KKR Strongest Playing XI after creating IPL Auction history ft Mitchell Starc

KKR Playing XI: Kolkata Knight Riders have made significant moves in the IPL 2024 auction, shaping a squad of 23 players, including 8 overseas talents.

Let’s delve into their wins, misses, and the probable playing XI under the Impact Sub rule.

Wins: Mitchell Starc record deal and bowling reinforcement

In a groundbreaking move, KKR secured the services of the Australian pace sensation, Mitchell Starc, for a staggering INR 24.75 crore, setting an all-time high in IPL auction history.

This strategic acquisition fulfills KKR’s need for top-tier fast bowlers. Towards the later stages, they added Gus Atkinson to bolster their fast-bowling arsenal. Additionally, with the signings of Mujeeb Ur Rahman and KS Bharat, they secured valuable options for a spin-bowling backup and wicketkeeping duties.

The Artists 👉 The Art pic.twitter.com/jnfC2sqmRi

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) December 20, 2023

Misses: Gurbaz’s weight of expectation and batting depth concerns

While KKR places considerable reliance on Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s performance, Gus Atkinson’s fit into the first-choice XI remains uncertain.

The team’s Indian seamers lack experience, and there seems to be a gap in batting depth, especially with unproven talents like Ramandeep Singh, who showcased impressive performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy but is yet to prove his mettle in the IPL.

Kolkata Knight Riders full squad for IPL 2024

Openers: Jason Roy, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Angkrish Raghuvanshi

Middle order: Shreyas Iyer (capt), Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, KS Bharat (wk), Manish Pandey, Sherfane Rutherford

Allrounders: Andre Russell, Anukul Roy, Ramandeep Singh

Fast bowlers: Mitchell Starc, Gus Atkinson, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Chetan Sakariya, Sakib Hussain

Spinners: Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Suyash Sharma, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

KKR Playing XI (XII)

There are 12 players selected in here, keeping in mind the IPL’s Impact Sub rule.

1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk) ✈
2. Venkatesh Iyer
3. Shreyas Iyer (c)
4. Nitish Rana
5. Andre Russell ✈
6. Rinku Singh
7. Ramandeep Singh
8. Sunil Narine✈✈
9. Mitchell Starc ✈
10. Harshit Rana
11. Varun Chakravarthy
12. Suyash Sharma