IPL 2024 Teams Preview: Strategies, captaincy updates, players' stats and more

7. Kolkata Knight Riders

Kolkata Knight Riders are one of the most unpredictable sides in the Indian Premier League. In 2014, the side managed to win two of their first seven matches and from there, the Gautam Gambhir-led side went on to win the title. They repeated something similar in 2021 but lost to Chennai Super Kings in the final and in 2023 when it looked impossible to win against Gujarat Titans, Rinku Singh smashed five back-to-back sixes against Yash Dayal in the last over to win it for his team.

One never knows what KKR will throw at you. However, the side will be confident of their chances this year as Gambhir has made his return to the franchise as its mentor, while Shreyas Iyer will once again lead the side, having missed the 2023 edition, owing to a back injury. His return solves a lot of issues that Kolkata had in the last year as they needed a solid middle order batter, who can win them matches. Nitish Rana lived up to his potential last year but couldn’t get the job done and but Iyer by his side will help him play more aggressively this year.

Meanwhile, in the last one year, Rinku Singh has emerged as one of the biggest match-winners in world cricket. Having done well in the IPL, Rinku earned his opportunity in the national team and another good season can help him get into India’s squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Andre Russell will join him as the finishers while the new addition Phil Salt is likely to open with Venkatesh Iyer. One should also keep an eye on Ramandeeep Singh, who can have a breakout season in 2024 if given enough opportunities.

When it comes to bowling, Kolkata broke the bank and signed Mitchell Starc for INR 24.74 crore ahead of IPL 2024. Death bowling has been a major issue for the franchise in the last couple of seasons as they mostly relied on Russell, and he has been decent but having Starc in the mix, completely solves their issue. However, they lack experience in the pace department as well. Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora and newly added Chetan Sakariya are excellent options but they don’t have enough experience in the middle. On the other hand, spin bowling is KKR’s strength, having Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy and Suyash Sharma in the squad. 

Also Read: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) IPL jerseys over the years