5 Players KKR should pick in IPL 2020 Auction in order to win the title

The IPL 2020 Auction will take place on December 19 and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will want to make it a productive one, drafting in some players, who can add value and depth to their setup. KKR, the winners of the 2012 and 2014 editions of the IPL, didn’t have a great season last time. Having lost six successive games in the middle, the Dinesh Karthik-led unit failed to qualify beyond the round-robin stage. The team hugely depended on Andre Russell, who was both their highest-run scorer and leading wicket-taker. KKR were edged out by the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Net Run Rate in the race to the playoffs after being locked on 14 points each. Ahead of the next edition, the Knights have a lot of homework to do in order to fill the potholes. In our article, let’s have a look at five players KKR should pick in IPL 2020 Auction Sheldon Cottrell Sheldon Cottrell of St Kitts & Nevis Patriots. (Photo by Randy Brooks – CPL T20/Getty Images) One of the main reasons behind KKR’s poor show last season was not being able to make early inroads into an opposition batting. This is where Sheldon Cottrell can be a useful pick for them. The West Indies fast bowler can hustle in and spear yorkers at sheer pace, something which can be hard to deal with. The left-armer also has a deadly bouncer up his sleeve that can ruffle a few feathers. The 30-year-old was the leading wicket-taker for the Caribbean in the World Cup with 12 scalps. Even in the 2019 edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), the pacer notched 12 wickets from eight matches at a decent economy of 7.83. There he represented St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. In 77 T20s, Cottrell has picked 111 wickets at a strike-rate of 14.9, manifesting his wicket-taking ability. Tom Banton Tom Banton of Somerset. (Photo Source: Twitter) At the age of 20, Tom Banton is one of the most dashing young openers in England’s domestic circuit, especially in T20s. He had a great campaign for Somerset in the 2019 T20 Blast. There, he finished as the second-highest run-scorer with 549 runs at a decent average and strike-rate of 42.23 and 161.47 respectively. His pairing with Babar Azam at the top was a nightmare for many teams. The Chiltern-born also got a century versus Kent. On the backs of his impressive knocks, he was drafted into the national squad for the away T20I series versus New Zealand. As far as KKR is concerned, their regular opener Chris Lynn can be inconsistent at times, playing rash shots. The Australian batsman is also prone to injuries and hence, Banton can be a vital choice as his backup. Hayden Walsh Jr Hayden Walsh Jr.. (Photo by Randy Brooks – CPL T20/CPL T20 via Getty Images) Before 2019, Hayden Walsh Jr was a random name in the cricket world. Deep into the second half of the year, he has well and truly made a name for himself. It was in March that he made his debut for the United States of America (USA), but it’s his recent stint with the Barbados Tridents that has gotten him into the limelight. The leg-spinner became the Player of the Tournament in the 2019 CPL. The 26-year-old finished with 22 wickets. The tweaker has the potential of running through a batting lineup as he showed in the game versus the Trinbago Knight Riders where he picked a five-wicket haul. Back in 2012, KKR roped in an unknown Sunil Narine, who turned out to be one of their greatest assets. Picking Walsh in the IPL 2020 Auction can rejuvenate their spin-attack, which has looked vulnerable of late. Vishnu Vinod Vishnu Vinod. (Photo Source: Twitter) Vishnu Vinod had a brief stint for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 2017 IPL. But he featured in only three matches where he could manage only a mere 19 runs at 6.33. But his numbers in the shortest formats suggest that he can shine in the T20 league in the future if given a longer rope. In 24 T20s, Vinod has 685 runs at an average of 31.13 and most importantly a strike-rate of 138.10. In the 2018-19 Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, Vinod racked up 225 runs in six matches at an average of 45, showing that he can be consistent. Even in the 2019 Vijay Hazare Trophy, he smacked 11 sixes in the game versus Chhattisgarh where he got a 91-ball 123. With Robin Uthappa not quite living up to expectations in the last two seasons, Vinod won’t be the worst of choices in the middle order. Wanindu Hasaranga Wanindu Hasaranga. (Photo Source: Twitter) Sri Lanka lately wreaked havoc, whitewashing ICC’s number-one ranked T20I team Pakistan 3-0 in the latter’s own den. But it wouldn’t have been possible without the exploits of leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga. The Galle-born was the leading wicket-taker of the series with eight scalps. The 22-year-old finished with jaw-dropping strike-rate and average of below 10 and had an economy of 6.58. In the second T20I in Lahore, he accounted for three wickets in one of his overs, extracting prodigious turn from the surface. Hasaranga made his T20I debut last month against New Zealand and is yet to go wicket-less in any of the six encounters. Moreover, with a T20 strike-rate of 133.81, he can hit the long ball in the death overs. He can be a handy inclusion for KKR in IPL 2020 Auction.

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5 Players KKR should pick in IPL 2020 Auction in order to win the title

These players have been standout performers for their respective teams in the T20 format over the last one year or so.

Tom Banton

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