IPL 2022: 3 Players KKR should have retained instead of the current retentions

The champions of season 2012 and 2014, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), have been a successful side since the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL).  No one can forget the inaugural IPL game where KKR’s Brendon McCullum thrashed the RCB bowling with a lot of brutality. The veteran T20 star is now the head coach of the franchise and hasn’t flattered to deceive.

They have retained two Caribbeans and two Indians ahead of the 2022 season. They have retained Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, and Varun Chakravarthy. They could have gone for someone who could serve them for the upcoming 10 years and one who could also be a contender for the role of captaincy. They haven’t retained any fast bowler despite having a good pace attack in the previous season.

They still don’t have a captain in their squad. Eoin Morgan used to captain the side but he was released before the auction. They have many positions to fill going into the 2022 edition. They will need a quality wicket-keeper, a solid middle-order batter, and a good opening pair. They have a finisher who can bowl and have two good spinners as well. But they still need to make more valuable additions to the squad.

In the article, let’s decode the three players KKR should have retained in place of the current IPL retentions

1. Shubman Gill

The young and flamboyant batter who is seen as the future of Indian cricket, Shubman Gill, could have been retained by the franchise. He has done well for them in the seasons he played. He was a good option to be given the opening slot as he has all the gears a T20 batter should have. He is also a safe fielder to have.

Gill has a decent IPL record as he has scored 1417 IPL runs in 58 games and has 10 fifties to his name. He is highly praised by the cricket pundits. He was also the vice-captain of the Indian side in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup. The right-hander became the Man of the Tournament in that event and proved to be one of India’s greatest positives.

He could also be looked at as an option for captaincy in the future. Gill is just 22 years old and he could have served the franchise for many years. The youngster would have been the perfect talent to invest in. Every team wants to have a player like him on their side. And the retention would have provided him a huge amount of confidence.

2. Lockie Ferguson

The lethal pacer from the land of Kiwis. Lockie Ferguson is one of the quickest bowlers among the active players. He clicks 95 miles per hour quite effortlessly and can deceive the batters. He was a nice option to have in the pace attack as he can impress both with new ball and old ball. The speedster has shown everyone what he can do.

He has 24 wickets in 22 IPL games and has been brilliant in international cricket as well. In 15 T20Is he has 25 wickets to his name at a bowling average of 15.40. The fast bowler with the pace that he has is quite rare at the highest level. KKR could have gone in favour of him during the retentions. There is no doubt that he could have been a good option to lead the pace attack.

He was with KKR from the 2019 season and to make a core for the franchise he was the one to be kept. Most of the batters are not used to his pace and he can be on the wish list of many franchises. It will be interesting to see if KKR can buy him in the mega Auction in February 2022.

3. Shivam Mavi

Shivam Mavi was the teammate of Shubman Gill in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup. The main trait of Mavi is his ability to generate decent speeds. He has a raw pace which is the first thing a viewer notices when he bowls. Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti were the two bowlers who kept the tournament on fire. He is also quite handy with the bat and is a gun fielder.

He is only 23 years old and his shoulders are very fresh. His performances are not very eye-catchy but he can be an asset for many teams. His current form is very good as he picked 15 wickets in 7 games in the 2021 Vijay Hazare Trophy playing for Uttar Pradesh. Mavi is likely to also be in demand in the mega auction.

He has a lovely rhythmical run-up and looks very comfortable when he bowls. He has had injuries but that’s part and parcel of a fast bowler’s career. In IPL 2018 auctions he was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders and since then he has played 4 seasons for them. He could have been retained.