as well as the old guard if his team is to relive the golden days of the Gautam Gambhir era.
One of the stars of India’s triumphant 2018 Under-19 World Cup campaign, Nagarkoti skipped the previous two IPL editions (2018 and 2019), but this time around, Nayar hopes that the 20-year-old will be able to keep his fitness intact this year.
With Andre Russell, Eoin Morgan and Tom Banton, KKR is one of the most volatile sides of the IPL this year. Put Sunil Narine in the mix, and you’ll end up with a Rohit Shetty style in the blockbuster top order.
Too many of the top-order choices are a positive thing for them. The only problem is Narine ‘s position, which seems a bit blurred, particularly after team mentor David Hussey said the opening pair is still undecided.
What’s more, the thing that Shah Rukh Khan-co owned team will miss most is Robin Uthappa’s anchoring prowess. Yes, Morgan has given this position to England on many occasions, but it’s not a natural style.
He earned his name as an imaginative and free-stroking batter. With neither Chris Lynn nor Uthappa in the middle order, it seems likely that Karthik ‘s hopes will be focused on the talented Shubman Gill and Nitish Rana, with Russell going up in war.
Kolkata Knight Riders will be looking for their third Indian Premier League title when they launch their campaign against champion Mumbai Indians on September 9. The Kolkata side is going to be betting on their explosive batting to conceal their bowling Achilles heel.
The lack of experienced bowlers can be a nightmare for Brendon McCullum (coach) and Dinesh Karthik (captain) particularly on the side of Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings who have good batsmen chasing. The team finished fifth in 2019, tied 12 points with Sunrisers Hyderabad in fourth place and Kings XI Punjab in sixth place.
Sharing the experience on the combination of KKR, Abhishek Nayar, the assistant coach of Kolkata Knight Riders said, “One of the things we were looking for the team was leadership quality in the group.
Brendon and Dinesh were very upfront about it. We thought Morgan and Cummins could add a lot of value. One is a World Cup winner and the other is the No. 1 Test bowler and vice-captain of Australia. This is what we needed. Hopefully, we will have a great season.”
Besides KKR ‘s overseas player pool, Nayar weighed in on the domestic player crop, saying he had high hopes of Kamlesh Nagarkoti ‘s return.
Key Players:
If there is one player who plays an important part, it would be Shubman Gill. The versatile batsman can play as an opener at No.3 and an anchor when needed. Kuldeep Yadav, if in shape, can also give the opposing teams a hard time with his mysterious bowling on the UAE spin-favored pitches.
