Ready to hit a purple patch
Mitchell Starc’s injury has not dampened KKR’s spirit as they eye 3rd title
KOLKATA: When one of the most consistent teams of the Indian Premier League (IPL) undergoes a change at the top, it is bound to become a talking point. What could go in favour of the two-time champions is that a new skipper in Dinesh Karthik notwithstanding, they are following the template of trying to win with wicket-taking bowlers. Like in 2011, when Gautam Gambhir was handed a roster, KKR seem to have gone with the idea of deciding the team first and then choosing the skipper.
A lot will depend on how Chris Lynn at the top, bought for ~9.6 crore, Mitchell Johnson (~2 crore) and young Nitish Rana perform. Time will tell how much Mitchell Starc’s late pull-out due to a stress fracture on his right leg affects the men in deep purple but then they coped well without Andre Russell last term.
On Starc’s pull-out, KKR CEO and Managing Director Venky Mysore said: “We are disappointed but not that much…We have a very good option in Mitchell Johnson. He has played more IPLs and won two championships… and he is an outstanding player.”
Russell, Sunil Narine, Chris Lynn look likely to be the first-choice imports with the fourth slot being shared by Johnson and all-rounders Tom Curran, Starc’s replacement, Cameron Delport and Javon Searles.
What will also be crucial is how the Knights handle their group of youngsters which includes three India U-19 players.
It is one thing to do well in the U-19 World Cup but the IPL is a different beast, said former India bat S. Badrinath while talking about the highly-rated batsman Shubman Gill, all-rounder Shivam Mahi and fast bowler Kamlesh Nagarkoti.