Kolkata Knight Riders have been one of the primary entertainers at the Indian Premier League with their fearless brand of cricket over the years. They have pulled off dramatic wins from virtually impossible situations in the last few seasons, but have failed to deliver the goods when it has mattered the most. They made it to the play-offs on three of the five occasions since their last triumph in 2014. In the other two seasons, in 2015 and most recently in 2019, they kept themselves in contention right until the end of the league stage, but lost in the virtual knockouts to end up in fifth position.
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The power-packed two-time champions will look to cross the winning line for the first time since 2014. But can they? Here’s your Kolkata Knight Riders team preview.
Of all the teams, the Knight Riders probably made the most buzz at the 2020 auctions, picking up Pat Cummins for a whopping INR 15.5 crore, thereby making him the most expensive overseas buy in IPL history, while also roping in England’s World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan. They have some exciting young talents in the mix, both Indian and overseas. Whether they can stand up to the pressure on a consistent basis remains to be seen.
Shubman Gill: Gill has been impressive in his short IPL career so far, despite being reshuffled in the batting order more than once. His returns at the top in the second half of the 2019 season could help him retain his preferred batting spot yet, and his steady approach could work perfectly fine alongside the power-hitting of Narine and Banton. He hasn’t been able to break into India’s XI since his international debut last year, and that might just be an additional motivation for the youngster ahead of the coming season.
IPL 2020 Betting odds
7/1
Our prediction
Qualifer: The last time IPL was staged in the UAE, KKR had a poor start to their campaign, before they bounced back in the India leg to win nine games on the trot to take the title. Come 2020, they look a solid outfit still, with almost all their departments covered ahead of the 13th edition of the tournament. They know a thing or two about winning key moments and look good to make it to the top four this time around. Their unpredictable nature over the last few seasons, though, leaves room for uncertainty thereafter.
