IPL 2018: 5 players whom Kolkata Knight Riders will target in the transfer window

The transfer window is the new introduction in the Indian Premier League (IPL) along with the Decision Review System (DRS). While the latter has been a success, it is yet to be seen whether the transfer system turns out to be successful or not. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have recently faced some injury concerns, with a couple of their key players already being ruled out. The window comes with a much-needed breather for them as now they can now pick some utility players who can go ahead and deliver the goods for them. Meanwhile, they also need to win quite a few games in order to ensure qualification in the playoff stage. In our article, we take a look at five cricketers who the Knight Riders can target. 1. Murugan Ashwin Murugan Ashwin. (Photo Source: Surjeet Yadav/IANS) The Knights have used the Right to Match (RTM) card on Piyush Chawla, however, he has floundered and leaked runs. Though he has picked up a few wickets, he has lacked the killer instinct, which is desperately needed in their bowling attack. An appropriate replacement can be Murugun Ashwin, who previously has played for the Rising Pune Supergiant in the Indian Premier League. The 27-year old was impressive in this debut season a couple of years and grabbed a few eyeballs. He churned out some vicious wrong urns, which caught batsmen napping. Also, his deliveries skid through which can be unsettling for the batsmen. He is currently in Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) franchise who bagged them for INR 2.20 crores in the auction. 2. Navdeep Saini Navdeep Saini picks 7 wickets to take Delhi to innings victory. (Photo Source: Twitter) KKR have pacers in the form of Tom Curran, Mitchell Johnson and Shivam Mavi, but apart from Mavi, their overseas seamers haven’t quite made an impact in the tournament and have lacked the bite in their deliveries in order to ruffle the feathers of top-class batsmen. Navdeep Saini, the Delhi fast-bowler, can be an answer to their woes. The right-arm pacer can clock above 140 kmph on a consistent basis and can be a handy addition to any bowling attack. He was Delhi’s highest wicket-taker with 34 scalps in the 2017-18 Ranji season. Subsequently, RCB forked out INR 3 crores for him in the auction. Though IPL will be a different proposition, Navdeep can be a valuable addition to the Knights setup. 3. Abhishek Sharma Abhishek Sharma of India U19s bats. (Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images) Andre Russell is the only genuine all-rounder in the Knights franchise. However, he suffered a strain while bowling against the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP). The league still has a fair distance to travel and there has to be a backup for the Jamaican cricketer. In that scenario, Abhishek Sharma has to be the most effective player the Knight Riders can watch out for. He played in the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand and thoroughly impressed in the tournament. KKR also lack a batsman who can give a finishing kick in the death overs and Sharma has the ability to hit the ball right from the word go. Also, his left-arm spinner can be handy and will give them an additional spin bowler in the lineup. He is currently in the Delhi Daredevils. 4. Thangarasu Natarajan Thangarasu Natarajan speaks in a press conference. (Photo Source: Twitter) Thangarasu Natarajan can be one player the Knights Riders cane look out for. He has already played few games in the IPL in 2017 when he represented the Kings XI Punjab. He had an impressive stint in the 2016 Tamil Nadu Premier League and was subsequently, roped in by the Preity Zinta-owned franchise for a whopping INR 3 crores. Though he played only six games, he was effective with the ball and nipped out wickets of batsman of the caliber of Ajinkya Rahane. He has been drafted in by the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for 40 Lakhs, but is yet to represent the team. He is compared to Mustafizur Rahman, the Bangladeshi pacer, for possessing similar actions and he can be a useful addition to KKR. 5. Bipul Sharma Bipul Sharma. (Photo Source: Twitter) Bipul Sharma is an experienced campaigner who has also plied his trade in the T20 league. He has played 33 matches for Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) respectively. Though he doesn’t have a whole lot of wickets to his name, but he has hardly let his team down and has been more than effective with his left-arm orthodox spin. The left-arm all-rounder also packs a punch with the willow as he has shown in a couple of games for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. He was bagged by the same franchise for 20 Lakhs but hasn’t played a game yet. The Knights can opt for him, who can add depth to their lineup with the inclusion of the spin-bowling all-round cricketer. *Disclaimer: These are the players’ teams would’ve liked to add with the transfer window. However, the rule is that only uncapped players who have played maximum two matches after 7 matches will be eligible for transfer.

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IPL 2018: 5 players whom Kolkata Knight Riders will target in the transfer window

The Knights have some injury concerns which they would like to address through the transfer window.

3. Abhishek Sharma

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